Interview of John Kipp
By Alex Noakes
Our First Presbyterian Church family has an incoming
freshman at MIT as well as a grad – Alex Noakes & John Kipp. The two sat down for a chat and Alex asked
questions about John’s life experiences, faith development and what he
experienced as a student at MIT.
John was born in 1936 & was baptized at age 5. He remembers holding his parents hands, and as
they returned to their pew after his baptism John was heard by the congregation
to ask his parents about the “Holy Ghost.”
He became a Presbyterian at age 12 & at 17 had a conversion
experience. He was alone in the woods,
at night praying when he said “I knew then, that God heard me.”
Growing up John was exposed to lots of music & his love
of music grew & and continues even today.
He played baritone horn in school and that resulted in a scholarship to
attend Valley Forge Military School. He
spent two summers at Interlochen Music school and camp in Michigan. He was offered a scholarship to the Eastman
School of Music in Rochester, NY but by that time he had committed to attend
MIT.
While at MIT his faith grew.
Some of his friends suggested that a Reformed Presbyterian minister
visit him weekly. John credits this
minister with teaching him how to read the Bible & to pray. During this time & over the span of three
years he memorized 3 verses a day and studied a chapter in the Bible each
week. While at MIT he attended the Park
Street Presbyterian Church.
One of the organizations that added to his faith development
was the Navigators. This group began in
Colorado and was created as a non-denominational religious group by the
Navy. Another meaningful group was
Intervarsity. They held weekly Bible
studies in the dorms. While at MIT John
helped to create the Campus Christian Fellowship and served as their president. John & Dottie his first wife were married
the week he graduated from MIT.
After MIT, John applied to Princeton but wasn’t accepted
and instead began working for Proctor & Gamble. John
had been in ROTC & therefore had an obligation to serve 3 years of active
duty. Instead of entering Princeton John
entered the military and was sent to Mississippi to attend a 10 week radio
school course. After completing that
course he was stationed in Redbluff, CA where he was 1 of 6 officers serving at
a radar station. John became active in
the Redbluff Presbyterian Church and that church played a large part in his
faith development. While there, he was
elected an Elder and also served as a youth leader. The church asked him to
preach and conduct a funeral and all of his experiences, continued to confirm
his sense of call to ministry. At the
end of his 3 year military commitment, he reapplied to Princeton and was
accepted and a month later entered Princeton.
John would love to tell you how
his Mother’s phone call played a part in all of this.
He has many favorite hymns but mentioned his love of: Great is Thy Faithfulness.
The best life lesson: it reflects in part this stage of his
life – He feels a gentler approach and broader focus on people and to life in general.
The most important lesson he has learned evolved from two
of his life experiences – the death of his first wife & surviving kidney
cancer and the surgery it required: He
is grateful every day to God for the gift of life and knowing that God’s love
is constant and in feeling God’s presence in ALL of life’s experiences. John especially
appreciates the church family we have at First Presbyterian Church, Athens.
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