January 5 Today in OPC History

On this date in 1936 Larry D. Conard was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Conard, were charter members of Valley OPC, Santee, California. Hearing the preaching of OPC missionary Bruce Hunt at Valley Church, Larry felt called to the gospel ministry. In 1959, Larry married Bonnie Hanks. After studying two years at the University of Wyoming, Larry graduated from the Los Angeles Baptist College in 1962. He served in the United States Air Force before earning his bachelor of divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1967. He was stated supply at Park Hill OPC in Denver, Colorado, until he completed his ordination exams. He was ordained by the Presbytery of the Dakotas in 1968 and installed as pastor at Park Hill until 1973. For the next four years, he served as pastor at Bay View OPC in Chula Vista, California and in 1978, he was elected moderator of the Forty-fifth General Assembly.

At the start of the 1980s, Larry served as missionary-at-large for the Presbytery of Southern California. During this time he also served as the first president of the Board of Trustees of Westminster Seminary California. In 1983, he became co-pastor of Oak Hill OPC in Eugene, Oregon, and then the sole pastor from 1985 to 1987. He again served as a Christian school administrator until he became a PCA pastor from 1987 to 1992. The church he served, Moreno Valley, California, came into the OPC in 1995. He was received into the OPC’s Presbytery of the Northwest to serve at Faith OPC in Grants Pass, Oregon, (1992–2002), and stated supply at Covenant Grace OPC in Roseburg, Oregon, from 2009 until he retired in 2014.

On September 8, 2018, Larry Conard entered his Savior’s glorious presence on at the age of 82.

Picture: Larry Conard at the 1973 General Assembly.