Our Pastor
Bishop Ivy Anne Hopkins received the gift of salvation in 1954 at the early age of 14 and was called to the ministry at the age of 16. On June 24, 1966, at the age of 25, she became an ordained minister and began pastoring. She is presently the pastor and founder of Grace Temple Church of the Living God. Bishop Hopkins is also the founder and CEO of Grace Temple Community Development Inc., GRACE Learning Center, and YESHUA Prayer Group.
Bishop Hopkins made history in the Church of the Living God, Inc. on October 21, 2010 when she became the first female to be elected to the position of Vice-President General. She made history again when she was installed as the first female President General of the Church of the Living God in October 2018, at its 89th General Assembly in Orlando, FL.
Bishop Hopkins' academic achievements are noteworthy. She enrolled in Advanced Bible Studies at the American Bible Institute in 1966. She was a student of Pastoral Studies and a member of the Advisory Board of Christian Ministries at the Lancaster Theological Seminary Institute in 1978. And, on October 7, 2003, she was presented with a Master of Christian Ministry from the Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary in Ridgely, Maryland.
Bishop Hopkins' ministerial work is extensive. She established a tape ministry in February 1966. She was appointed the Pennsylvania State Foreign Mission President of the Church of the Living God in 1975. In 1982, she was consecrated Pennsylvania State Elder. In 1986, She was consecrated Bishop of the Church of the Living God, Inc., Pennsylvania Diocese I. Bishop Hopkins is presently the presiding prelate over 24 churches. She became an approved instructor of the Evangelical Teaching Training Association and later organized an Interdenominational Bible Class in May 1987. In May 1991, she organized a pilot Scholars Class, which included preparation for Church Ministry Studies. In October 1998, she was appointed Executive Administrator of the Church of the Living God, Inc. In September 2003, she was appointed chairperson of the Chaplaincy Department of the Church of the Living God, Inc.
Bishop Hopkins' missionary experiences include Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa (1978); Germany (1985) - where she dedicated the first Church of the Living God in the country; Jamaica (1988); & Trinidad (1988). One of her most memorable experiences was her trip to Europe in 2009. While in Europe, she visited Rome, Sicily, Athens, Ephesus and the Island of Crete. In Athens, she was privileged to stand and preach on Mars Hill where the Apostle Paul addressed the philosophers and presented "The Unknown God", who they ignorantly worshipped, as the LORD of heaven and earth (Acts 17:16-32).
Bishop Hopkins is passionate about GOD and His people. She has dedicated her life to ministering to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of others. The foundation of her life's work is love. Through her ministry, GOD has healed the sick and given hope to the broken hearted. Many have experienced deliverance and transformation by the power of GOD's Word & His Holy Spirit.
