WE ARE A MULTI-CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
OUR LEADERSHIP BOARD:
Ross & Mary Carlson
Ryan & Alicia Diekow
Lon & Julie Lane
Charlie & Jean Wanha
OUR PASTORS:
ERIC & KELLY DYKSTRA
SENIOR PASTORS // PRESIDENT OF FREE GRACE BIBLE COLLEGE // DIRECTOR OF PINE LAKE CAMPS
Eric & Kelly Dykstra are Senior Pastors of Free Grace United, and they preach at our Elk River and Online locations. They have been married more than 25 years and have three awesome kids who are all married to amazing people, plus two adorable grandsons. They are passionate about seeing broken people far from God come to know the amazing grace of Jesus. God has gifted them both with dynamic preaching and leadership styles, empowering them to share the truth of Christ with a wide demographic of people. Click here to see a list of books Pastor Eric has written. Find books written by Pastor Kelly here.
Office: 763-633-9706 | Email: office@freegrace.tv
ROXANNE ASCHEMAN
Pastor Roxanne has an engaging preaching style that draws in listeners from all walks of life. Her deep appreciation for the power of stories to bring people together and inspire them to live out their faith comes through whenever she shares the gospel. She firmly believes that each of us has a unique story to tell, and that by sharing these stories, we can guide others toward the hope and freedom that comes from a life centered on God. She’s also the proud mom of a gifted and talented young woman named Aspen!
SILAS & BECKY AUSTIN
In addition to his role as an Associate Pastor, Silas is also the Vice President of Free Grace Bible College. Becky serves on staff as Finance Assistant. They have two amazing kiddos – Ryatt and Sydney – and they are on a mission to make Minnesota the hardest place to go to hell from! Pastor Silas’ book Who Am I? is available in the FGU Shop and on Amazon.
Email: silas.austin@freegrace.tv & becky.austin@freegrace.tv
JAMES & AMANDA BANERJEE
James and Amanda met in 2012 while on a short term missions trip in Bangladesh. In 2019 they moved from Minnesota to Bangladesh with their three children to be closer to the ministry which includes a girls home, a primary school for underprivileged kids in their community, and 10 churches planted by James’ father.
After James’ father passed away in 2020, he and Amanda felt the call to take over leading those churches. Partnered with Free Grace United, they aim to reach Bangladesh for Jesus!
CHRIS & RANITA BELLANGER
Pastor Chris & Ranita have two boys (Tyrell and Christopher Jr.) and two girls (Christian and Christina). They love to do outreach to the unsheltered as a family. Pastor Chris has a a passion for helping grassroots Christ-centered leaders create their God-given vision in business, non-profits, and church plants.
Their hearts are to help people discover their purpose, help them cultivate it, and then give them an opportunity to showcase it to humanity! Their hearts are to train, equip, and release God’s children into their divine destiny.
Email: chris.bellanger@freegrace.tv
TRENT & PATTY BERGERON
Pastor Trent and Patty launched a Free Grace Recovery meeting in Milaca that turned into a Free Grace United church location! They have hearts for helping broken and lost people find their way to Jesus, starting with their own community of Milaca.
Email: trent.bergeron@freegrace.tv
CESAR & LESLIE CAJAS
FGU EN ESPAÑOL NORTH MINNEAPOLIS
Pastor Cesar and Leslie are using their extensive ministry experience to pastor our Spanish church in North Minneapolis. Their beautiful family includes their two children, Anaiah and Micah.
Email: cesar.cajas@freegrace.tv
SARA & CHRIS DAY
Pastor Sara and her husband Chris have four children. She has been a leader in Free Grace Recovery for many years, helping people overcome their struggles and find healing. In 2022, she wrote a 31-day devotional called Healing Through Prayer, available on Amazon. Chris is a gifted leader in Free Grace Kids, and he has a heart to help reach children with the gospel.
