Our History

Clear River Church began with a group of 13 people who moved from Champaign, IL to Lafayette, IN, in the summer of 2006 to start a new church.  Tony Ranvestel, our Lead Pastor, had been pursuing a career as a Tropical Biologist, but in 2002 felt God calling him to give up his career dreams and plant a church.  In preparation for church planting, Tony served as an intern, and then a College Pastor at a large, established church in Champaign, IL.  After four years on staff at that church, Tony and his wife, Sarah, gathered the team of 13 young adults who picked up their lives, risked everything, and moved to Lafayette to plant a new church.  In October of 2006 we held our first public Sunday service at Morton Community Center, near Purdue University’s campus in West Lafayette, IN.  In just two years we outgrew that facility and settled into a new facility in downtown Lafayette where we currently reside.   We are connected in a small, non-denominational network of six churches that share common vision and relationship and encourage and build one another up. 

Clear River Church is currently comprised of approximately one-half college students, and one-half people who live and work in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area.   Our desire is that we would see people from all nations, ages, life-stages and lifestyles come to know, love and follow Jesus as passionate, sold-out disciples.  We want people to experience Jesus’ life, love, healing and hope, grow to maturity in their faith, and live their lives in such a way that others around them also come to know, love and follow Jesus.