River of Life Christian Church sits at 739 Summit Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota. It began in 1974 as a storefront ministry and has grown into what Bishop Earl Gilchrist and Pastor Pamela Gilchrist call "One Church, Multiple Outreaches," with worship and family ministries at the Summit Avenue building and recovery, education and neighborhood outreach running through the Waters of Life Outreach Ministry and the Arnold P. Williams Community Center at 999 Selby Avenue. The church is known for a Word-driven, family-centered approach that reaches from a nursery and children's church to Christ-centered recovery groups, a monthly food shelf, long-running prison ministry, and the founders' call to racial unity that they named "the Healing of the Races."
One Church, Two St. Paul Locations
The church's main address is 739 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105, with a phone line at 651-290-2348 and a fax at 651-224-7695. The office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A second location sits at 999 Selby Avenue, the Arnold P. Williams Community Center, which grew out of Waters of Life Outreach Ministry. That ministry was founded by Earl and Pamela Gilchrist and commissioned on June 27, 2003, and its mailing address is P.O. Box 290129, Minneapolis, MN 55429.
The two sites function as one body. Sunday worship and Bible study happen on Summit Avenue, along with children's church. The Selby Avenue center carries the Monday recovery meeting, the Wednesday prayer and Bible study gathering, the first-Saturday Women's Fellowship, and recovery and training work. The arrangement is described as "One Church, Multiple Outreaches," and the Waters of Life ministry, once a separate community center, has been restructured and merged into its parent church.
From a Storefront on Selby Avenue to Summit Avenue
In 1969, on his 30th birthday, Apostle Arnold P. Williams says God appeared to him in a vision and commanded him to tell people that time was running out, pointing to Revelation 22:7. He initially ran from the commission. In the fall of 1974 the ministry began operating as a storefront missionary ministry, with the first Sunday evening services held at 606 Selby Avenue. The focus was on people the founders described as non-traditional, the destitute, distressed and brokenhearted, those "afar off" who were not being reached by traditional churches.
Arnold and Bettie Williams trained at Compassion Bible School and took part in missionary work in Belize, Central America, Canada and other places. Arnold served as an associate pastor at New Hope Baptist Church under his father, the late Rev. Dr. Kneely Williams, became a licensed minister in 1976, and was ordained in 1977. In the fall of 1979 the couple was called to full-time pastoral shepherding and began regular Sunday morning worship services. The room filled for the first one, and the name River of Life Christian Center was adopted from Revelation 22:1, "a Pure River of Water of Life, Clear as Crystal."
The church outgrew its first room and moved to 999 Selby Avenue in 1982, then to its Summit Avenue home in July 1996. Arnold Williams died on December 24, 1998, and Bettie Williams died on November 7, 2009. Bettie expanded the outreach work with Men's and Women's Fellowship, Family Prayer, Praise Dance, Teen Ministry, a Foundational School of Ministry, a Mental Health Fair, and annual men's and women's international conferences. She also helped establish Great Joy in the City, an annual ministry in the community that gathers people from varied cultural backgrounds and points to the "healing of the races."
That vision of unity shaped how the founders built the church. Arnold understood the church body needed to be a united front, and he and Bettie worked side by side for 24 years to bring men and women together across racial, cultural, economic and denominational lines, reflecting the prayer of unity in John 17:20-21. The church's motto captures its welcome: "Remember to greet someone in Jesus' name, and tell him or her that Jesus loves them and so do you."
Sunday at 739 Summit Avenue
Sundays at River of Life begin with a Bible study class at 9:30 a.m., followed by worship at 11:00 a.m. Both take place at 739 Summit Avenue. Pastor Leroy Carter directs the Sunday morning Bible study, and the worship service carries preaching, prayer, singing and praise dance, with an audio and visual team handling sound, projected lyrics and recordings.
Children are a priority in the Sunday rhythm. Children's Church, called Junior Church, meets on the second and fourth Sundays during regular service times for children ages 3 to 11, led by Deaconess Sharaya Robinson and the Children's Church Ministry Team. The curriculum is engaging and age appropriate, and a typical class moves from prayer, songs, worship and dance into games and a whole-group lesson, then into smaller groups for lesson activities and arts and crafts tied to the message. The church also names a nursery among its ministries, and Pastor Carolyn Berry directed Junior Church for 19 years.
Free Indeed: Recovery on Monday Nights
The 12-Step Free Indeed ministry meets every Monday at 7:00 p.m. at 999 Selby Avenue. Free Indeed is a Christ-centered, biblically founded alternative to standard 12-step programs and groups. Jesus Christ alone is proclaimed as the Higher Power, and the format pairs discipleship and mentoring with the 12-step structure in a friendly, informal setting where addictions can be identified and addressed with the help of God.
