SYNERGY - Juneteenth 2022

Kevin Thorpe

Story By: Lanre-Peter Elufisan

Calm, soft-spoken, and insightful are the words that best describe pastor Kevin Thorpe. Having been the senior pastor of the Faith Missionary Baptist Church of Gainesville, better known as Faith Church, for twentyfour years, this gentleman is an entrepreneur, and a community leader who advocates for the economic development of the people of Alachua county. Why economic development? Pastor Thorpe said, ‘’my philosophy is the better you’re doing economically, the better your choices are. When you struggle to stay afloat, it is difficult to provide a quality life for you and your children.’’

Kevin was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. According to him, growing up was great because of the privilege of being nurtured by both his parents. As the last born of five, Kevin remembers his mom being the homemaker and his father, who worked as a supervisor at a company, being the provider. In high school, he enrolled in vocational training, learned the trade of diesel mechanics, and worked full time as a transportation manager while earning his degree.

He holds a Masters’ Degree in Pastoral Ministries from Conservative Theological University. He is also the Executive producer of the Faith Church television Broadcast and an adjunct professor at Conservative Theological University in Gainesville.

Aside from leading and ministering the word of God to people, taking care of his mom, and loving his god-daughters, pastor Thorpe loves men suits. He started Suits by Thorpe, a fashion business that offers custom-made suits, shirts, shoes, and even matching belts. Kevin believes that when you’re working in a position of success or on your way to that position, the way you present yourself makes all the difference, so he provides quality customized clothing.

He has worked with grassroots organizations to influence policies in the community. Thorpe started doing grassroots work around 2002 after noticing the differing levels of opportunity available in Gainesville compared to what he had experienced in Jacksonville. For pastor Thorpe, he wants to see people thrive, especially young people, to have and provide broader choices for themselves and their children.

I asked about his mentor, and he spoke reverently of how his mentor and pastor who trained him in ministry, Dr. David A. Lattimore Jr., taught him to genuinely love people and treat them in public the same way he would treat them in private. That lesson helps to keep his leadership style consistent.

For pastor Kevin Thorpe, life is about service to God and humanity. In closing, I asked for any advice he would like to share with other professionals, and he said, “Find broad-minded mentors and listen to them. I believe that’s great advice, because as Oprah Winfrey once said, ‘A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.’”