Meet Our Pastor

Larry Hopkins was born in Shelbyville, Illinois on October 5, 1949 to George and Fern Hopkins.  The oldest of four boys, Larry attended the Shelbyville Church of the Nazarene where he was greatly influenced by a caring Sunday School teacher.  He graduated from Shelbyville High School.  After Larry's high school graduation his family moved to Effingham, Illinois where his father worked.  He graduated from Lakeland Junior College and Olivet Nazarene University with Bachelor of Theology.

Larry knew as a child that the Lord had called him into some kind of ministry, however he was a yound adult before he became a Christian and dedicated his lefe to the Lord.  After moving to Effingham, Larry became acquanted with Karen Chesnut who had been raised in the Free Methodist Church.  Karen knew God had called her to be a minister's wife so had no misgivings when Larry, as part of his marriage proposal, told her that he wasn't sure where God's will for his life would lead him.  She now realized how naive she was at the time but also knows God has been faithful to their family every place He has lad them.

Larry and Karen married in 1974 and took their first pastorate in the Church of the Nazarene in Royalton, Illinois.  From there, they moved to pastor Metcalf, Illinois.  While pastoring Metcalf, their son, Erik Mark, was born.  In 1977 the Hopkins family moved to Mt. Erie, Illinois where they lived for over five years.  During this time Kimberly Ann was added to their family.  The years at Mt. Erie were great serving loving, giving, farmers and field workers in a rural setting.  The two city kids had no clue how to deal with the live chicken a couple gave them on several occasions.  The couple believed in tithing everything that God blessed them with--beef, chicken, or money!

While serving Mt. Erie, Larry led the people in raising money for a much-needed new church building.  While praying about this need and wondering where the finances would come from, Larry felt the Lord speak clearly to him that the need was not for more money but for more faith.  The building project proceeded and today there is a beautiful Church of the Nazarene atop a hill just outside Mt. Erie, Illinois.  The Hopkins' next pastorate was Jacksonville, Illinois Church of the Nazarene.  God used the time in Jacksonville as a great learning experienced and time of building the couple's faith in Him.

In June 1983 the family moved to the village of Ridge Farm, Illinois knowing God had led them to the loving people of the community.  The years in Ridge Farm have been very rewarding.  Watching children grow into their teen and young adult years and accept Jesus into their hearts and grow to make ministering Christian workers has been especially wonderful to Larry and Karen.  Through the years in Ridge Farm, a number of the pillars of the church there when the Hopkins family arrived have gone to heaven, leaving great voids in the church family.  How wonderful to watch the young adults take responsibility and step into the vacancies left by others.

The Hopkins family has enjoyed raising their family in the beautiful Ridge Farm parsonage in the midst of the corn and bean fields of east central Illinois.  In 1997, erik married  Tara Baker and they now have two sons--Troy and Drake.  Both children have opened doors for their grandfather as they walk about the village or work at the grade school.  Thus God can use little children to help a minister get to know people who otherwise might not want a "pastoral visit".  Kimberly graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was recently married.  The family will be forever indebted to the gracious people of the church and community who have accepted the "PK's" as their own family.

God has done great things in Ridge Farm and will do much more.  A phrase that has held great meaning to Larry is "The future is as bright as the promises of God."  The future is bright for the Ridge Farm Church of the Nazarene.  Many of the people of this community need to know Jesus and, as God leads, we will follow...