Pastor Randy Capistrano is the senior pastor of River of Life Family Church. Saved at the age of 21, he went on to pastoral ministry a few years later as a youth pastor. He later received the call to plant the River of Life in 2002, which has grown from just a handful of people to a thriving, multi-ethnic church that’s making an impact in San Jose.

A native of California and raised in the Bay Area all his life, Pastor Randy has a direct connection to and understanding of the residents in Silicon Valley. Having worked at Intel for over 11 years (and still working), he fully understands the fast pace of living in Silicon Valley, and still has the bandwidth to minister to the average working citizen, as well as to those who do ministry full-time. Pastor Randy’s down-to-earth and practical, preaching style immediately makes a connection in a relevant way. His biblically-sound messages, packed with a keen sense of humor, have been influencing hundreds of lives since the start of the River of Life.

His ministry also extends outside the local church. He has ministered in numerous settings including prisons, college campuses, Christian talk shows, bishop and pastor conferences, global and humanitarian outreach, and mission trips.

Pastor Randy started his education at San Jose State University pursuing an electrical engineering in 1990. When he received the call to ministry, he pursued his degree in Christian Psychology at Bethany University in Scotts Valley. Just prior to planting the River of Life, he studied Business Management at the University of the Pacific. He has a big appetite for continuing education and attends church and leadership seminars whenever possible.

In his free time, he is an avid reader, and has a passion about sharing his learning with all those in and out of the church. One of his motivations to read is to learn concepts related to some of his biggest passions in the church, which is to build strong families and healthy marriages. Some of his favorite topics to read about are marriage, parenting, novels, and apologetics. His favorite authors are C.S. Lewis, Alan Redpath, and Lee Strobel. In fact, the very first book he read after getting saved was “David-The Making of a Man of God” by Alan Redpath. Books that he highly recommends are “Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel, “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis, and any of Alan Redpath’s writings.

Outside of ministry, Pastor Randy loves playing basketball, woodworking, reading, and working on his aquarium. He has a rich family life, and can often be found playing board games with his kids, telling bedtime stories, enjoying a movie, and of course…a romantic dinner with his wife, Wendy. And don’t forget their favorite annual trip to Disneyland!

Pastor Randy and Wendy have been married for over 11 years, and have two children, RJ and Kristen.