Kip Murphy has served in pastoral ministry for eighteen years. His first call was in Williamsburg, IA where he served for seven years and his second call has been in Harbor Springs, MI where he has served for eight years.

Kip loves the idea from the early church leader, John Chrysostom, that “the church is a hospital for sinners.” It’s a reminder that the church needs to be a place where we can be honest about who we are and what we’ve done. It shouldn’t be a place where we have to pretend we have our lives altogether.

Kip is passionate about God’s Word being central in our lives and being the root that grounds and informs our work in the world. Kip began his professional career in the sciences. He completed a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Colorado in 1990 and worked as a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Iowa in Iowa City from 1993-2005.

Perceiving God’s call to ministry together with his wife Lee, Kip earned his M. Div. from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS) in 2008.  Kip completed a Doctor of Ministry degree from UDTS with a focus on enhancing the ministry of Teaching Elders through revitalization of the ministry of Ruling Elders in 2017.

Kip and his wife, Lee, have three adult children, two of whom are married. They are the proud grandparents of 4 grandchildren. Outside of work, Kip and Lee both enjoy reading, hiking, snowshoeing, cooking together, music, theater, and just being in one another’s company.