The stated goal is to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well and spiritually alive, and confidentiality is strictly upheld. The grounding verse is John 8:31-32 and 36: "If therefore the Son shall make you Free, you shall be Free Indeed." Inventories for each of the twelve steps are available for download in Word and PDF, so participants can work through the material at their own pace. Several elders and deacons serve as facilitators and co-facilitators, and the group marks the progress of participants at a yearly roundup where awards are given for accomplishments along the way.
Wednesday Prayer, Bible Study and the Livestream
Wednesday prayer starts at 6:00 p.m., and Bible study begins at 7:00 p.m. at 999 Selby Avenue. The 7:00 p.m. class is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, where the church can be found by searching ROLCCAV. The church office answers questions about the gathering at 651-290-2348, and a Wednesday Night Praise and Worship team serves the service.
Bible Study Behind Prison Walls
The prison ministry is one of the church's oldest outreaches. The men's ministry has held Bible study at Lino Lakes Correctional Facility on every fourth Monday for more than 25 years, and before the pandemic the team ministered three weeks out of each month. The women's ministry holds services every Sunday at the women's prison in Shakopee, and the ministry also holds monthly services at Shakopee State Correctional Facility and Hennepin County Correction Facility.
The stated aim is to reach people considered unreachable and to demonstrate the power of the gospel in word and deed through the lives of men and women who came from similar backgrounds, including prison, substance abuse, mental and physical abuse, and addiction. The purpose scripture for the women's work is Luke 4:18-19, with its promise to heal the brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to the captives. The ministry is led under Pastor Pamela Gilchrist, with Elder Dr. Barbara Brown overseeing the women's prison ministry, and it helps restore people to their families, relationships and communities, offering church homes and mentors for those who choose to attend River of Life.
The Food Shelf and a Hand Up
The River of Life food shelf opens on the third Saturday of every month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and Pastor Leroy Carter directs it. The church office can be reached at 651-290-2348 for information about the food shelf and other ministry gatherings.
The ministry vision behind this work comes from Matthew 25:35-45, in which Jesus speaks of the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and imprisoned. The church summarizes that vision as an effort "to extend to people a hand up not just a hand out," with a purpose of teaching people how to fish rather than simply giving them a fish. Great Joy in the City, founded by Apostles Arnold and Bettie Williams, carries the same idea into an annual gathering that brings ministries of varied cultural backgrounds together for worship, word, singing, dance, food and fellowship.
Conferences, Picnics and a Fishing Tournament
The yearly round of gatherings is unusually full. The Praise Dance Conference takes place every fourth Saturday in February, drawing dancers from across the state for teaching and movement workshops, with an evening finale in which ministries minister together using flags, banners and symbolic color. The Annual Women's Conference brings together generally more than 200 women for prayer, impartation, healing, and an emphasis on the love and power of God in operation. The Annual Boyz 2 Men Conference is for men of all ages and speaks to the legacy of good men, with mature men passing on wisdom, knowledge and understanding to younger men.
Other traditions include a Pastors' Appreciation and Church Anniversary gathering, an annual lakeside picnic that opens with water baptism and continues with an outdoor service, barbecue, volleyball and tag football, and a men's retreat and fishing tournament held since 1996 with games, cards and an inter-church tournament at the resort the church books. A Christmas family dinner serves people who have no family to connect with during the holiday, and a New Year's Eve celebration closes the year with thanksgiving.
Ministries for Every Stage of Life
The church names its goal as serving people no matter where they are in their walk with the Lord, and the ministries reflect that span. A nursery and Children's Church welcome the youngest, the youth ministry is overseen by Pastor Mark Osborne, and Elder LaKeisha Thompson leads youth to be built as leaders in the church and in the community. Elder Bobbie Collins oversees the "Too Smart to Start" ministry for children and youth.
Adults have their own gatherings. Women's Fellowship meets on the first Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m. at 999 Selby Avenue, with monthly teaching and training for spiritual growth and social skills, plus fellowship and food, and it welcomes both younger and older women. The Men's Breakfast meets on the third Saturday of every month from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. for teaching, encouragement and time around the table. Pastor Pamela Gilchrist founded Sold Out and Renewed, known as S.O.A.R., a ministry promoting health and wellness for women. The Building Strong Marriages ministry focuses on communication, trust, understanding, and removing barriers between spouses so that harmony and mutual respect can grow.
Music and media run through everything. The praise dance ministry is called Precious Gems of Revelation, and its dancers worship in classical, modern, mime and hip-hop forms. The church also has a choir, a drama ministry, and an audio and visual team that manages the sound board, mixes microphones and instruments, projects song lyrics, handles live streaming and video, and provides technical support for weddings, funerals and other church activities. Around these sit hospitality, ushering, security, maintenance and van ministries, and the River of Life Bookstore, which began as a library 36 years ago and carries teaching materials and inspirational products with a mission of providing the very best for less.
Training at the St. Paul Campus
The Minnesota Graduate School of Theology, River of Life Christian Church St. Paul Campus, exists to equip men and women to minister the Word of God with power. It is a short-term, part-time school with major emphasis on developing ministry potential rather than academic hours alone, and its curriculum is organized around four learning streams: the Bible, character, ministry and faith. Its programs aim to prepare four kinds of people, shepherds, warriors, workers and pioneers, through spiritual content, biblical study and practical ministry training.
