Pastor Arnold M. Hilpert

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Florida — Bahamas Synod

Pastor Arnold Hilpert was born in Detroit, MI, where he was raised and schooled. While attending Wayne State University with an interest in automobile design, he turned to the study of Christianity and the Holy Bible. This interest led him to Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, IL. Following graduation and ordination as a Lutheran pastor, Rev. Hilpert began a thirty-year vocation of ministry with churches in Illinois and Florida.

One of the highlights of his ministry was the eleven years he spent in inner-city ministry in Jacksonville, FL. Here he worked with a Lutheran sponsored program that combined 182 rental subsidy apartments for low-income families and a community oriented pastoral ministry. This experience expanded his interest in multi-cultural ministry and gospel empowerment for the poor.

In 1999, Pastor Hilpert was invited by retired Lutheran Bishop David Wolber, also a current Speaker, on a pilgrimage to Haiti sponsored by Food For The Poor. This mission trip so influenced him, that he began work as a Lutheran Speaker with Food For The Poor, and has been preaching on behalf of the destitute in over 200 Lutheran churches throughout the United States.

Pastor Hilpert has also made pilgrimages to Nicaragua (2002), Jamaica (2003), Guatemala (2005), and El Salvador (2007) to see the projects and program sponsored by Food For The Poor. His preaching weaves the stories of his experiences with the Gospel message.

Pastor Hilpert is a retired pastor in the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod and resides in Middleburg, FL. He is married to Gloria, his wife of 45 years. They have a son and three grandchildren. His hobbies include: RVing, time with grandchildren, neighborhood biking and hiking, keeping fit, and “do-it-yourself” projects on the home and vehicles.