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MEET THE PASTOR

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Bishop Larry Dempsey, son of the late Willie Dempsey, Jr. and Mother Emma Lee Dempsey was born in Washington, D.C., October 22, 1949.  He is the fourth of six children. He is a 1967 graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Washington, DC and has attended the University of Maryland (European Division, Mannheim, West Germany  and College Park, MD), Southeastern University in Washington, DC, and the University of Cincinnati, where he majored in Business Administration.

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Bishop Dempsey was baptized in Jesus' name at the age of 8 and was filled with the Holy Ghost on March 18, 1958.  It was known then that he had a special calling on his life.  His early church years were spent at the Church of Jesus Christ in Washington, DC under the Pastorate of the late Pastor Marian B. Miller; Bishop John T. Leslie, Jr. now pastors the church and he was also his former Sunday School teacher.  He loved working around the church and doing whatever he could, whether it was cleaning the church or working in the kitchen. He developed a love for God and the people of God in his early years as his Mother and Father instilled these traits in him. 

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Bishop Dempsey received his call to the Ministry at the age of 16, but resisted the call for many years.  It wasn’t until he served in the United States Army during the Viet Nam Conflict that he finally accepted the call upon his life.  He was stationed in Mannheim, West Germany from September 1969 to April 1971.  He served as the Group Leader for the Fellowship of Military saints, that was provided by the United Pentecostal Churches.

Bishop Dempsey met Sis. Beverly Joyce Pullen, who is the love of his life, in June of 1972 at a Tri-State Council in Cleveland, OH and they were married on October 20, 1973 in Meadville, PA.  The Dempsey Family relocated to Cincinnati, OH in September of 1975 and were members at Greater Bethlehem Temple Apostolic Church.  Bishop and 1st Lady Dempsey are the proud parents of 3 children David (Doretha), Denjoli (Rashawn Brown), and Duan, and 11 grandchildren.  Bishop Dempsey served faithfully under the leadership of the late Bishop Elzie W. Young.  He also served as Senior Minister under the late Bishop Johnnie L. Johnson and as Assistant Pastor under Bishop James Chapman.   He was ordained an Elder at the PCAF National Convention in Cincinnati, OH in August of 1981 when he scored a perfect score of 100 on the ordination test.

 

Bishop Dempsey retired from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in October of 2008.  He was an employee of the United States Federal Government for 35  years.

 

Bishop Dempsey’s love for God, and the People of God has now moved him into a higher calling and in June 2007 he became the Pastor at Hope For You Family Life and Worship Center located in Cincinnati, OH.  In July 2009, Bishop James D. Nelson, Sr., Presiding Prelate of World Assemblies of Restoration, consecrated Pastor Dempsey as Bishop at Hope for You Family Life and Worship Center. He has preached extensively throughout the United States and in West Germany and is a world traveler.  His motto is “You will be surprised at how much we can get done when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”  Bishop Dempsey owes his life and any accomplishments to our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the committed relationship he has with the Lord.

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