|
|||||||||||||
|
Paul Brasher.
. . . .Pastor Jo Jolley. . . . .Office Volunteer
Susan Jackson. . . . .Office Volunteer |
|
|
Paul Brasher -
Pastor Salvation Experience and Calling At the age of 9, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I was baptized in May of 1969. I grew up in a Christian home. I have been very active in church. I cannot remember a time when I did not sense God’s love for me! At that time God planted a calling to ministry in my heart. I had no idea what it would include except that it might involve youth and pastoral care for others. I also had no idea how God would use a shy little boy to reach others. I was very fearful of talking to others -period, much less to strangers or to groups. On a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1973, my family took my brothers and me to a Billy Graham Crusade at Legion field in Birmingham. It was there that I heard and really understood about sin. Up until that point, I knew of God’s love and just a little bit about sin, but I did not have a strong awareness of “my sin”. You see I had not sinned “big”! In my mind, I was a decent kid with not much to confess. But Dr. Graham said that all sin was the same. All of our sin put Jesus on the cross. Jesus died for my sin. At the invitation, I made my way down to the turf and rededicated my life to Jesus. Jesus’ forgiveness felt wonderful. It was such a powerful time with the Lord that I asked my pastor to re-baptize me. He did. God from there begin to do more work with me through my high school and college years. While in college, God led me to camping ministry for 3 summers and to part-time youth ministry at a church during my senior year. After graduating from college in 1982, I started to work at BellSouth in the accounting department. During that time, I helped my home church in Leeds as a volunteer teacher, youth minister, committee chairperson, and as an outreach chairperson. In 1985 I met my wife to be Laurie, who is vivacious and on fire for the Lord. We were married in 1988, and God led us to Moody United Methodist. I became the part-time youth minister and she helped me. We also worked in the music ministry and the outreach ministry for the church. It was at this church where God led me to prepare myself for full-time ministry for Him. God used a tragedy to call me full-time in the ministry. One of my former youths from my home church was murdered by 2 young men from Georgia. My wife and I mourned the loss for some time. My mourning turned to anger. I was angry at those boys. Then my anger turned to the adults in those boys lives who didn’t teach them what life is all about. I even became angry at the churches in the area for not evangelizing those boys. When my anger focus went to the church, God said that is you too! I realized that I had been doing a fishbowl kind of ministry instead of reaching the community or the “pond” in which I was sent. God focused the ministry for me outward. I began to really live for Jesus. I started preparing by going to classes, teaching, preaching, praying, studying, reaching out to the community, and saying “yes” to God all of the time. After 8 years of serving the Lord at Moody, God led me out of the Methodist church and into the Baptist Church. Change began to be common place in my life. In 1996, we joined Bethel Baptist Church, started teaching Sunday School, working with youth, left BellSouth after 14 years, sold the house, rented a house for 10 months, built a house, begin ministry with First Priority (a multi denominational ministry), and started seminary at New Orleans Baptist Theological. We learned that year that adjusting our lives to God means adjusting our culture, our time, our focus, our prayers, and our income. God has always provided, always been faithful, and most gracious. At First Priority God taught me to be an evangelist, speak to people in many cultures, and serve in a broad area the Lord I love! It was at First Priority that God began to teach me to pray and fast for His Will in my life. Life with Him is incredible. But there was more to learn and more to share. July 4, 1999, the wonderful and marvelous God called me to be the pastor of a prayerful, God-fearing, and God-empowered church. I love what God has taught me about Himself the last 9 years at New Hope Baptist Church. I love the people of New Hope and their excitement of knowing and sharing Jesus. We are growing in the Lord together! Now there is even more to learn about Jesus, and more testimonies to share with those around us about His power and love! Jesus has done many things for me. Jesus will do great things for you! Jesus is your answer! Jesus wants to know you and wants to give you direction. But you must first receive forgiveness for your sins, and ask Him to be Lord of your life (Romans 10:9). If you want to know Jesus, please call the church office, or see our web page on how to become a Christian. He wants to know you. Bro. Paul is the pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Pell City. New Hope Baptist Church is an exciting church with a legacy of Godly ministries to this community for over 184 years. Bro. Paul has been blessed to be called as their pastor. He has served the Lord in this calling since July 4, 1999. God is blessing the ministry at New Hope. Bro. Paul’s wife’s name is Laurie, and she also has been called by New Hope Baptist Church to be the Music Director. They have three children. Bro. Paul dearly loves the Lord, his wife, his children and the wonderful people of New Hope Baptist Church. Bro. Paul has 20 years of ministry experience in the areas of youth and evangelism. Before he answered the call at New Hope, he was a director/evangelist at First Priority Ministries of Alabama for 3 years. He taught over 150 churches of various denominations and races to evangelize their schools with Gospel of Jesus Christ by forming First Priority Clubs in the local schools. His last 2 years at First Priority was spent primarily in the inner city of Birmingham. His prior years before being an evangelist was spent as a volunteer Sunday School teacher, part-time youth minister, and committee leader in his home church for 8 years. After marrying Laurie in 1988, He became a bi-vocational youth pastor/associate pastor for 8 years at Moody United Methodist. Bro. Paul also spent 3 summers working on the ministry program staff at Camp Sumatanga in Gallant, Al. He has also spent some of his ministry time serving God at the Alabama Youth Correctional Facilities, in Chalkville, Al., the Alabama Youth Services Division, on a volunteer basis (at that time it was a boys and girls correctional facility). Bro. Paul graduated from Leeds High School in ‘78, and from Birmingham Southern College ‘82 with a BA degree in Accounting. After answering the call to full-time ministry in ‘96, he left his secular job at BellSouth after 14 years of service. He enrolled at the New Orleans Baptist Seminary and later received his Masters of Divinity Degree in 2003. Bethel Baptist Church, in Moody, Al., licensed Bro. Paul on March 1, 1998, and ordained him on December 27, 1998. Matthew Kamper - Minister of Students and Activities Matthew joined the staff at New Hope as the minister of students and activities in January 2008. Originally from Hatton, AL, Matthew is a graduate of Hatton High School. Matthew has earned a Bachelors of Science degree in administration from Missouri State University. Matthew has served as the minister of students at Victory Baptist Church of Ozark, Missouri prior to New Hope. A person who loves to learn, Matthew is pursuing his Masters of Divinity from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In August of 2004 Matthew married Mindy and they have served The Lord together ever since. They both share in the joy of their baby girl Emory who was born March 15th of 2008. Among loving the Lord and their child they thoroughly enjoy the company of their American Bulldog Samson. They are seeking a Delilah for him sometime soon. Laurie Brasher - Worship Leader
Shirley Echols - Secretary
Betty Scott - Pianist
|
||
..
