What do I want people to say about me? “He loves God and loves people and is fulfilling his mission in life to help people on their journey back to God!”
Leslie and I started The River—A Community Church in 2004 with the dream of beginning a church for people who’ve given up on church, and a church that serves others and makes a difference in our community!
Leslie and I were married in April 1992! We lived where I grew up in Greensburg, PA for our first 5 years of our marriage, moved to Tupelo, Mississippi in 1997 for 5 years when I became a pastor. When we moved back home with our four children, we wanted to raise our family in New Kensington where Leslie grew up and we sensed God leading us to start a new church in our community!
I thank God for the opportunity to raise our family in New Kensington and am grateful for the opportunity to lead and serve God and others through The River!
The River New Heights is excited to welcome Phillip Schmitt as the new NexGen Pastor for our campus. A recent Grove City College graduate and life-long resident of New Jersey, Phil and his wife Tess are thrilled to be making the move to The River. Tess graduated from Liberty University with a degree in childhood development. Phil felt God calling him to student ministry while attending Grove City as a history major. He recently completed his student ministry internship at Grace Community Church in Cranberry. He looks forward to building a thriving NexGen Ministry at The River and developing relationships with everyone at the church. “Tess and I are beyond grateful and excited for this new season of life and are looking forward to becoming a part of the River family. God has proven his faithfulness yet again and I look forward to learning, growing and serving together!” Phil said. Welcome to The River, Phil and Tess!
