About Many Rivers
:: Overview
Many Rivers Ministries opened its doors on July 16, 2006 as a Spirit-filled, non-denominational church under the leadership of Pastor Scott Rhoades. Our church has something to offer anyone who is willing to come and take part in what we’re doing here in Kalkaska and the surrounding areas.
Even though we are a relatively young church, we are experiencing wonderful growth and people who come here seeking God are finding Him. Everybody is somebody here at Many Rivers Ministries, and it’s important to us to create an environment in which God can meet you wherever you are in life, regardless of your circumstances.
We invite you to come and see for yourself what God is doing among us, and experience first-hand what God has for you here at Many Rivers Ministries. Click here to view our service times and driving directions to the ministry.
:: Statement of Faith
1. The Holy Bible (word of God) is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is the Supreme and final authority for every believer in Christ.
2. There is one God eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit.
3. There is one mediator between God and man, God's son Jesus Christ, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin Mary and came to live on earth as a man. He lived a sinless life and by His death and the shedding of His blood and His resurrection from the dead made it possible for man to be reconciled to God.
4. Salvation is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ through the grace of God. The blood of Jesus is the only way for cleansing man's sinful nature and remitting his acts of sin. Those who repent and receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior and Lord will obtain eternal life.
5. Jesus Christ after His bodily resurrection, ascended to God's eternal throne and is seated at the right hand of God.
6. Healing is part of the salvation work of Jesus Christ. God's will is for the total man to be healed and to live in health in spirit, soul and body.
7. The Holy Spirit is the indwelling presence of God in the believer's life. He regenerates, empowers, bestows gifts, enables us to live a holy life, convicts us of sin and baptizes all believers into the body of Christ.
8. The baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:4, Acts 10:45-46, and Acts 19:6 is available to all believers in Jesus Christ who ask for it.
9. That faith comes by the hearing of God's word and is exercised by believing in the heart, confessing what the word of God says with your mouth and being a doer of the word and not a hearer only. Through faith we have access to all the graces of God – salvation, water baptism, Holy Communion, the laying on of hands, answered prayer, healing the sick, all the promises of God and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
10. That Jesus Christ is the head of the body of Christ which is called the church. The church is made up of fellow believers in Christ who are called, sanctified, assembled and fit together. The church is a brotherhood of believers, a disciplined people, obedient to the word of God, and a fellowship of love, intercession and healing. The Head of the Church has provided leadership by giving apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ.
11. The ordinances of the church are water baptism and Holy communion as commanded by Jesus Christ.
12. Christ will return to fufill His kingdom which includes the rapture of the church and the Millennial reign with His saints. He will judge the just and the unjust. Unbelievers will be delivered to eternal punishment and damnation. The believer will be taken to live and reign with Jesus Christ in His glory and will have eternal life.
:: Vision Statement
Coming soon!
:: The First Family
Pastor Scott & Debbie have been ministering in the Kalkaska and Northern Michigan areas for more than 18 years. They have built a ministry of excellence based on the uncompromised Word of God. Pastor Rhoades is a straight-shooting, no nonsense preacher of the Word. He and his wife were miraculously led to the Lord by his parents in the summer of 1976. His parents had prayed for their salvation for four years and finally he and his wife knelt down together and received eternal life. They were also gloriously filled with the Holy Ghost.
Josh and his beautiful bride Autum serve alongside his parents as part of the Many Rivers leadership team. Together, they lead the children's and teens' ministries, and Autum serves as the worhsip leader. Outside the ministry, Josh is employed by the Grand Traverse county Sheriff's department, and Autum works for Northern Metal Stamping in Traverse City. They have two daughters, Natalie and Hannah.
Cody, the youngest son, currently lives with his parents here in Kalkaska, and serves in the ministry of helps in the audio department.
Jake and his lovely wife Rebekah reside in Montana, where they are active in their local church.
All are serving the Lord, which is a wonderful testimony to God and to the ministry that God has placed in Pastor Rhoades' care. Pastor & Debbie love their family, and it shows.
