Israel Rutherford became the Youth Director at LvCC in January 2026. Israel says, “the reason I accepted this position is because of the heart the Lord gave me to tell youth about Christ. In Mattew 19:14 Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ Yes, youth are not little children, but that is my heart. To make it as easy as possible for youth to experience the kingdom of heaven.”
He also works full time with FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) as an area rep focused on All Ability Ministry. That ministry is focused on serving athletes with disabilities. When he was in college, the Lord called Israel to serve this underserved community and share the love of Jesus with them.
Israel grew up in Kansas City and is a Chiefs fan. He lived there for about 11 years until he moved with his family to Longview in 2015. He comes from a family of nine, with four brothers and two sisters, and he recently became an uncle. He enjoys hunting, fishing, snowboarding, talking about Jesus, listening to music and hanging out with friends.