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Dr. Larry Aikens comes from a conservative, fundamental Independent Baptist background. His father was led to Christ under the ministry of Dr. Curtis Hutson at Forrest Hills Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia; and later, when Larry was three years of age, his parents were sent out from Forrest Hills as missionaries to assist Dr. Roland Garlick at La Espada. They continued with La Espada for nine years in a supportive role and then answered God's call to full-time stateside evangelism. Growing up in a missionary/evangelist's home and traveling to forty-three states and three foreign countries before the age of seventeen, Larry gained a unique perspective of local church work.
On December 13, 1981, Larry trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and was baptized at his home church, Franklin Road Baptist Church, where Dr. Bob Kelley was the pastor. After making a full surrender of his life to the Lord in 1984 under the preaching of Evangelist Jerry Sivnksty, he began to sense God dealing with his heart about full-time Christian service. In the fall of 1986, between two weeks of an extended revival meeting held by his father, Evangelist Larry Aikens, Sr., the Lord confirmed in Larry's heart His call to preach the gospel. Since that day his burden for souls has grown to be expressed by a motto he often repeats, “I want to do all that I can while I can,” based on his life's verses found in Psalm 40:1-3.
On June 3, 1992, he was ordained to the gospel ministry at Franklin Road Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with Dr. Tom Wallace serving as the moderator of the ordination council. Larry met his wife Holly while studying at Pensacola Christian College. They were married on June 6, 1992, and then entered the ministry together. Larry completed both his Master and Doctor of Theology degrees at Covington Theological Seminary, earning the Scholastic Honors Award and graduating Summa Cum Laude at the doctoral level in 2001.
Dr. Aikens is Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Temple in Hagerstown, Maryland, Administrator of Emmanuel Christian School, President of Spark of Grace Ministries, and General Manager of WHGT Christian Radio. He and Holly have two children, Nathaniel (1994) and Jessica (1998). |
