The River Community Church
Staff & Leaders

Jim Duran

Jim Duran was born and raised in Ventura and has a passion for his city. Jim currently serves as the Lead Pastor of The River Community Church in Ventura, a ministry his team began in 2004. Jim has a B.A in Biblical Studies and an M.A. in Theology from Channel Islands Bible College & Seminary. Jim is the Executive Director of The City Center Transitional Living, a facility for homeless children and their parents. He is also the Executive Director of Tender Life Maternity Home, servicing homeless pregnant women and their babies. Jim has been honored with various awards over the years including the “Heroes Among Us” award from the Ventura Police Community Foundation, The Golden Triangle Award from the YMCA, and the “Hometown Hero” award by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce; Jim was honored in 2020 with the first ever Legacy Award, awarded to those citizens who go above and beyond to make a difference in Ventura. Jim and his wife Pam, serve on the board of Marriage Well, a non-profit organization that provides support for couples to achieve excellence in their marriages. He is actively involved with solving the homeless crisis in Ventura County through the Homeless to Home collaboration, by partnering with the Downtown Ventura Partners and being involved with the Ventura Social Service Task Force. Jim and Pam have been married for over 31 years and have six children, two daughter-in-laws and three incredible grandchildren. Jim’s passion is to serve his community and to be a blessing to his neighbors through partnerships and collaboration.