Leadership Team - River of Life Church

Meet Our Team

Staff & Leadership

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:4-5

Pastor Weston & Karen Brooks

Weston and Karen serve on the Leadership Team and are our Lead Pastors. Weston transitioned into Pastoral Ministry in 2005 after many years in the investment management field. While he is responsible for oversight of the entire ministry, his primary focus is teaching and leadership development. Karen is active in both the Children’s ministry and our prophetic ministry. Weston and Karen are motivated to help create a loving and God centered family culture that is fully empowered by the love of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

One of the Scriptures that has guided their life together is “I was made a minister…so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:25–27)

Weston also enjoys fishing, cooking, and pretending to play golf. They both love good food, laughter and hanging out with family and friends. Weston and Karen have four awesome adult children and nine grandchildren. They reside in Tolland, CT.

Pastor Jamie Stoddard

Pastor Jamie Stoddard and her late husband Pastor Gerry LaFond were the founding pastors of River of Life in 1999. After his passing in 2003 she felt the Lord encouraging her to continue in ministry and be faithful to the work the Lord began. That has been more than 20 years now.

Pastor Jamie serves on the Leadership team at The River and oversees the Pastoral Care Ministry and Women’s Prayer. She is dedicated to equipping and coaching others to encounter God in personal and profound ways so that they may be transformed by His Love and experience the fullness of their calling and destiny in Christ.

She was remarried in 2015 to her wonderful husband Terry Stoddard. They are passionate about building God’s kingdom together. They enjoy spending lots of time with their grown children and grandchildren. And they are very grateful for all the blessings God has given them.

A verse that inspires their life’s journey is Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Pastor Kevin & Kat MacDonald

Pastors Kevin and Kat MacDonald were ordained in June 2014. Pastor Kevin (Rev.Kev) is zealous about the Gospel message and preaches it powerfully both in the church and on the streets. He has a passion to reach the lost, disciple the found and build the church. Kevin oversees Church Life, specifically ministries that foster the spiritual growth of the congregation and equip the church to advance the Kingdom of God. Those ministries include Community Groups, SundayServe, Healing & Deliverance, Leadership Development, Adult Classes, Teen Ministry, Media & Technology and Evangelism.

Pastor Kat is one of our Worship leaders and oversees our teen worship team. She started leading worship in 1987, when she became a cantor for the Catholic church. In 1994, she began leading worship services in the non-denominational church, and has been leading worship ever since. Kat’s personal mission is to identify and equip future worship leaders and to build worship teams with a focus on honoring the Lord by giving Him the most costly, extravagant worship. Kat and Kev are honored to call River of Life their home church, along with their adult children and grand children.

Pastor Veronica Trudel

Pastor Veronica and her husband, Robert, live in Coventry. They are the parents of four and grandparents of 3 (so far)! Pastor Veronica serves on our leadership team at River of Life and oversees a broad range of Missions, Outreach, and Evangelism teams at River of Life. She has a particular passion to minister to the orphan, the widow, the poor, the hurting and the marginalized and has done so both locally and in Africa. She is also passionate about reaching the lost, infusing the children with a love for Jesus, and uniting the CHURCH.

Pastor Kelly Ross

Pastor Kelly is our Children’s Ministry Director. She oversees our Kingdom Kids ministry – our Sunday morning classes for ages infant to 12 years. She also oversees a Co-op to supplement homeschool education. She believes that God created and formed each child with love and purpose. Her desire is to help children discover and trust God through engaging and meaningful learning experiences. Kelly and her husband live in Coventry and have four awesome children.

Shannon Bacon

Shannon serves as the administrative assistant to the Lead Pastor, oversees the church office and is part of our leadership team. Her dedication extends beyond administrative duties as she actively engages in our church community, particularly through her involvement in the Women’s Ministry team and intercessory prayer.

The joy of the Lord is Shannon’s strength and her passion for prayer and serving others carries the compassions of the Lord wherever she goes.

Shannon and her husband Paul have made their home in Mansfield, where they raised two remarkable sons, Paul Jr. and Nate. Now, as empty nesters, they delight in creating new memories together.

Tanner & Kaeleen Brooks

Tanner and Kaeleen have passionately participated on the River’s worship team since 2015. Kaeleen also serves as our faithful Worship team leader and coordinator since 2022. Kaeleen has a passion for the Lord and for announcing His goodness through music & praise. She is dedicated to raising up worship team members through patient instruction, guidance, and devoted example. Tanner and Kaeleen have two wonderful children, Saleh and Justus.

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