Pastors & Staff
Byron & Becky Wicker: Lead Pastors
Byron and Becky are the lead pastors and overseers of RiverLife Fellowship Church and associated ministries.
Together they have a passion for seeing the Father’s love, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work in every person’s life.
They have a vision for revival in the church and spiritual awakening in the United States and the nations. Their goal is to equip the believer with the practical knowledge of God’s love and power.
Byron and Becky live in Mt. Ulla and are the proud parents of three adult children, Aaron, Grace, and Philip. They have seven grandchildren, Emma, Madalyn, Luke, Charlie, Oliver, Hanna Joy, and Eliza.
They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively.
Marlin Mogusu: Assistant Pastor
Marlin and his wife Mary came to RiverLife in 2001. Marlin was ordained at RiverLife in 2005, first as Youth Pastor, then as Staff Pastor.
Marlin & Mary love hearing the Voice of God! They want to be changed by the Lord’s love and wrecked for Jesus and His glorious Kingdom. They long to see the same Holy Fire of the Lord abide in others and the body of Christ released into everything the Lord has for them. Their deepest desire is to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, and strength and love each other, the church, and their community.
They have three beautiful children, Enoch, Grace & Violet.
Marlin can be reached at [email protected].
Luis & Novah Rebekah Sosa: Rio de Vida Directors
Luis and Novah Rebekah have been members of RiverLife Fellowship for nearly three decades. Byron performed their wedding 25 years ago, and the church has been the center of their life and relationships throughout their life together.
Both Luis and Novah grew up with parents in ministry in South America. Together they have served the Lord as missionaries to three nations through education, care of immigrant families, charitable outreach, leadership, Spanish interpretation, works of mercy, counseling, and pastoral care.
Matthew & Sarah Bollinger: RiverLife Chapel Hill Lead Pastors
Matthew and Sarah are the founding pastors of RiverLife Fellowship – Chapel Hill. Starting in Youth Ministry from 1999-2004, they served as Associate Pastors from 2005-2013 at RiverLife Fellowship – Mooresville.
Matthew is the founder & director of The Adventure School, a Kingdom ministry & missions school at RiverLife Chapel Hill. He is also the founder & director of The RiverLife School of Ministry, a Kingdom equipping ministry & missions school at all of our RiverLife churches. In addition, he teaches part-time at Full Circle Academy.
Sarah is the worship leader at RiverLife Chapel Hill and a busy mom of six.
The Bollingers are committed to seeing God “awaken” His church in Chapel Hill and throughout America through revival. Their passions in ministry include extravagant worship, reaching the world with the gospel through miracles, signs, and wonders, and seeing the grace of God transform lives daily through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew, Sarah, and their kids, Noah, Judah, Gabriel, Benjamin, Anna Grace, and Lydia, eagerly expect whatever the Lord will do next to glorify His Son and expand His Kingdom.
Matthew can be reached at [email protected].
Cory Meade: Director of Youth Ministries
Cory is originally from the great state of Iowa. He moved to Mooresville in 2003 to pursue a Master’s degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has been attending RiverLife since then.
Cory has been working on and off with youth since 1995. He is passionate about discipling young people and helping them discover God’s call on their life right now.
In addition to the Lord and his family, Cory loves food and football.
He has a fantastic wife, Kristy, and three awesome kids, Owen, Wyatt, and Amelia.
Cory can be reached at [email protected].
Joe & Kim Sheesley: Children’s Ministry Directors
Joe and Kim have been part of the community at RiverLife Fellowship since March 2003 and have been involved with the children’s ministry for the past 13 years (20+ years with other children’s ministries). Joe and Kim both attended RiverLife Fellowship’s Christ’s School of Ministry.
Joe and Kim have a heart for children. They desire that children know that they are sons and daughters of the King and an integral and functional part of the body and the Kingdom of God, even at a young age.
Joe & Kim want to provide a fun environment that encourages the kids to learn to grow in their relationship with God and others, build a strong foundation in the Word, hear and be led by the Holy Spirit, learn to pray and intercede and experience true worship. They were told many years ago that the next big revival would be among children. They are standing on that word and contending for it!
The Sheesleys have four adult children, Scotty, Kelsi, Perry, and MaKayla. They also have two grandchildren: Katana Marie and Jaci Rae. Joe is originally from Ohio and has lived in Mooresville since 1985. Kim is originally from West Virginia and has lived in Mooresville since 1987.
Joe & Kim can be reached at [email protected].
Kristen C. Tiessen: Church Administrator
Kristen Tiessen moved to North Carolina from the California Central Coast in March 2022 and began attending RiverLife in June of that same year.
She became Church Administrator at RiverLife in 2023 after serving as Executive Assistant to the Healing Rooms Apostolic Center directors in Santa Maria, CA, for 3 1/2 years. There she discovered a love for worship and the Word and experienced God’s miracle-working power in prayer.
Kristen also works as a freelance writer, contributing to print and online publications covering people, places, food, culture, and the arts. In addition, she’s an avid knitter, crocheter, and baker, and she loves exploring and enjoying life on Lake Norman with family and friends.
She and her husband, Christian, live in Mooresville with their two dogs, Buddy and Bailey.
Kristen can be reached at [email protected].