Pastor Joe Filancia III is currently the Interim Pastor at The River Church where he and his wife, Jaclyn, fulfill a variety of roles.

Joe spent his early years moving and traveling around the United States, mainly in Alaska and Hawaii. His parents have been – and still are – Home Missionaries, currently with the Assemblies of God MAPS Ministry. Joe went to high school and college in Springfield, MO before heading back up to Alaska in 1996. Jaclyn was born and raised in California until she was 12. Her family later moved to Juneau, AK to become foster parents with The Alaska Youth Village. She grew up attending Juneau Christian Center and participated in the worship and youth ministries for the next 7 years.

While Joe and Jaclyn were each involved in church ministry there at JCC, they began dating and eventually married 3 years later, in ‘99. Four days and 1,200 miles after the wedding, they became full-time Youth Pastors in Western Montana. From that time, their ministry has grown to include leading worship, assisting with 2 church plants (TX and WA), and eventually going on to pioneer Searchlight Fellowship in 2005 on the Idaho/Washington border. In the fall of 2011, Searchlight successfully merged with Falls Christian Assembly, thus renaming the two fellowships The River Church.

Throughout the years, they have each worked to support their ministry by taking on various outside jobs. Joe- cutting and selling firewood, cable splicing, juvenile boys’ residential counselor, resort transportation, sales rep, and hanging drywall / metal framing. Jaclyn- office Management, tourism industry, sales and customer service, waitressing, office administration, photography and Interior Design.

As of 2012, they will be celebrating 13 years of marriage and have remained actively involved in full time ministry. They are excited about the future and what God has in store to further advance His Kingdom!

The heartbeat of their ministry has always been . . .

“Reaching People Where They’re At, and Equipping a Generation To Go!”