Reliance Leadership

Jacob Morris has been the preaching pastor of Reliance Fellowship since 2013. After earning his Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he and his family moved to Tri-Cities, Washington, to plant a church, supported by New Life Fellowship in Arlington, Texas. He has also enjoyed teaching Bible classes at Pacific Northwest Christian College and at different conferences.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Jacob is passionate about helping people embrace the gospel and live meaningful lives. He and his wife, Beth, have been married since 2002 and actively contribute to their community. They have six children who add excitement to their lives.

Pastor Jacob Morris

Lead Pastor, jacob@reliancefellowship.org

Gregg Deacon has served in worship ministry for over 20 years and joined Reliance as full-time staff in 2021. He desires to see the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed through Scripture, song, and worshiping hearts. He also oversees the vision and teaching of our youth ministry. Gregg acquired his M.Div from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2024.

Gregg professed his faith in Christ at a young age and has seen the LORD’s faithfulness through lots of joy and suffering. After spending much of his childhood on the western side of Washington State, Gregg lived in northern Colorado for over 20 years. He and his wife Catie have been married since 2008 and have four wonderful children.

Pastor Gregg Deacon

Worship & Youth Pastor, gregg@reliancefellowship.org

Allan Tuan and his family have been part of the Reliance Fellowship community since 2017. He and his lovely wife, Yolanda, got married in 2001 and they have been blessed with three thoughtful and caring children. He came to the Tri-Cities in 2000 to do graduate research at PNNL as a UW student and now has a career in technology commercialization. 

Allan and his family served for several years in cross-cultural missions in Asia, an experience that shaped his faith in Christ, his perspective on the world, and his appreciation for genuine diversity. Allan enjoys learning, reading books (at least the first half and back cover), great conversations over coffee, and good jokes.

Allan Tuan 

Elder

Jim Follum has been a deacon at Reliance since 2024. He and his wife, Felicia, have attended Reliance since 2014, following a move from Wyoming to take a job as a researcher at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory studying the electric power grid. Jim and Felicia have been married since 2009 and their son, Luther, was born in 2021.Jim enjoys kayaking, board games, comic books, science fiction, and donuts. At Reliance, Jim serves as a small group leader, R Kids teacher, and as a member of the missions board. As a deacon, he oversees the process of welcoming new members. He loves meeting new people, so come say hello!

Jim Follum

Deacon

Nathan loves Jesus and is here to serve. He has been at Reliance since 2019 and is blessed to be a part of this church community. Currently he works as the deacon who serves small groups. This ministry gives Nathan the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the families of Reliance, and he is thankful for them all. Nathan is a native of the Tri-Cities area. He grew up on a small local farm and continues to work there full-time with his family. He married his wife, Sarah, in 2010, and they have four beautiful daughters who bring joy and sanctification every day. He has a B.S. in English from Corban College and a Master of Divinity from Gateway Theological Seminary. Nathan loves books, is a sports fan, and enjoys walks in the park with his family. If you haven’t heard him reference Wendell Berry, talk about a Seattle sports team, or encourage you to visit the Demonstration Garden, just give it time.

Nathan Tennis

Deacon

Sheila Bader and her husband Kent have been blessed to be part of Reliance Fellowship for over 10 years. The Lord got ahold of Sheila during college at the University of Nebraska through the ministry of a Baptist student group. After that she served in Spain for 2 years as a Journeyman (short-term mission program through the International Mission Board), got a Masters of Divinity at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and served as a campus minister in Vancouver, B.C, until marrying Kent and having two daughters together. Sheila loves hiking, bicycling, gardening and spending time with family and friends. 

Sheila Bader

Deaconess

Tim Armstrong serves at Reliance Fellowship as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and small group leader. He is married to Dianne Armstrong, and they both love seeing people of all ages come to know Christ and grow in their relationship with Him. Tim also enjoys encouraging others to know God personally. He is recently, and currently, enjoying retirement. 

Tim Armstrong

Deacon

Cierra and her husband, David, began attending Reliance in 2022 after getting married and moving from Madison, Wisconsin. For the past four years, Cierra has enjoyed serving and connecting with new people through the church’s hospitality and welcome team. She and David also serve as Small Group leaders, where they love building relationships and growing in discipleship alongside others.

For the past year and a half, Cierra has served as the Church Administrator at Reliance, where she helps lead communications, scheduling, and planning for the church. Outside of church, Cierra enjoys spending time outdoors—especially skiing and hiking—as well as drinking coffee and spending time with friends and family. 

Cierra Shillingstad

Administrator, cierra@reliancefellowship.org

Brandon Gregory serves as the RKids Director at Reliance Fellowship, where he is passionate about partnering with parents to help children grow in their faith and love for Jesus. He believes kids ministry is most effective when it strengthens the discipleship that happens in the home. Brandon holds a Master of Divinity from Gateway Seminary and is grateful to serve families as they seek to follow Christ together. Brandon and his wife have been married for almost thirteen years and are raising three children. He previously served as a missionary in Estonia and currently works with Care Net in Family and Fatherhood ministries. Brandon has a deep heart for strengthening families and encouraging household discipleship, and he enjoys learning new hobbies when time allows.

Brandon Gregory

RKids Director, brandon@reliancefellowship.org

Lisa has loved music and corporate worship since she was a child. One of her favorite parts of church growing up was singing with the congregation, and the Lord used those hymns and moments of worship to draw her to Himself. She studied vocal performance at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, with an emphasis on Bible and corporate worship. Lisa believes the role of the worship team is to equip the church, young and old, to sing together, recognizing the congregation as the primary instrument. Lisa and her husband, Brandon, have been part of Reliance Fellowship since 2014 (except for four years spent living and serving in Estonia). They have three cute children who keep them busy and joyful.

Lisa Gregory

Worship Director, lisa@reliancefellowship.org