Brother Lacy Hawkins is the Founder and General Overseer of the Church of the Latter Rain. His ministry began more than 50 years ago with a heart to have a house of prayer for all of God’s people. He has been blessed to see this vision come to fruition, and his desire to plant this vision in the hearts of the ministry and congregation in the church of the Latter Rain is as strong as ever. 

Brother Lacy Hawkins grew up in Mexia, Texas (a small town between Dallas and Austin) during the Great Depression and World War II; which was a very difficult and turbulent time in the world. Brother Hawkins grew up on a farm and was the seventh of eight children. He learned responsibility and discipline at a young age by tending to the needs of the farm and his large family. He developed a love and care for horses and became a good horseman like his father. Although he grew up during the worst economic times in U.S. history, Brother Hawkins and his family worked hard to become self-sufficient during uncertain times. These childhood experiences shaped his character and influenced his personal values of working hard, frugality, and self-discipline.

After high school, Brother Hawkins joined the military, which is where he had several profound experiences with the Lord and began to seek the truth about salvation. He was transferred to the San Francisco Bay Area and met his late wife, Sister Etta Hawkins, shortly after he finished serving in the military. Sister Etta would later introduce him to the Body of Christ.

Brother Hawkins spent the early part of his salvation among spiritual leaders who were seeking more truth of the Word of God and trying to build the Body of Christ. He faithfully served the Lord and began to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and was well-respected among the Body of Christ and within the Bay Area community. In the early 1970s, the Lord began to deal with Brother Hawkins about building a house of prayer for all God’s people. It was then that the Lord called him to His ministry to continue to build the Body of Christ.

Brother Hawkins launched the Church of the Latter Rain as General Assembly Church in 1974 in Berkeley, California. God called him to be a minister and gave him a message on divine order along with many other great revelations that have helped the Body of Christ to flourish and grow. The Lord showed him how to develop a ministry and build a brotherhood based on how the New Testament church operated. As Brother Hawkins implemented the vision that God gave him, the results were undeniable. During his ministry, the Lord assisted him in developing a unified group of ministers who work in unity and love to serve the people of God and guided him in establishing eight churches in six states. In 2017, his ministry reached the country of India, and since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has spread throughout the world. 

Throughout his ministry, Brother Hawkins has taken countless stands for righteousness to ensure that all people have an opportunity to receive the truth of the Word of God. Today, he continues to strengthen the church through ministering and helping people of all ages and backgrounds establish stable natural and spiritual lives.

Brother Hawkins is now married to Sister Carol Hawkins (seen in picture), who has been a faithful sister in the Body of Christ for more than 40 years. Sister Carol works beside Brother Hawkins to support the church and they remain dedicated to advancing the Body of Christ and seeing the truth of the Word of God preached throughout the world.