Pastor

The current interim pastor of Blessed Hope Baptist Church is fellow-servant Richard L. North. Brother Richard was raised as an Episcopalian until his later teen years when he was “converted” as a Southern Baptist. Although he made a coerced profession of faith at an altar and was subsequently baptized the following Wednesday, there was no real repentance, transformation or soul-saving which occurred on that day – he just prayed a prayer and got “dunked”. As a senior in high school, Richard enlisted in the United States Navy as an air structural mechanic under the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), and was assigned to VF-51 fighter squadron out of NAS Miramar (now MCAS Miramar) in San Diego, CA after boot camp. During his first six-month deployment, Richard was gloriously saved on 11 NOV 86 after being repeatedly convicted by THE HOLY SPIRIT of his lost, Pharisical facade. He finally repented, yielding his heart and life to THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and was baptized by immersion at his next port of call by an Independent Baptist missionary there. Richard was led by GOD to join Lighthouse Baptist Church in San Diego under the tutelage of Pastor Doug Fisher, where he served in various ministries, studied and graduated from Lighthouse Bible Institute, and accepted GOD’s Call to preach HIS Gospel. After serving years as a jr. high/high school learning center supervisor in Lighthouse Christian Academy, brother North was ordained into The Gospel Ministry by Pastor Fisher and other holy men of GOD on 26 AUG 94. Shortly thereafter, THE HOLY SPIRIT led brother North to the mission field of a bush village in Alaska. For the next six years, brother North laboured in the frozen fields of Bethel, AK along with the numerous smaller Eskimo villages scattered around the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. THE LORD Shewed HIMSELF Mighty as Only HE Can with multitudes of Native souls hearing the clear Gospel of CHRIST, and also the birth of Bethel Independent Christian Academy, which ran beyond brother North’s time on the mission field.

In June of 2000, GOD Called brother North back to his home church in San Diego, CA where Pastor Fisher immediately immersed him into becoming the principal of Lighthouse Christian Academy, an instructor in the Lighthouse Bible Institute, and within three months of his return, L.B.C.’s youth pastor to 80+ teens and their families. By May of 2003, brother North experienced what many of GOD’s servant/soldiers succumb to – “Burn-Out”. After a few counseling sessions with prayer and fasting, brother North decided to “take a break” from GOD’s Work and pursue a career in the field of federal armed security working in conjunction with the U.S. Navy bases and highly-sensitive government installations within San Diego. This occupation kept him busy for many years, but all the while, GOD was still dealing with HIS child in multiple ways, reminding him of HIS Love and HIS Sacrifice for him, as well as for the souls of all mankind. Brother North could not escape Romans 11:29 – “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” and John 21:15 – “…lovest thou me more than these?…Feed my lambs.” Through many trials, teaching, and some definite, Loving chastisement, GOD Brought HIS son back into HIS service.

In May of 2010, brother North was led by THE HOLY SPIRIT up to Minot, North Dakota where he quickly affiliated with Pastor Joe Minnerup and Berean Baptist Church. Pastor Minnerup and brother North worked together in The Gospel ministry for a few years, preaching, teaching adult Sunday school, weekly door-to-door witnessing, teaching in Berean Baptist Bible Institute, VBS, etc., until a time where an impasse occurred. This led to brother North departing from Berean Baptist Church for a time, although he and Pastor Minnerup never lost contact and Berean Baptist Church never left brother North’s heart and prayers.

GOD Allowed Covid-19 to ravage the planet in March of 2020, and Pastor Minnerup was also affected. He had already begun to show signs of dementia in his mid-seventies, and after enduring the Covid infection, his mental capacities began to erode even further and more rapidly. THE LORD Called brother North back to Berean Baptist Church in November 2020, and he once again served alongside Pastor Minnerup in the same multiple areas of the ministry as before. Slowly and surely, Pastor Minnerup’s disease advanced into Alzheimer’s and the church body began to diminish down to just a few families. By November of 2022 it was obvious to the remnant which remained that it was time for Pastor Minnerup to step down from his position as undershepherd of this small flock. Brother North was voted in as the interim pastor of Berean Baptist Church on 27 NOV 22, and with his faithful, GOD-given “help meet for him”, lovely wife, Kimberly, who has also endured numerous times of challenges & victories together, he will continue to serve in this capacity as long as his KING Charges him so to do! A-men, LORD!!