Ryan grew up on a farm in NW Iowa.  It was there that he first began to feel a call toward vocational ministry while still in high school.  God affirmed this calling in college by laying upon his heart a love for life-on-life discipleship and teaching the Bible.  While in seminary, a burden for rural America weighed heavy upon his heart. In 2007 God called him to pastor Skandia Free Church. It is Ryan’s delight to see small and forgotten communities transformed one life at a time through the good news of Jesus.  Ryan is married to Heather and together they have four beautiful daughters.  In his spare time Ryan loves to read, hike/snowshoe, explore coffee shops with Heather, and make his daughters laugh.