Most people call me Pastor Don, and I have been deeply blessed to have served as pastor and shepherd here since 1983. My training, life experiences, personal walk with the Lord and passion for the lost empower me to lead, counsel, and shepherd us in relevant and practical ways.

As an Iowa farm boy, church seemed an empty ritual to me, giving me no sense of peace or purpose.  A Billy Graham movie "The Restless Ones" led me to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior.  It was Expo '72 (Sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ) when I discovered the reality and power of Christ to change my life and where the Bible became real and relevant to daily living.

I graduated from Iowa State University in 1975 planning on being a farmer.  But over and over again my passion to share Christ with others drew me into full-time ministry. I worked at a boy's ranch and in various ministries while earning my degrees: Bachelor's Degree in Ministries from Northwestern College, Roseville, MN; Master of Divinity Degree, Master of Theology Degree in Counseling Psychology, both from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL.  Graduating in 1983, I accepted the call to serve this church in September 1983 as associate pastor.  I became the Senior Pastor in 1985.  My wife Sandy, a Christ-follower since early childhood, is a dear blessing to me as well as my children, Joshua, Lisa, and granddaughter Viola.

Hi there, I'm Jacob and growing up in Marshall and going to the Free Church here has greatly shaped who I am today.  In fact, because of the AWANA program at our church, I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior.  Praise God for AWANA!  It didn't stop there though; throughout my high school years I regularly attended our church youth group, and that is where the beginning of a slow but steady life transformation began for me.

My freshman year at SDSU in 2008 is when I really started to be challenged to grow in my faith through one of the Navigators staff who took me under his wing and discipled me.  God shaped me more in those 4 years of college than ever before.  NAVs and the men from my Bible studies in Brookings were largely to thank, and that is part of the reason for my passion for college ministry.

I graduated from SDSU with an engineering degree. Since college it has been a privilege to be back in Marshall with my wife Amy, volunteering as leaders in our youth group since August of 2012. Amy and I have been married since June of 2012, and I couldn't ask for a better person to encourage me, challenge me, and keep me in check when I have supposedly "ridiculous" ideas.  Our first baby girl Kira was born in July 2015 and our boy Eli in June 2017. I love being a dad!  After our old youth pastor left in July of 2015, I was asked to serve temporarily as a part-time leader for our youth and college students. A year later I accepted the full-time position. Through all of this, God has taught me many things, but most of all I have really realized that my heart is for relationships with God and people.

My name is Eileen Carlson and my husband Shane and I have been married since July of 2015. I live in Marshall, MN, but grew up in Northern California. Over the past 15 years I have lived in Texas, Missouri, Philippines, and Minnesota. Three years ago I finished my schooling to become a midwife and started my own homebirth practice in Marshall and the surrounding area. I am living my dream! I get to help bring life into the world, and I get to help lead people to worship the author of life!

At a young age God put a desire in me for worship. I loved singing and always wanted to be in His presence. At the age of 12 I had a leader take me in and teach me how to play chords on the piano. Then my youth pastor had me start to lead music for my youth group. I learned just enough so I could lead myself and others into His presence. That was the beginning of my journey as a worship leader and the best thing for my heart!

As my journey continued I found that my heart came alive when I would take time to sing and play the piano in my room alone. It was in this place that intimacy was cultivated and my relationship with Jesus grew. The Lord led me to a ministry where I served on staff for 7 years as a singer and intercessor. This ministry was a 24/7 night and day worship and prayer movement. I learned so much about agreeing with God’s heart and singing biblical truths of who He is and the importance of giving Jesus the honor that He deserves. There are so many scriptures that talk about singing before the Lord and making a joyful noise unto the Lord. It is my hope that as the worship director I can create a place and an atmosphere where it is exciting to worship and where He inhabits the praises of His people!

I'm Trisha, and my story starts growing up going to church…but that was the extent.  While attending SDSU in Brookings, I was involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and began reading my Bible on my own, going to Bible studies, spending time in prayer getting to know God, and living life with others that wanted to grow.  I had embraced having a relationship with Jesus, not just “going to church”.  I am passionate about helping others take that next step in their faith.  I am amazed at how the Bible has come alive and God speaks through this ancient text daily to what is going on in my life today.  I strongly see small groups and Bible studies as the key to my growth and take every opportunity possible to engage others.  I would love the opportunity to help you connect with our church family because, “Together we are a people Loving God, Growing in Christ, and Sharing the Gospel”.  

Sitting down with a great cup of really dark coffee and hearing about the journey others have walked is one of my delights!

Chad and I have been married for over 20 years now and have 6 children, we are crazy! Food is at the center of our life.  Chad is a chef, I have my BS and MS in nutrition, and our household has many food limitations.

​My name is Becca Flores! My husband is Tommy, and we have two wonderful children, Piper and Dawson! I also have three step daughters who live with us in the summer time named Rebekah, Brooke, and Baileigh. I've lived in Marshall since 2014 and my husband and I have been married since 2015. I used to be a cosmetologist before I was blessed enough to be a full-time stay at home mom to our kids!

Going to church has always been something I did in my life, but it wasn't till this last year (2017-2018) that my faith truly sky rocketed and the meaning and feeling of God's love impacted my life. I've been called to be a voice and a leader in my faith, and I've been so excited and blessed with the opportunities God has given me to do that! The love and desire that I have for my children to grow in their faith and life journey, is the same desire and hope i have for every family and their children. Being the Children's Ministries Director gives me the opportunity to provide that for the children of our church!

In our church, I am also involved in our worship team and love to sing and play the piano. Music and song is my favorite way to express my love for my Savior!! GOD IS GOOD!

Hi, my name is Krista and I am the secretary here at E Free church. I grew up in Morgan, MN my whole life and then moved to Marshall in 2011 to attain a double major in Communication with a Public Relations emphasis and Professional Writing. Throughout my years at SMSU I was involved with the campus ministry called CRU. I also became a part of the worship team, attended Bible studies, and was discipled by a mentor and good friend of mine. I graduated in 2015.

Since graduating, I continue to be involved on campus with Bridges, which is an organization that serves international students. I have a passion for international students and am also have my Master's degree in TESOL from Hamline University. I love getting to know everyone here at E Free Church! 

Custodian

My name is Troy. My wife Carrie and I have lived in the Marshall area for over 30 years and have 3 children. In addition to my janitor duties, I've been involved in the AWANA ministry for many years as a volunteer and leader.