MISSION

To liberate people from the enslavement and idolatry of addiction by radical transformation of the heart through a redemptive fellowship with Christ for His glory and our joy. 

The vision for Redemption House grew out the frustration that Christians were under served in the faith-based addiction treatment, sober living and recovery landscape. “Finding gospel-centered rehab programs was a challenge.” says founder John Leonard. “We saw the need for a Christ-centered, biblical counseling recovery ministry and created one. The program was built on my own personal experience of worshiping my way out of addiction. Once I discovered that there was an opportunity to honor and worship God in everything I did, and that repentance was the engine for joy and fruit in my life, everything changed. I was so full of gratitude that I was compelled share this profound truth with the world!”

Staff

JOHN LEONARD – FOUNDER & CEO

Disciple of Jesus, redeemed opiate addict.  John is a graduate of Millsaps College in Jackson, MS and was the Director of Marketing and Intake at The Retreat in Wayzata, MN for over eleven years. He helped grow the organization from a 20 bed experiment to a 145 bed continuum of services. Prior to joining The Retreat, John spent ten years in sales and marketing in the telecommunications and real estate industries.

John lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota. He is an avid cyclist and enjoys fishing and spending time outdoors with his wife Lesley and their two boys Joseph and Julian. His personal experience with addiction and passion for sharing the hope and promise of the gospel are the driving forces behind the Redemption House vision.

Justin Lakemacher – PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Justin has tremendous passion for the gospel and recovery and an infectious love for the Lord.  As a former heroin addict for seven years, he has personal experience with addiction.  He found freedom through Christ and since 2011 has worked in the Christian rehab & recovery field shepherding men and helping them worship their way out of addiction.   

Justin has completed both the Foundations of Biblical Counseling & Topics of Biblical counseling curricula (9 courses) offered by the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation (CCEF). He has a pastor’s heart and is serving in a bi-vocational role at Cornerstone Community Church where he runs a Christ-centered addiction recovery meeting, counsels those struggling with addiction and assists with preaching duties. Justin writes regularly for the Redemption House blog and devotes much of his time to thinking biblically about addiction. His lovely wife Megan is a music therapist and serves on the worship team at church. Justin and Megan enjoy travel, hiking, reading and music.

Dave Abernethy - Teacher & Counselor

Dave teaches and provides counseling on a weekly basis at Redemption House. He is a certified Biblical Counselor through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC), and has written for Desiring God. Through his church, he also leads the Harbor Center for Biblical Counseling in Mound, MN.  His expertise adds great value to the Redemption House community. Dave grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago. He came to saving faith in Jesus Christ during the summer of 1998 while a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He holds a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL.  He served for two years as Assistant Pastor at Village Church of Lincolnshire in Lake Forest, IL and accepted the call to Mound Free in 2005.  

Dave and his wife Melissa have two children, Caleb and Mia.  His passions include preaching, caring for the flock at Mound Free and living for the advance of the gospel in the city of Mound and the Westonka area.  He also enjoys reading theology (especially the Puritans), listening to music (mainly old singer-songwriters), and running.

JASON SALMANS - DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT

Jason comes from a large Christian family in rural Kansas.  He worshiped his way out of addiction at Redemption House in 2016.  He lives on site and leads the men with a shepherd's heart. His passion for the Lord is a tremendous asset to the community.  He earned his BBA at Baylor University where he studied marketing and performance improvement technology.   

After graduating, Jason worked in real estate in both Texas and Arizona.   He is a huge fan of Tim Keller and loves to walk the guys through his sermons.  He has a passion for the outdoors and loves to hunt and fish. He is the primary guide on the Redemption House fishing and camping excursions and loves to help the men enjoy God’s creation.  Jason has worked in many capacities at Redemption House. He is also heavily engaged in our development and marketing activities.

Ryan Clayton - House Manager

Ryan worshiped his way out of addiction at Redemption House in 2018.  He lives on site and serves as a House Manager. He is currently studying biblical counseling through CCEF.  Prior to Redemption House, Ryan studied food and nutrition at the University of Tennessee. He suffers from chronic pain and has learned to manage pain with a comprehensive regimen of diet, exercise and supplementation.  Ryan has a passion for healthy living and helps the men develop individualized health and dietary plans. He is currently developing the Redemption House health and wellness curriculum. He is a very talented musician and loves to write music and lead worship with the guys.  His infectious love for the Lord is a blessing to the Redemption House community.

OSCAR HUERTA - BOARD MEMBER

Oscar and his wife, Cathi, planted churches among Muslims in Central Asia from 1996 - 2005. They worked with national missionaries to establish a small network of house churches in central Uzbekistan. Since 2005 he has worked as a technology manager at a large financial institution in downtown Minneapolis and has been involved in leadership with small urban church plants in the Twin Cities. He is an Elder at Redeemer Bible Church in Minnetonka, MN and serves on a board to equip Eastern European and Central Asian church leaders with theological literature and training.

Oscar received a Masters in Divinity from Bethel Theological Seminary in 1995 and a Bachelors in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin in 1985. Oscar and Cathi live in Edina, Minnesota. They have two sons and three daughters, two of which are recently married.

EDWARD T. WELCH - Advisory Board member

M.Div., Ph.D. is a counselor and faculty member at CCEF. He earned a Ph.D. in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and has a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. Ed has been counseling for over 30 years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions. His books include: When People Are Big and God is Small; Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave; Blame it on the Brain; Depression—A Stubborn Darkness; Running Scared; Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away From Addiction; and When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety.