--- title: "Local Pastor Celebrated for 50 Years of Service: Rev. Clifford Hellmers" date: 2026-07-27 author: "Laurie Stroud" featured_image: "https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pastor-Hellmers-with-Pastor-Ahlmeyer.jpg" categories: - name: "More" url: "/category/news/more.md" tags: - name: "Featured" url: "/tag/featured.md" --- # Local Pastor Celebrated for 50 Years of Service: Rev. Clifford Hellmers **Church Leaders** ![Pastor and Dee Hellmers](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pastor-and-Dee-Hellmers-225x300.jpg "Pastor and Dee Hellmers")Pastor Hellmers and his wife Dee at a pizza night fundraiser for Project Hope. A native of New Orleans, Pastor Hellmers and his family made Birmingham their home 50 years ago when he accepted a call to serve as pastor of the Lutheran Church of Vestavia Hills.Sunday August 16, 2026 the congregation at [The Lutheran Church of Vestavia Hills(LCVH)](https://birminghamchristian.com/church/the-lutheran-church-of-vestavia-hills/) will recognize Rev. Clifford Hellmers for 50 years of service at the church locally and abroad. Pastor Hellmers served as full time pastor of LCVH for 32 years and then over the course of the last 18 years, in active retirement, he has served as the coordinator of Project HOPE – the foreign mission ministry of LCVH. In addition, he has been actively involved in senior ministry and other areas of service which has richly blessed the church family. Rev. Michael Ahlemeyer, the lead pastor at LCVH, explains this will be a time of “thanking our Lord for the ministry and mission of Pastor Hellmers. This will be a day to celebrate the Gospel proclamation in our community and throughout the world!” ![Pastor Helmers with children helped through Project HOPE looks lr](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pastor-Helmers-with-children-helped-through-Project-HOPE-looks-lr-225x300.jpg "Pastor Helmers with children helped through Project HOPE looks lr")For 21 years Rev. Hellmers has led Project HOPE which he describes as “the heart and hands of Jesus for the ‘little ones’ in His kingdom around the world.” Learn more about the ministry and other ministries at LCVH [here](http://vestavialutheran.org).Pastor Hellmers founded Project HOPE in 2005. He shares, “It has worked to offer HOPE for a better tomorrow and for eternity through Christ in three third world countries, Kenya, Nicaragua and Uganda. The word HOPE is an acronym for the work it does: addresses the Health needs of people; provides Opportunity for income-producing projects; requires the Participation of those being served; and promotes the Education of children.” [![Pastor Helmers with children from the church](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pastor-Helmers-with-children-from-the-church-225x300.jpg "Pastor Helmers with children from the church")](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pastor-Helmers-with-children-from-the-church.jpg)Pastor Hellmers with some of the children at the Lutheran Church of Vestavia Hills who hosted a lemonade stand to raise money for Project Hope.In Kenya HOPE, works with two members of the LCVH congregation, Arianna and David Shirk, who are medical missionaries at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. Project HOPE provides funds for medical equipment and structures like new operating rooms, a chapel, and medical resident housing. Each year HOPE also sends teams of about 12 members to Nicaragua. Part of the team leads a Vacation Bible School ministry for children in five rural villages. The other part of the team works on the construction of a one room house for families who formerly lived in houses made of tree branches and plastic sheeting. HOPE also provides funds for after school activities and a meal for students. In Uganda, so far HOPE has worked with seven different rural villages purchasing land, funding the drilling of a bore hole well for clean water, constructing a Lutheran elementary school and dormitories, and providing funds for an income producing project to support the school. The community is invited to join in honoring Pastor Hellmers. He will preach at the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. worship services re-telling the Lord’s goodness over the last 50 years. A reception will take place between services from 9:15 to 10:00 a.m. in the church fellowship hall. The church is located at 201 Montgomery Highway, Vestavia Hills, 35216. † [![Pastor Hellmers with Pastor Ahlmeyer](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pastor-Hellmers-with-Pastor-Ahlmeyer-300x200.jpg "Pastor Hellmers with Pastor Ahlmeyer")](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pastor-Hellmers-with-Pastor-Ahlmeyer.jpg)Rev. Clifford Hellmers and Rev. Michael Ahlemeyer have served in ministry together for the last 16 years.