Member Spotlight >> Les & Carolyn King
When Carolyn and Les King visited Kingwood Christian Church in late 1997, they were welcomed by an exuberant Karen Cueni Tillett, who greeted them after the service.
That afternoon, Al Bilderback stopped by their house with a loaf of bread to welcome them.
They had visited a few other churches in Kingwood, but none offered that kind of extravagant welcome.
“Our church has always - in the 25 years we’ve been going - been a welcome and friendly church, “ Carolyn said. “Much more so than any of the other churches we visited.”
Now, new members of the church are often welcomed in that same friendly way by Carolyn and Les.
Carolyn, a native Houstonian, was raised in a Disciples church. Les was born in Beaumont but raised in the Dallas area.
They met in 1964 at Sam Houston State, where he played football. His roommate and her suitemate were high school sweethearts. “They decided we would be a good match,” Carolyn said.
Apparently, they were right. Carolyn and Les will celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary in August.
They married in 1967 after graduating from college. Les, who had been in ROTC, was commissioned into the Army and spent much of his service at Fort Meade, Maryland. Carolyn, who had an education degree, taught elementary school on the base.
Ironically, the friends who introduced the Kings were living only 30 minutes away in Maryland.
The Kings returned to Houston in 1969, moving to the Sugarland area. Les, who had a bachelor’s degree in business administration, was working on the ship channel for Dow Chemical. He spent 37 years with Dow in three states. Carolyn taught first and third grades.
In 1986, Les was transferred to Midland, Michigan. Carolyn and their two children, Jeff and Ginifer, joined him although she was initially reluctant to move to a cold weather state. There, Carolyn was a substitute teacher in the elementary school.
They stayed in Midland until 1994, when Les was transferred to Columbus, Ohio. Both of their children ended up graduating from Michigan colleges - Jeff at Michigan State and Ginifer at Western Michigan.
In late 1997, Dow brought them back to Houston. They moved to Kingwood because of its proximity to the airport. Les, who worked initially in marketing and later in sales, traveled a lot for work. They’ve lived in the same home since.
Soon after moving, they were at a wedding in Dallas when the flower girl’s father told them his pastor, Renee Hoke, had recently become pastor at Kingwood Christian Church. He urged them to check it out.
They visited several churches in Kingwood but none were as welcoming as KWCC. At the time, services were held in the Fellowship Hall. Carolyn remembers the wonderful choir and good-sized congregation, but Karen Tillett’s welcome really made an impression.
Eventually, Renee Hoke - the new minister - and a few others at the church visited the Kings and encouraged them to join. They became members with 10 other families soon after. The others have moved on, but the Kings are still an integral part of the church.
Les has served as Property Chair, Stewardship Chair and now as Financial Secretary. He’s on the mowing team and enjoys the fellowship of other retired men in the church who meet for a night out at Bill’s Cafe every Thursday. He’s also been involved in Family Promise and has gone on several mission trips, helping to repair or build churches elsewhere.
Carolyn started the Sisters of Friendship, a group of women who meet over lunch monthly just to socialize about 13 years ago. She’s also been a deacon, the Nurture Chair, the Connections chair and been involved in the former prison ministry. One of her favorite things was working with Margareat Hakim and family when they arrived from Sudan, and now, they share a dear friendship. Carolyn was even on the committee that oversaw the construction of the Sanctuary. She helped pick out everything from carpet to the fabric on the pews. She still welcomes church newcomers, telling them about both services and offering them her contact information. She recently heard from a woman who initially visited the church more than a year ago. Carolyn had given the woman her phone number and the woman texted that she’s moving back to Kingwood.
Both Kings love the connections they’ve made at KWCC. Their family no longer lives in Texas. “Our church is really our closest family down here,” Les said. “I really enjoy KWCC and the fellowship it offers.”
They, of course, still visit their children and grandchildren often. Jeff, who works for KPMG, and his wife, Joanna, live in Chicago. Their oldest daughter, Avery, is a senior at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. Her sister, Carly Lanahan King (named after Carolyn) is a sophomore at UCLA.
Their daughter, Ginifer, and her husband, Jason Ruge, who works for Price Waterhouse, live in Studio City, California. Ginifer is an actress who has appeared on Broadway, in TV series and in movies. They have one son, Max, who is five-and-a-half and fills everyone’s heart with joy.
Carolyn and Les hope others will get involved in the church as they have over the years.
“If you want to get lost and just sit in a pew and hide on Sundays, you can do that at big churches,” Les said. “But if you want to meet people and get involved, you need to go to a smaller church like ours.
“I try to get people involved in things so they have something at the church beyond Sundays. They become part of it.”
