Michael Armbrust

Expansion Director: m.armbrust@frontiernet.net

Michael was born and raised in Austin, MN and moved to the Twin Cities for schooling in 1978. In 1980 he had a deep experience with God and cam to know Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He attended Maranatha Campus Ministries from 1982 to 1990, and here is where he met his wife, Debbi. Michael obtained a degree in Commercial Art and Debbi in International Relations. They were married in 1984 and their greatest achievement has been their three sons; Jacob(1987), Wesley(1989) and Zac(1991). Michael worked in full-time ministry from 1987 through 1990 as a Campus Pastor with Maranatha.

From 1990 until 1999 Michael pursued a career in Sales and Marketing with a number of high tech firms in the Twin Cities metro area. It was during this time he attended Northwestern Bible College in St. Paul and obtained a degree in Organizational Administration.

In 1994, Michael and Debbi moved to Faribault, MN and began a Bible study,. They also began meeting with two other couples with a desire to begin a new church. In 1997, The River Church-Faribault began. The River has since grown to an average weekly attendance of 225 with a multitude of people coming to know Christ as their personal Savior. With the many demands of the growing church, Michael went on full time staff with the River in 1999. Debbi went back to school for further training and is now employed as a Medical Lab Technician.

One of the goals of the River is to see five new churches reaching unchurched people planted by the year 2010. With this in mind, the Armbrust family moved to Farmington in 2001 to being another church. Over the past few years, the River Church-Farmington has seen many people come to know Christ and grow in their faith. It has also been "crock-potting" leaders to create a church planting movement in Southeastern Minnesota.

Michael is a Licensed Pastor with the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches (FEC) and serves as lead pastor of the River Church-Farmington and the Expansion Director for the Mission River Church Planting Association which oversees True North. Along with Scott Wildenberg and Laura Lee Rand (Farmington), Michael also earned his Masters Degree in Theology from Northwestern College in 2008. He offers valuable experience in church planting and leadership training to ensure healthy growth of True North.