Our church has undergone many seasons since our founding in 1997. But the ethos of The River continues to be the same at the core as we evolved through the years. This is because God was the author of The River twenty-eight years ago, and God is still the author and leader of our church. He was faithful then, and will be faithful now, and into the future.

In this particular season of transition (click here to read the announcement from 3/30/25), the Board has formed 3 Task Forces:

• Lead Pastor Task Force (led by Chris Maitz and Linh Bauer)
• Children's Ministry Pastor Task Force (led by Kristy Chang)
• Transitional Support Task Force (led by Michelle Albertson)

The Board and Task forces will provide periodic updates on this page, through our email distribution list, and on Sunday mornings.

Chris Maitz will be succeeding Cameron Ashizawa as The River Board Chair at the end of September. We are grateful for Chris’ service and the rest of the board team and invite your continued prayers for The River Board, staff and church.

• On Sunday, August 24, The River partnership voted by an overwhelming majority to extend an offer to Nathan Kimbrough of VitalChurch Ministry to serve as our Transitional Lead Pastor. We are pleased to share that Nathan has accepted our offer. He and his wife, Jennie, plan to relocate to San Jose the first weekend in October. He will officially begin work the week of October 5.
  
  

• As part of VitalChurch's comprehensive assessment of our church to determine our state and overall health, we have launched a detailed survey for all adult members of our congregation. Take the survey here. The survey will be available online for three weeks, from August 31 to September 21. Everyone aged 18 and over in our congregation is invited to participate. We need participation from 50-60% of our congregation for the data to be representative of our community. Please take 30 minutes to complete the survey online by September 21.
  
  

• This survey is being facilitated and designed by Vital Church Ministries. While our board and task force provided input, we weren’t able to adjust every question. You may notice that some of the language isn’t our usual River Church wording. That’s okay—please just answer as best you can. And if something feels unclear, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.
  
  

• If you have any questions or concerns about Nathan, VitalChurch Ministry, or the survey, please contact the Lead Pastor Search Task Force at river-lptf@googlegroups.com.

We did phone interviews with two candidates, and neither was qualified or the right fit. We have renewed our job postings, and we are receiving a few resumes. Also, Kristy Chang has graciously agreed to step in as the lead for the task force, as Becky Basulto is now on River staff.

• We’re happy to announce Bobby Rodriguez as our New Audio/Visual and Social Media Support coordinator, paid on a contract hours basis to support our various needs. This will help fulfill roles that Mark Manley shepherded and also expand on social media presence.  
   
• River Staff emails have been upgraded to better meet legal retention needs, with the added benefit of many new features. No changes to email addresses, but don’t be surprised if you see the use of other Google tools in the future.

• Last Sunday (7/20/25), the Lead Pastor Task Force shared a brief update at both morning services, and a followup email was sent out to the congregation.
  
  
• We are interviewing multiple candidates for the role of Transitional Pastor, someone who will serve as an intentional bridge to help heal, clarify, and strengthen us so the next Lead Pastor at The River can thrive.
  
  
• One TP candidate will be visiting The River this upcoming Sunday and will be speaking at both services and hanging out at the Mix & Munch afterwards. River congregants will have an opportunity to provide their input to the Task Force after the visit.
  
  
• We will be retaining the services of Vital Church Ministries, an organization that specializes in helping churches in transition. VCM will help us conduct an extensive Diagnostic Survey of The River in September, all River congregants will have an opportunity to participate. More information will be available in the next update.

We did an initial phone interview with one candidate who will not be moving on and we will be posting on Linked In to broaden our search. Also, we have one promising candidate we will be doing a phone interview with the week of 7/21.

• The Board approved the hire of Becky Basulto as Spiritual Formation Director. This is a part time (10 hr/week) role that aligns with Becky's gifts and the church's needs in the absence of Pastor Michelle. Becky will provide leadership for adult discipleship, particularly around our annual Fall Challenge, Advent, and Lent. She will also coordinate quarterly retreats and seminars. We are thankful for God's provision through Becky. She begins her role on July 1st.
  
  
• Cameron Ashizawa will complete his last term serving on the board in September. Chris Maitz has graciously offered to succeed Cameron as the board chairperson. We invite you to pray for Chris as he prepares to lead The River in this new capacity.

• The Lead Pastor Search Task Force has been meeting regularly since early May. They are focused on seeking an experienced transitional pastor who specializes in change management and shepherding congregations through major transitions. This leader will help us assess the health of our church, provide practical support to the staff, and clarify our congregational identity, culture, and calling in preparation for a new senior leader. Our hope is to have someone in place by the fall.
  
  
• The task force has developed a detailed job description for a transitional pastor which has been posted on our website, the ECC’s website, and other major job boards. They have already begun receiving resumes and interviewing potential candidates. They have also been collaborating closely with the board and the staff to ensure that the hiring process takes into account their needs and input.
  
  
• When the task force has a transitional pastor candidate who they believe is a good fit for The River and has the gifts, skills, and care for the church that we need, the larger congregation will have the opportunity to meet that candidate and provide their input. If both the task force and board recommend this candidate, then River partners will formally vote before we can extend an offer to the candidate.

• The Children’s Ministry Director job description can be found online on our website and has been posted on multiple job search websites. Please share to spread the word.

• The task force conducted an interview with a candidate in mid-May, but determined the person was not a good fit.
  
  
• Our current Ministry Operations Associate, Deborah Woo-Miller has agreed to serve as Interim Children's Director. Deborah began her time on The River staff as our Children’s Ministry Assistant and is familiar with the ministry’s needs and rhythms. We are grateful for Deborah’s willingness to step up during this critical time in our church. Deborah will begin the transition to the director role in July, fully settling in it on August 3, after Lesley's departure from staff.

• Transitional team members are: Michelle Albertson, Cameron Ashizawa, Jill Beasley, Dan Brisco, Mary Chong Carrera, Kevin Freisen, Jeff Gee, Lorianne Lee, Matt Lee, Nedjip Tozun and Judy Tsao. Team members have been meeting with staff to determine scope of need.
  
  
• In preparation for the Ministry Year 2026 budget, we had to make a decision now about Riverfest 2026. In light of all the transitions, we have decided to postpone Riverfest; however, we do highly value an opportunity for our church family to gather, so we will host an alternative all-church event for summer 2026. Stay tuned. If you have ideas or want to help plan this event, please contact angela@the-river.org.