Rev. Rick King

Rev. Rick King: Senior Minister

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Office Phone: 303-776-4940
Fax: 303-776-2738
Contact Rick by e-mail

Rick has served as the Senior Minister of First Congregational UCC in Longmont since 2008, when he and his family moved from Winona, Minnesota, where Rick served as Pastor of First Congregational UCC for ten years.

His passion in ministry is helping the local church recover its central focus on Faith Formation by helping people of all ages encounter the Holy. He sees the church as an extended family, and enjoys connecting longtime people of faith with “de-churched” people returning to organized religion after years away—including ministry with LGBT folk, people in recovery, and through UCC Longmont’s focus on homelessness and people living in poverty.

Rick is active with the St. Vrain Valley Safe Schools Coalition as it works to make schools safer for all students, especially lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth. In April 2011, Boulder County Public Health recognized Rick for this work with a Healthy Community Award.

Ordained in 1990, Rick grew up in Alliance, Ohio, attending Western Reserve Academy, Mount Union College, and Yale Divinity School. In addition to Minnesota and Colorado, he’s served churches in Palatine, Elmhurst, and Chicago, Illinois. Rick has also done technical writing, taught English and writing to high schoolers, worked with homeless youth with The Night Ministry in Chicago, and practiced for four years as massage therapist.

Rick is married to Linda Kopecky, a health educator and phenomenal cook, seamstress, gardener, and co-parent of three boys: Elijah, Samuel, and Gabriel. They live in Longmont with three cats, a guinea pig, and two mice. Rick can most often be seen riding his 1988 Peugeot 12-speed just about everywhere, and he enjoys hiking and camping with family, swimming, yoga, reading, movies, and vegetarian food.