Neils H. Larsen was born in Patchogue, Long Island, New York December 13th, 1918. He attended school in Riverhead, Long Island graduating from high school in 1937. He accepted Christ as Savior at the age of five. His mother led him to the Lord with a Bible storybook and the explanation of the Serpent in the wilderness.

    At the age of 17, he felt called of the Lord to preach. Feeling the need for preparation, he enrolled and graduated from Columbia Bible College and then Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

    At college he met Dorothy Bannister and they were married at Merrimon Ave. Baptist Church in Asheville, NC in 1942. Mrs. Larsen was a charter member of Merrimon Ave. Later on, Neils was ordained by the church.

    During his 50 years in the ministry, he served the following churches: Riverside Baptist Church in Asheville; Clinchfield Baptist Church, Marion; Central Baptist Church, Spruce Pine; Enka Baptist Church, Enka; and Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Ridgecrest, NC. During these years he helped with clinics and teaching for NC State Sunday School Board when L. L. Morgan was director. He also taught at Fruitland Bible Institute. He was on the General Board of the Convention for the Blue Ridge Association. He was moderator of Blue Ridge Association 1955-56.

    Since retirement in 1986, he has been interim pastor of the following churches: Hankins, Bethel, and Pleasant Gardens in the Blue Ridge Association; Central Baptist Church in the Mitchel Association; and at present he is Interim at East Marion Baptist Church, Blue Ridge Association.

    For many years he has taught the January Bible study in many churches and is known as a Bible Scholar. He is also known for his expository preaching of the Bible. Mr. Larsen has been the pastor of many retired missionaries and ministers during his pastorate at Ridgecrest.

    Mrs. Larsen was born in Hart County, Georgia on September 12th, 1921, but was raised in Asheville, NC. She was educated in Buncombe County schools and graduated from high school in 1938. She graduated from Columbia Bible College with a degree in Biblical Education. She also audited classes at Eastern Baptist Seminary.

    Both she and Mr. Larsen taught at Ben Lippen Boys School in Asheville, NC. Mrs. Larsen worked for the Sunday School Board of the North Carolina Convention, working in clinics around the state. Her work was with teachers for older children and she also worked with older children in several of their churches.

    She has taught Vacation Bible School clinics in Buncombe Association and the Blue Ridge Association. For a number of years, she was on the faculty at Caswell Baptist Assembly teaching Vacation Bible School material. She has worked in the W.M.U. and at one time was Director of W.M.U. in the Blue Ridge Association. She has taught the Mission Study books in Blue Ridge, Buncombe, Burk and Mitchell counties.

Mr. and Mrs. Larsen are members of Pleasant Gardens Baptist Church where she has taught Sunday School and sings in the choir.

Mr. and Mrs. Larsen celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August 1992 with a reception given by Pleasant Gardens Church. Mr. & Mrs. Larsen serve on the McDowell County Council on Aging and in August 1992 they were chosen "Senior Citizens of the Month".

Humor and joy have been part of both their lives as they try to live out the verse in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice". This is their testimony: "I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not even what I hope to be, but by God's grace and Christ's love, I am not what I was!"