Email: sara.day@freegrace.tv
PASTOR EHTSHAM
As of January 1, 2022 we officially partnered with local pastors in Pakistan to mentor and train them in church planting! Now operating under the name Free Grace United, Pastor Ehtsham and his team seek to bring the gospel to their nation.
DAN & ANG FLUGUM
Dan & Ang have recently relocated back to Albia, Iowa along with their four children (Mase, Laynie, Lilah, and Elliette), and they are excited to have the opportunity to take Free Grace United with them! The Flugums are thrilled to be a part of what God is doing in Southeast Iowa.
Email: dan.flugum@freegrace.tv
FRANK & AMY IBAÑEZ
Frank and Amy have two children, Phoenix and Georgia. They have participated in the planting of several churches in Mexico. Coming to Minnesota, Frank and Amy felt a call in their hearts to plant a new church in Spanish, with the purpose of bringing the Good News of Jesus to the Hispanic community in Albertville, St. Michael, Monticello and throughout the region.
Email: frank.ibanez@freegrace.tv
ELWOOD & YATTA JANGABA
JUSTIN & RENEE KAITCHUCK
Justin and Renee are passionate about meeting people where they are at and walking alongside them in faith and recovery. They are blessed with seven children (six girls and one boy). As a family, their heart is to help people from all walks of life cross the line of faith and follow Jesus!
JASON & TRACY KEECH
Jason and Tracy Keech have been married since 1997. They raised two kids and became empty-nesters in 2020. Tracy also works as Communications Director at Free Grace United.
From a desire to help couples be blessed through marriage, they wrote a 30-Day He Said/She Said Devotional called Happy Marriage lol in February 2018 (available on Amazon and Kindle). In addition to bass fishing (Jason) and spoiling their black lab (Tracy), these two truly enjoy the opportunity to share God’s grace, love, and hope with everyone they meet.
TOM & AMY KINGORE
Pastor Tom has a heart to bring the light of Jesus into dark places and help the incarcerated be transformed by Christ! He also manages all of our facilities.
In his free time, he and his wife Amy (FGU Director of Finance) enjoy spending time with their three grandchildren and two special doggos.
TIMOTHY & TERESA NYANDIKA
The Nyandikas planted their first church in Kisii, Kenya in 2015. Over the following four years, they planted two more church in their area and are weekly ministering to approximately 150 people.
Along with this, Pastors Timothy and Teresa also run Teresa Missions – an orphanage on their property supporting, educating, and raising forty children. They seek to see their four churches turn into thirty churches in the next ten years!
BILL & AMANDA PITTS
Email: bill.pitts@freegrace.tv
BEN & ANA SAFFRIN
ALBERTVILLE & FGU GLOBAL
Ben and Ana Saffrin have been a part of Free Grace United since the early days. Both have a talent for music as well as sharing the gospel. They met while serving at church and were later married, and they now have two adorable kiddos (Macey and Jack). Pastor Ben is also the Director of FGU Global.
Email: ben.saffrin@freegrace.tv and ana.saffrin@freegrace.tv
MARCY & DOUG STONE
Pastors Marcy & Doug met while attending East High School in Des Moines. They were married in 1994 and raised 3 children. Doug enjoys umpiring little league games and Marcy find fulfillment as a funeral officiant. Both Doug and Marcy have hearts for hurting people and love sharing the comfort Jesus provides.
Email: marcy.stone@freegrace.tv
KEVIN & ANNIE WILSON
Kevin and Annie Wilson have three awesome kids – Ethan, Kaden, and Jayci (who is currently dancing in Heaven with Jesus). Pastor Kevin’s preaching style is passionate, truthful, hilarious, and dynamic, and his life experiences allow him to bring the hope of the gospel in a unique and powerful way.
Email: kevin.wilson@freegrace.tv
LUKE & ALYSSA WOOLHOUSE
Luke and Alyssa Woolhouse have three kiddos, Nolee, Lux, and Nia. Luke is a bi-vocational pastor who works in construction. As a pastor, he’s working on building the Kingdom in North Minneapolis!
Email: luke.woolhouse@freegrace.tv