Church Leaders
While serving at a local church in Helena, Ala., God placed a burden on the hearts of Pastor Austin Brown and his wife Jessica for the city of Hoover. “We started praying [about Hoover] and long story short, the Lord kept working on our hearts. In September of 2022, we began the process of what now is the planting of Hope Baptist Church,” Pastor Brown explains.
“If You show me what You want me to do, I’ll do that with my life,” is a prayer Pastor Brown prayed at the age of 19 while trying to figure out his next step in life. “God leads us step by step. He doesn’t show us the next 20 years, but He will show us the next step,” Pastor Brown reflects. The next step for him was to attend Bible college at The Crown College in Powell, Tenn. “I enrolled as a business major just seeking the Lord. While I was there, during a mission conference, the Lord called me to preach, and I surrendered to full-time Christian service.”
Planting a Church. In the 10 years that Pastor Brown has been in ministry, the Lord has shown His faithfulness to him time and time again. There are many unknowns and moments of anxiety in planting a church, Pastor Brown says. But it is through those moments that he remembers, “If I just keep my eyes on Him, I’m at peace because my church is His church. God said in Matthew 16 that ‘I will build My church.’ We are just looking for the Lord to build His church and use us to do it. Every day, we take the next step, follow His will for that day, and trust Him to build His church.”
Hope for Hoover. The main focus of Hope Baptist Church is “to take the hope of the Gospel to Hoover first and then from Hoover to the far reaches of the world through missions,” Pastor Brown says. The second focus of the church is Biblical discipleship. “Once someone has a relationship with God, we want to help them to grow in that through one-on-one discipleship, Sunday School, and the teaching and preaching of the Word of God,” Pastor Brown explains, adding that the core beliefs of the church are that “the Bible is our only authority and that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is the only way of salvation.” There are three opportunities to learn more about the church before its grand opening. “Get Acquainted Meetings” will be held on September 22, 23, and 24, 2024 at 7 p.m. The grand opening of Hope Baptist Church will be September 29, 2024 with worship and preaching beginning at 10:45 a.m. The meetings and service will all be held at the Embassy Suites Conference Room in Hoover. Pastor Brown explains that visitors of Hope Baptist Church can expect to be warmly welcomed and hear Christ-honoring music and a Bible message. Childcare will be available. “Our goal is that we want to point you to the Lord and make you feel like you belong,” Pastor Brown says. Learn more at www.hope4hoover.com.
-Melissa Armstrong