That afternoon, Al Bilderback stopped by their house with a loaf of bread to welcome them.
They had visited a few other churches in Kingwood, but none offered that kind of extravagant welcome.
“Our church has always - in the 25 years we’ve been going - been a welcome and friendly church, “ Carolyn said. “Much more so than any of the other churches we visited.”
Now, new members of the church are often welcomed in that same friendly way by Carolyn and Les.
Carolyn, a native Houstonian, was raised in a Disciples church. Les was born in Beaumont but raised in the Dallas area.
They met in 1964 at Sam Houston State, where he played football. His roommate and her suitemate were high school sweethearts. “They decided we would be a good match,” Carolyn said.
Apparently, they were right. Carolyn and Les will celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary in August.
They married in 1967 after graduating from college. Les, who had been in ROTC, was commissioned into the Army and spent much of his service at Fort Meade, Maryland. Carolyn, who had an education degree, taught elementary school on the base.
Ironically, the friends who introduced the Kings were living only 30 minutes away in Maryland.
The Kings returned to Houston in 1969, moving to the Sugarland area. Les, who had a bachelor’s degree in business administration, was working on the ship channel for Dow Chemical. He spent 37 years with Dow in three states. Carolyn taught first and third grades.
In 1986, Les was transferred to Midland, Michigan. Carolyn and their two children, Jeff and Ginifer, joined him although she was initially reluctant to move to a cold weather state. There, Carolyn was a substitute teacher in the elementary school.
They stayed in Midland until 1994, when Les was transferred to Columbus, Ohio. Both of their children ended up graduating from Michigan colleges - Jeff at Michigan State and Ginifer at Western Michigan.
In late 1997, Dow brought them back to Houston. They moved to Kingwood because of its proximity to the airport. Les, who worked initially in marketing and later in sales, traveled a lot for work. They’ve lived in the same home since.
Soon after moving, they were at a wedding in Dallas when the flower girl’s father told them his pastor, Renee Hoke, had recently become pastor at Kingwood Christian Church. He urged them to check it out.
They visited several churches in Kingwood but none were as welcoming as KWCC. At the time, services were held in the Fellowship Hall. Carolyn remembers the wonderful choir and good-sized congregation, but Karen Tillett’s welcome really made an impression.
Eventually, Renee Hoke - the new minister - and a few others at the church visited the Kings and encouraged them to join. They became members with 10 other families soon after. The others have moved on, but the Kings are still an integral part of the church.
Les has served as Property Chair, Stewardship Chair and now as Financial Secretary. He’s on the mowing team and enjoys the fellowship of other retired men in the church who meet for a night out at Bill’s Cafe every Thursday. He’s also been involved in Family Promise and has gone on several mission trips, helping to repair or build churches elsewhere.
Carolyn started the Sisters of Friendship, a group of women who meet over lunch monthly just to socialize about 13 years ago. She’s also been a deacon, the Nurture Chair, the Connections chair and been involved in the former prison ministry. One of her favorite things was working with Margareat Hakim and family when they arrived from Sudan, and now, they share a dear friendship. Carolyn was even on the committee that oversaw the construction of the Sanctuary. She helped pick out everything from carpet to the fabric on the pews. She still welcomes church newcomers, telling them about both services and offering them her contact information. She recently heard from a woman who initially visited the church more than a year ago. Carolyn had given the woman her phone number and the woman texted that she’s moving back to Kingwood.
Both Kings love the connections they’ve made at KWCC. Their family no longer lives in Texas. “Our church is really our closest family down here,” Les said. “I really enjoy KWCC and the fellowship it offers.”
They, of course, still visit their children and grandchildren often. Jeff, who works for KPMG, and his wife, Joanna, live in Chicago. Their oldest daughter, Avery, is a senior at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. Her sister, Carly Lanahan King (named after Carolyn) is a sophomore at UCLA.
Their daughter, Ginifer, and her husband, Jason Ruge, who works for Price Waterhouse, live in Studio City, California. Ginifer is an actress who has appeared on Broadway, in TV series and in movies. They have one son, Max, who is five-and-a-half and fills everyone’s heart with joy.
Carolyn and Les hope others will get involved in the church as they have over the years.
“If you want to get lost and just sit in a pew and hide on Sundays, you can do that at big churches,” Les said. “But if you want to meet people and get involved, you need to go to a smaller church like ours.
“I try to get people involved in things so they have something at the church beyond Sundays. They become part of it.”
This is one in a series of occasional profiles, written by Susan Bullard, on members of Kingwood Christian Church. Love 101: Do Your Part.