Born and raised in North Dakota, Renee is a graduate of Concordia university, Moorhead, Minnesota, and Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. She is married to Jonathan Splichal Larson, who's additionally a pastor within the ELCA, and their son is termed Gabriel. Renee and Jon are either survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. A Witness is Renee's first book.