Today's Bridgeport City Face is not only seen at Simpson Creek Baptist Church, but throughout Bridgeport, visiting and attending various community activities. Meet Pastor Mike Hopkins:

 

Thanks for being this week's City Face, Pastor Mike. Tell me how long you've lived in Bridgeport and what brought you here ...

I have lived in Bridgeport for the past 29 years. It hardly seems possible; the time has passed so quickly. I moved here from Roanoke, Va.in 1991.  It was my pleasure to become pastor of Simpson Creek Baptist Church.  I was fortunate to follow Jim Lutz, my immediate predecessor. Jim and I had known each other for many years.  We attended Alderson-Broaddus College together.

 

Tell me about your family ...

I am not married.  Most of my family live in Parkersburg, where I was born and went to school.  Living in Bridgeport is the first time I have been close by.  Previously I have lived in Texas, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Michigan, and Virginia. 

 

Do you have pets?

I have no pets, since I am sometimes away from home.  I love dogs, and my neighbors are kind enough to let me play with their dogs, which I love.

 

Tell me about your livelihood  ...

I am blessed to be senior pastor of a fantastic church!  We have three pastors and a congregation that is a wonderful cross-section of the area.  While the church family keeps me busy, my spare time is spent reading/studying, travel to conferences and personal trips, and hiking Civil War battlefields.

 

What's the best part of living here?

I love living in Bridgeport, Harrison County, and magnificent West Virginia!  What a privilege to live and serve the Lord here!  Every time I drive Route 33 through Germany Valley, I feel a bit sorry for people who live in other places. This area has it all: churches, schools, businesses, restaurants, and best of all...great people!

 

What is your favorite place outside of the city?

Outside of Bridgeport, I visit in Texas and the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, particularly in Lexington and Harrisonburg. And occasionally I meet up with friends in South Carolina.

 

What is your favorite food? 

As for food and restaurants, Italian!  Who wouldn’t love this area?

 

What music do you listen to?

Of course, I love Christian hymns and gospel music in general, as well as great classical pieces. And in addition (I hesitate to mention this!), I was a television announcer and radio disc jockey way back in the early 60s in Parkersburg. My cell phone is full of pop songs from the 60s and 70s. Ah, the Temptations and Motown!

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Here’s one interesting tidbit from the past.  I was in grad school (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1963. President Kennedy and Jackie came to Fort Worth before going on to Dallas. I saw them the evening before he died. What an unforgettable experience that has been!

 

Editor's Note: Just above Hopkins is pictured left to right with Pastor Ben Moses of SCBC and Pastor Brad Harris, formerly of SCBC, during their 2018 trip to Turkey and the Seven Churches of Revelation.