Dr. Ernest Collins, Pastor Mark Osborne and Elder Dr. Barbara Brown serve as deans. Other teachers have included Pastor Carolyn Berry, and Elder Brown has taught on the Book of James, Galatians and Proverbs, the history of the Christian church, hermeneutics, and the Bible and science. The school affirms the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and New Testament scriptures in their entirety as the only infallible rule of faith and practice, along with the power of God's Word to accomplish his purpose of salvation.
The People Leading the Work
Bishop Earl R. Gilchrist leads the church with his wife, Pastor Pamela Gilchrist. He was in prison five times in three states before Apostle Arnold Williams began visiting him in the Ramsey County jail in January 1986. He accepted Jesus Christ in his prison cell at Stillwater Prison on May 14, 1986, then completed extended study courses proctored by chaplain Don Hargate, maintaining a 3.92 GPA and earning an AA degree in 1990 with enough credits for a BA. He was ordained a Pastor on December 28, 1998, at the wish of the dying Apostle Arnold Williams, and he later earned an MA in Pastoral Care and Ministry and a Doctorate of Ministry in Clinical Pastoral Counseling, receiving special recognition with a 4.0 GPA and Summa Cum Laude in 2002. He taught Bible classes and counseled at Minnesota Teen Challenge for more than 17 years, and in 2003 he and Pamela were commissioned to establish Waters of Life Outreach Ministry. After the passing of Apostle Bettie Williams in 2009, they became senior pastors in 2012 under the vision of one church with two locations.
Pastor Pamela Gilchrist was ordained in 2003 by her mother in the Lord, Apostle Bettie Williams, and serves as co-pastor. She has been active in the women's prison ministry at Shakopee for more than 15 years, ministered at the workhouse in Plymouth, taught Bible study at Minnesota Teen Challenge for eight years, oversees the Women's Fellowship for both churches, founded S.O.A.R., and helps oversee intercessory prayer at Waters of Life on Saturday mornings. Pastor Carolyn Berry has been a member since January 1980 and served on the pastoral staff from her 1987 ordination, directing Junior Church for 19 years and the Good Ground Learning Center for 12 years until its closing in 2006, and she has led Expressions of God since September 2002. Pastor Leroy Carter directs the Food Shelf, Men of Vision and the Sunday morning Bible study, while Pastor Mark Osborne oversees youth, van, security and prison ministries.
Dr. Ernest Collins came in October 1979 when the church was a storefront ministry, was ordained in 1994, and now serves as associate pastor, church historian, dean of the Minnesota Graduate School of Theology, facilitator of the Saturday morning men's prayer, and a family and marriage counselor. Pastor Vikki Sanders has been a member for 35 years, began by running the church library that became the River of Life Bookstore, organized the first Sorority Girl Scout troupe with more than 22 girls, and wrote and edited "Remember Rondo Tradition of Excellence 1995," a historical documentation of the African American community before the I 94 freeways came through the Saint Paul neighborhood that was published in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Elder Dr. Barbara Leone Brown oversees the women's prison ministry and its monthly services, and Elder LaKeisha Thompson and Elder Willie Green serve the youth and audio teams, security work, and 12-Step Free Indeed facilitation.
Among the wider elder and deacon team are Elder Donald Steele, Elder George Wilson, Elder Jaci Rogers, Elder Jimmy Rogers, Elder Rohan Scarlett, who heads the audio ministry, and Elder Bobbie J. Collins, who oversees the deaconesses and the Too Smart to Start ministry. Deacon Charles Peterson serves in the audio ministry and co-facilitates 12-Step Free Indeed, and Deaconess Sharaya Robinson leads Children's Church.
What This Church Holds
River of Life describes itself as a strong, apostolic, prophetic, principled and Word-driven church, and states its purpose plainly: to build strong men, strong women, strong families and the "Healing of the Races," and to see people saved, delivered, healed and set free by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is willing to go where others do not, as Philip went down to the city of Samaria in Acts 8:5, and it claims "NO LIMITS" to its effectiveness in presenting Jesus.
Its vision is for God's people to walk in the excellence he has called them to, excellence of character, of life and of ministry, and to be equipped with a hunger and thirst for righteousness and a passion for the things of God. Love God, love people and love his Word to the fullest is the summary the church gives of its ministry. Prayer requests can be submitted online, and giving to both River of Life Christian Church and Waters of Life Outreach Ministry can be made online, and sermon videos are posted by the church.
That mix of storefront beginnings, family ministry, recovery support, prison outreach and racial unity is what distinguishes River of Life Christian Church in St. Paul. The church remains anchored at 739 Summit Avenue with the Arnold P. Williams Community Center at 999 Selby, building strong families, helping people move from life-controlling issues toward freedom, and gathering people from many backgrounds to worship together.