Meet Our Team

Pastor Rick Isham

Senior Pastor

Rick Isham never saw himself as a pastor. After graduating high school and working briefly in a factory, Rick felt called to do ministry, and went off to college. For the summers, his grandma directed and encouraged him to check out a local ministry, Youth Haven, a ministry for at-risk, disadvantaged children in the area. In 2001 he began working there and he fell in love with the work of the ministry. Just over a year later he met the love of his life, Heather while working there and they married in 2004. There he filled numerous roles from camp counselor, maintenance, Children's Program Director, to eventually serving the last 10 years as the Operations Director for the ministry.

Here, Rick was quite fulfilled with his call to do ministry. He loved the kids that Youth Haven served, loved being the hands and feet of Jesus to so many in need. Rick and his wife Heather are passionate about foster-care and adoption and Youth Haven ministered to both of these demographics. That, and the support of those around them, encouraged them to become foster parents and they had the privilege to care for children during some of the most difficult seasons of their lives. They were even blessed to adopt their first foster child, Annie. Later God blessed them with 3 more children, Judah, Lillian, and Isaac.

At the same time as Rick was Director of Operations, God was tugging at his heart that he was being called to be a pastor. Yet, Rick didn't want to. He was happy and fulfilled in ministry at Youth Haven. But God wouldn't stop prodding, until in 2019, Rick finally accepted the call to enter into pastoral ministry... and then Covid hit. The timing wasn't right. It was in 2022 that he began transitioning from Youth Haven, and began serving as Associate Pastor at Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Lansing (now Wellspring Life Church). In 2023, he was ordained by Ed Reynolds and the Board of Directors, and in 2024 Ed stepped into the title of Pastor Emeritus and Rick was chosen to become Senior Pastor.

As a pastor, Rick is passionate about creating authentic relationships. People are important, yet many do not know or feel it. Through connecting with each other and ultimately God, relationships strengthen and grow each of us. We are better together, and created to be in community and relationship with each other and with God. That brings out the best in us and our giftings.

In Rick's spare time he loves the outdoors, enjoying nature, hunting, and fishing, as well as his chickens. He also enjoys a good movie, or watching hockey or soccer. His favorite thing though is spending time with his wife and kids.

Pastor Ed Reynolds Sr

Pastor Emeritus

Pastor Ed had an experience with God at age seven that profoundly influenced his young life. However, without the benefit of a Christian home, he began to find his identity in sports as a teenager, and when he did begin attending church, he couldn’t really see how faith made a difference in the behavior of anyone around him. His father was a physician, and Ed started studying pre-med at MSU, only to switch to psychology by his sophomore year.

“I wanted to understand myself,” he says, only half in jest. His questions led him not only to psychology, but also to drugs and the hippie movement of the early 70’s. It was on a spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that God got ahold of him again, this time for good. A girl on the trip taunted, “Ed’s gonna be a preacher,” and God confirmed it in his spirit immediately. Ed faithfully began our church in 1986 and led it until he passed the baton to Pastor Rick in June of 2024. He now serves as Pastor Emeritus, where he is invaluable in his role of mentoring, guiding and encouraging those in our body.