After the retirement of Pastor Bob Baker at the end of 2024, New Hope Baptist Church began the process of identifying our next senior pastor. During this time of prayerful searching, NHBC has asked Pastor Randy Harp to serve as our interim pastor while we seek the man God has prepared to lead our church family into the next chapter of our ministry.

Randy is the Communications Director for the Baptist Bible Fellowship International; the Executive Editor of the Baptist Bible Tribune, a monthly magazine with resources for pastors and encouragements for church members; and is a professor at Mission University in Springfield, MO (formerly Baptist Bible College) where he served in the past as Chair of the Ministries Studies Division and Chair of the Pastoral Studies Program.  He also hosts the BBFI Leadership Podcast and travels the country teaching and preaching in churches and conferences.

Over the course of 25 years of ministry, Randy has been blessed to serve in churches from Florida to Michigan to Texas as youth pastor, associate pastor, and senior pastor.

He is a 1999 graduate of Baptist Bible College (now Mission University) with a Bachelor's Degree in pastoral Ministry. He also holds a Master of Religion (2008) and Master of Divinity (2010) from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, VA and recently completed his dissertation for his Doctor of Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. 

Randy met his wife Stacy while at BBC and was married in January 2000. They have three children, Ryan, Emma, and Drew.

Lennon joined the NHBC staff as Associate Pastor on May 1st 2022.

Lennon graduated from Mission University in Springfield, MO where he studied Pastoral Ministry with a minor in Missions. Lennon began as an intern at New Hope in February 2021 and served as a Youth leader alongside Matt Stokes, while also serving as a teacher in junior church. Lennon has a passion for seeing people who have had "church hurt" be reconciled with and shown that God loves them. 

Lennon was saved in 2014 at Sagmount Youth Camp in Joplin, MO and that following year he felt God call him to full time ministry and he accepted that call. 

Lennon met his wife Emilee at New Hope and they now both faithfully serve in their own areas at the church. 

Matt and his wife Amy have been serving in the Youth Ministry of New Hope Baptist Church since 2008.

The attributes that best describe Matt as a youth minister are impactful teaching, leadership development and relationship building. He has demonstrated a burning desire to be a servant here at New Hope Baptist Church and help our youth find a deep, meaningful relationship with God and connect with other teens and pre-teens in the body of Christ. 

In addition to ministering to the youth alongside Matt, Amy faithfully serves in our worship ministry and works tirelessly to provide leadership and direction while helping to guide our congregation in Biblically based music and singing.

Matt and Amy have been happily married since 2004 and have three daughters: Hailey, Brinley, and Summer Ann!