Bringing to Christ. Growing in Christ. Serving as Christ.

In fulfilling this vision we seek to disciple anyone who is regularly attending or interested in becoming a member so that they can in turn disciple other believers as they learn to follow the Lord in every area of life and serve others as Jesus did.

Our Staff

Loving God. Loving People.

Staff

Kristian & Shelby Bellemare
Pastor-Teacher

Kris Bellemare is our Pastor-Teacher. He began his ministry here at Riverside in March of 2024 and comes from Connecticut. Kris and his wife, Shelby, were married in June of 1997 and have two boys, Luke and Andrew. Kris holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Elizabethtown College and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Bridgeport. He has also taken Master’s level seminary classes at Liberty University. You can contact Kris at kris@rbcdecatur.com.

Jim & Gloria Johnson
Associate Pastor Missions & Outreach

Jim Johnson is our Associate Pastor of Missions and Outreach. He and his wife, Gloria, were married in May of 2021. Between the two of them they have six children and nine grandchildren. Jim joined Riverside in August of 2023, moving to Decatur from North Carolina. Jim has a graduate of theology degree from Liberty Bible Institute in Lynchburg, Virginia and is the former Pastor of Baptist Bible Church in Decatur and jail chaplain with Good News Jail and Prison ministries in Arlington, Virginia. You can contact Pastor Jim at jajthebaptist@gmail.com

Travis & Cheri Ward
Associate Pastor/Worship Leader

Travis Ward is our Associate Pastor and Worship Leader. He and his wife, Cheri, were married in June of 2019 and have one daughter, Emerie, who was born in 2022. Travis has been serving at Riverside since August 2017 and graduated from Manhattan Christian College in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in Bible/Worship Ministry. He has also taken classes toward a Master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. You can contact Travis at travis@rbcdecatur.com.

Sheila Long
Office Administrator

Sheila Long is our Office Administrator. She has been working in the office since June of 2002 and has been married to her husband Bill for 37 years. They have two sons, Alex and Austin. You can contact Sheila at office@rbcdecatur.com.