Renee Card has been part of River City Vineyard in Sarnia, ON since 2005 (though as a rebellious teenager, she used to drive there on a Sunday morning, pick up a bulletin and then leave, so she could give her parents the required proof that she was "attending" church – little did she know at 17 years old, God was already drawing her to River City!). She joined a worship team in 2006, began leading worship in 2010, and then stepped into the role of Worship Pastor in November 2018.
The path to pastoring was unique for Renee. Though she was leading worship and was active in her church, she was secretly battling deep levels of shame from past sexual abuse. This led her down a very dark path, hurting herself and others until it almost took her life. This is when she finally realized it was time to face her past or lose her future. She opened up to those close to her, including her husband, family and church leaders. She slowly but surely began to sort through the past trauma, and God began to work in her life in incredible ways, pouring His love on her when she was at her lowest. Her relationship with God was completely transformed! When the time was right, she decided to share her testimony with her church in the hopes of helping others break free from shame in their own lives. This opened the door to pastoring; she has continued to grow in this role while being mentored by her lead pastor, George Esser and she is currently in her 2nd year of the School of Leadership and Theology. She enjoys the many different hats she gets to wear in this role, but her passion is leading worship and facilitating a space to encounter the life changing presence of the Holy Spirit.
Renee also works outside of River City Vineyard as an administrative assistant for a financial investment company. She has been married to her husband and best friend Mike since 2003, and they have 3 children together – Matt, Dylan and Ashley. In their down time together they enjoy camping and kayaking. Renee also enjoys writing and recording her own music and playing in the local live music scene.
