Pastor Jim & Julia Herzing
Jim grew up on a dairy farm in Milaca with his mom and dad, three brothers and four sisters. He has been a farmer, an accountant, an executive, a teacher and a pastor. Raised in the charismatic renewal, Jim felt the call of God as a boy when the Lord told him he would preach, and he has held true to that calling all of his life.
Jim received a BA in Theology and Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a Master’s Degree in Divinity from St. John’s University. Previously, Jim served as Associate Pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Sauk Rapids, and Dean of Theology at Maranatha College (Living Word Christian Center) in Brooklyn Park. He has also spent time in the marketplace, leading the accounting department of a multi-billion dollar financial company. He has recently taken a part time role at Wells Fargo Global Fund Services. Jim likes good movies, the outdoors, and beating up on people in card games.
Jim has been married to his best girl, Julia, for 15 years. Julia is the youngest of four children, and grew up in St. Paul. With a joy for life that is contagious, her love of people comes through in all that she does. Like Jim, she has worn many hats in her career, mostly operational- and facilities-oriented, but her most recent titles of wife and mama are her favorites, coming only behind exploring the incredible reality of being a cherished daughter of God. Jim and Julia started Spirit Life Church together in 2010. They are blessed with two sets of twins, yes, that's TWO sets, having gone from not-sure-if-they-could-have-children to having four babies in 18 months! Joshua and George are going on 10 years old, and Benjamin and Jack are 8. Jim and Julia are knee deep in raising their little men to know God’s love and live life from that perspective.
BJ & Ruth Chastain
BJ is the Prophetic Leader at SLC. You might ask “What in the world is a prophetic leader?” Well, it's a thing. Seriously, BJ enjoys ministering from his prophetic gift, and often speaks into people's lives and situations, while remaining his down-to-earth self. BJ came to know God as a teenager at an evangelistic revival meeting and has a heart to see the local church step to the full KIngdom of God, here on earth. His likes include a good steak, hoodies, and being whooped up on in cards by Pastor Jim. He leads the Prophetic Team at SLC, and oversees the Going Deeper small group on Sunday mornings.
Ruthie came to the Lord as a child and was raised in the church. The Chastains live in Big Lake where Ruthie enjoys homeschooling their six kids and laundering Bj's hoodies.
