ABOUT

John and Letty King

ABOUT PASTOR JOHN

“…get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1.

Ever listening to the “Whispers of God,” John King and wife, Letty, packed up their family in August 1993 and headed from Nuneaton, West Midlands, England to America where, for seven years, they served a church in Washington, Illinois. However, that was only the beginning of his adventures in America. Always the visionary, always the pioneer, John began sensing the “Whispers of God” about starting a new congregation in Peoria, Illinois. On August 20, 2000, Riverside Community Church was begun at the Holiday Inn City Centre with nearly 450 people attending.

Riverside Community Church purchased the old Shrine Theater building in March 2001 and began renovating. At present, the church sees approximately fourteen hundred in attendance each week at its downtown location.

In 2002, he flew to LA to experience their Dream Center for himself. He saw the huge effect a few simple programs were having on seriously run-down neighborhoods. He knew there were a lot of Peoria neighborhoods needing the same kind of help.

In 2004, John was joined in ministry by his son, Andrew, who serves as the Executive Director of Dream Center Peoria. Then in 2005 God whispered to John to approach the YMCA about their building in Downtown Peoria. Miraculously, Riverside purchased the seven-story building for $210,000 to house the Dream Center Peoria and the Riverside church offices. It is now valued at $3 million.

However, this is not the end of the Whispers of God John has sensed…John has a heart to see church leaders trained thus launching Related Leaders – a conference for the leaders in smaller churches. In 2007, the first full-scale Riverside Conference was held. Related Leaders conferences are geared toward smaller, innovative churches.

All races, all cultures, all socio-economic levels find a friend in John King. While not drawing attention to himself, but always giving glory to His King, his life-long goal is to see all peoples come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Recognizing that their family is second only to their relationship to God, John and Letty treasure being Dad & Mum to Andrew (and Teresa), Rachel (and Michael Ritchason) and Sheralee (and Alex Jeffries) and Granddad & Nana to Ethan, Clay and Joy King, Ella & Liam Ritchason and Vivian Jeffries. John & Letty both gratefully say, “God has kept our family in the grip of His Grace.”