Henry Knapp grew up in Conneaut Lake, PA. He attended Carnegie Mellon University and graduated with a degree in Chemistry. During his student days at CMU he was introduced to the Gospel of Jesus Christ through effective campus ministry. After months of the Lord pursuing Henry, he responded to the Gospel, receiving Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
After several years of work in the sciences, the Lord called Henry to begin working for the Coalition for Christian Outreach out of Bellefield Presbyterian Church in Oakland. It was there that he met Kelly Longenecker (originally from Lancaster, PA) and she felt a call to the ministry as well. Henry and Kelly were married in 1989 and she joined him on staff full-time.
During Henry’s college student ministry days at Bellefield from 1987 to 1995, he met and worked closely in ministry with several members of the Hebron Church family including Greg and Beth Anderson and Gordon and Ruth Ann Slippy. He also developed a long-standing friendship with Rev. Ken Wagoner, who many of you know as a friend and regular guest preacher at Hebron.
After the Bellefield years, they moved North of Boston where they attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary together. Henry earned an M.Div. and a Masters of Theological Studies. Kelly earned a Masters in Counseling; Marriage and Family Therapy.
After earning their degrees, the Knapps moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Henry worked as the Assistant to the Pastor at Eastminster Presbyterian Church for 3 years. During this time, Henry earned his Ph.D. in Reformed Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary.
In 2000, Henry and Kelly with their 2 year-old daughter and 6 month-old son moved to Beaver, PA, where Henry became the Associate Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Beaver. His focus for the past 18 years has been Adult Discipleship, Christian Education, preaching and teaching, and international missions. He has trained and led mission teams in Romania, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru, and Kenya, and has been a regular retreat and conference speaker.
He has also served as adjunct Professor of Theology at Trinity Evangelical Seminary in Deerfield, IL and Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA.
Henry says his primary passion is for the Word of God and the pursuit of God’s glory in all of life. He and Kelly have been joyfully married for 29 years and love the outdoors, reading, traveling, family time, and cheering on all Pittsburgh sport teams.
A full-time mother and volunteer ministry for the past 16 years, Kelly has worked as a Teacher’s Assistant with Life-Skills community at Beaver Area High School for the past few years. Kelly is also a gifted Bible teacher, retreat and conference speaker. Many of you may know her as the speaker at the 2017 Women’s Retreat in Laurelville.
Their daughter, Sabrina, is 21-years-old and a Junior at West Chester University, studying Middle Education (English) and vocal performance (minor). In both high school and college she has been heavily involved in the music program. At college she is also very involved in campus ministry (CRU) and being an RA.
Jason, their son, is 19-years-old and a freshman at Penn State, Main Campus studying Chemical Engineering. Jason was heavily involved in the music program in high school and is now actively engaged in Penn State’s campus ministry (RUF).
Currently living in Beaver, Henry and Kelly will be relocating to the Penn Hills area upon confirmation of his call.
