Congregation Mourns the Loss of Devoted Pastor

In the two weeks since the East Hampton community lost one of its most beloved pastors, the members of the have been remembering their congregation's leader, the Rev. Charles E. Hopson.

on July 2. He was 59.

Reverend Earle, as he was affectionately known to friends, was "committed to his "calling" from God to serve as a deliverer of the Holy Word," according to Sharlene Hartwell, one of the two associate ministers who worked under him at Calvary Baptist. "The sadness of Rev.'s passing is still fresh and still unbelievable."

"I will particularly miss Rev. Hopson's very powerful prayers," Hartwell said. "Calvary Baptist will continue to mourn Rev. Hopson's passing for a long time to come, and we pray daily for the comfort and healing of his children and grandchildren; and particularly, for the comfort of his Beloved wife, Mrs. Sheila Hopson."

Hartwell said, in an email last week, that he "truly loved his immediate and extended family — as he came from a very large family and was related to many, many others through marriages, etc.

Tonya Gregg was one of those in his extended family. Hopson was a cousin of her husband Allen Gregg Jr. In fact, Hopson married them. He was also her first pastor in her adult life, baptizing her into the church.

"He was an amazing preacher, amazing listener, and had good advice for those who seeked it. We will certainly miss Pastor Hopson tremendously, but he will never be forgotten by our family," she said.

Linda Blowe, whose family belongs to the church congregation, said Hopson was also committed to the community. "When I think of Pastor I think of a man that was first and foremost a devoted servant of God. He was a devoted family man, both to his biological family and his church family," she said.

She described him as a hard working man who always had a smile on his face. "Pastor Hopson was especially proud of the youth in his church. He always took time to praise them for their good works in church, in school and in the community. He spoke to them with ease and always encouraged them to grow in their faith, to believe in themselves and live up to their full potential," Blowe recalled.

"One of his favorite Bible verses was Philippians 3:14; 'I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' Every day he pressed forward and his love for God, family and community was evident in all that he did," Blowe said.