Rick Mikesh and his family moved from northern Minnesota to Beardmore in the fall of 2011.  For 21 years, Rick worked as a community college faculty member, counsellor and critical incident coordinator.  After the Mikesh family took a summer ministry trip to northern British Columbia in 2002, God began burdening their hearts and leading them into full-time church planting ministry in Canada.  From 2002 – 2010, Rick and his family spent summers serving in varying ministries on First Nations reserves and Bible camps across British Columbia, Northern Manitoba and NW Ontario.

Ordained to the gospel ministry through Deer River Bible Church (Deer River, MN), Pastor Rick and his family have served the Lord through their home church in varying ministries in Deer River, Itasca County and on the Leech Lake reservation (Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag) in MN.

Rick thoroughly enjoys teaching the Bible verse by verse; investing his life in children, youth, and families; leadership training and being a part the Biblical counselling process that changes lives.  Rick completed a certificate in Biblical Studies through Moody Bible Institute and has continued his theological training in the Masters in Biblical Studies program at Tyndale Theological Seminary.

He’s a graduate of Bemidji State University where he earned an undergraduate (B.S.) degree in Criminal Justice and Applied Psychology.  He earned a Masters degree in Education (Counselling) from the University of Wisconsin (Superior) and has completed further graduate work in Counselling from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) and the University of North Dakota (Grand Forks).  In his spare time, Rick enjoys spending down time with  his kids and grand kiddos, reading, writing for the regional newspaper, and trapping.  He and his wife Jammie Lynn are the parents of 6 wonderful kids, Katelyn, Mariah, Breanna, Emily, Mitchell and Matthew – and grandparents to 4 grandsons, Devon, Zack, Ricky and Ethan.