The Harper Family

   

     Pastor Ryan Harper and his family have had the opportunity to minister at Adin Community Bible Church since the fall of 2004. This has been a time of blessings and challenges as Pastor Ryan and his wife Erica have learned what it means to be a ministry team in a remote rural setting. 

   Ryan states, "The people here in the area of Big Valley are some of most generous and loving people I have met. It reminds me very much of the small community I grew up in, in the North valley of California."

Ryan and Erica have enjoyed raising their kids in Big Valley as well. They say that it is a privilege to be able to raise their children in such a place as Adin and Big Valley.

   Erica states, "It's hard to believe that our son was only three months old when we moved to Adin. Time goes by so fast when you're a mom and also minister in a small town." 

   Pastor Ryan is a graduate of Shasta Bible College & Graduate School located in Redding California. He was raised in an independent Baptist church, and had the opportunity for some hands on training at his home church after graduating, before beginning his ministry in Adin.

   Pastor Ryan reflects, "I'm glad that I was given the chance to get some practical experience before diving head first into ministry.  My pastor really took me under his wing and gave me some insight into some of the things I would be dealing with when it came to ministering in the local church. It wasn't long after we were called to Adin that some of his advice really made sense." 

   Ryan and Erica have had the opportunity to be greatly involved in the Big Valley community over the years working as EMT's and and being as involved as they can with the people of the community. When they worked as EMT's they were able to have contact with people in the community outside of the church setting.

   Ryan states, "I  laugh when I think about the path that the Lord has brought us down. I never would have thought to do this on my own.  I never even dreamed that one day I would be a pastor and an EMT. The Lord knew however, and what He decides is best!" 

During their time here Pastor Ryan and his family have one goal and that is to do God's will.

"It's not always easy to know what God's will is" Ryan says. "Sometimes it means just doing what you're doing until the Lord makes it clear what your path should be after much prayer. We look forward to continuing to do God's work here at Adin Community Bible Church for as long as that might be, and in the mean time we look forward to the friendships that we will build along the way, and we also look forward to witnessing the spiritual growth of our community as people learn about salvation and grow in their knowledge of God's word."

   In July of 2009 The Harper family was blessed with the short notice of a baby girl who was to be born that they were given the opportunity to adopt. Clara Harper was born July 25th, 2009 in Panama City Florida and the Harper's were finally able to bring her home August 9th, two weeks later. Her adoption was finalized in March of 2010! 

    The Harper's were blessed with the addition of two other family members who came to them in the end 2010. Juanita and her brother Wesley have been a blessing to the family and they were officially adopted as adults in January of 2025!  

     Recent years have brought other changes to the Harper household. Pastor Ryan had to leave the EMS field because of the Ambulance station closure in Adin. For a year and half Pastor Ryan worked for the local Pit River Tribe as a Community Health Care Representative, also known as a CHR. The experience is one that He will never forget and he will forever cherish the friendships he made during that time. Now days besides taking care of his pastoral responsibilities, Pastor Ryan helps care for their youngest Clara who has presented with some special needs which require constant supervision when she home. He is also keeping up with his EMT skills as he works part for Mayers Hospital as an EMT and also works in the Cardiac Rehab department.

     Erica has been teaching for over seven years and works as a special education teacher in Burney, CA working at the Burner Center teaching moderate to severely challenged children with their education needs. While the job can be quite difficult some days, it is also very rewarding as she gets to see these special children grow and learn in this special teaching environment. 

Pastor Ryan and Erica have seen their family grow in the past 7 years as well. With the addition of a son-in-love and two beautful granddaughters the Harper's have blessed with full and happy hearts as they enjoy the role of grandparents!

     Please keep our Pastor and his family in your prayers. We live in ever changing times and new challenges arise daily. Pray for safety as he and his wife travel for work, and for wisdom as he shepherds the flock and continues to teach from God's word and for Pastor Ryan and Erica as they raise up their youngest child Clara who will be 16 in July of 2025.

(Information updated May of 2025)