Life is too short not to have fun, and we believe that is an important piece to ministry. We believe as we need to find opportunities to enjoy and celebrate God’s presence and great love for our lives.
Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Brandon K. McKoy
Brandon has served as Senior Pastor since 2014, and he was our youth pastor for 10 years prior. In 2000, He received his Bachelor of Arts from Gardner-Webb University where he majored in religious studies and minored in biblical Greek. Brandon also played baseball at Gardner-Webb and played in the Division 2 college World Series. He continued at Gardner-Webb and obtained his Master of Divinity in pastoral studies with a concentration in pastoral care and counseling. Brandon earned his doctorate in youth, family, and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in 2010. He was granted post-doctoral work on relational leadership and development from the Taos Institute where he later was awarded the honor of becoming an Associate for the Taos Institute.
Brandon was a catalyst in developing the youth discipleship major at Gardner-Webb University, and he pioneered the school’s first advanced youth discipleship class. He is the author of Youth Ministry from the Outside In: How Relationships and Stories Shape Identity from InterVarsity Press. His book continues to be used by seminaries, divinity schools, and undergraduate programs world-wide.
Brandon has two children (Kaden and Makenzie) and married Elementary School music teacher and professional singer Heather Elkin, and they have a child together named Faith. Heather, who is also a Gastonia native, helps lead our worship on Sunday mornings. She can be seen singing in Charlotte and Gastonia areas performing her own unique music and style. Heather sings anything from opera to hip hop and all in-between. Some of her versatility can be seen HERE. We are excited about the energy and talent that this young couple brings to our church.
Pastor of Community and Strategic Engagement: Rev. Johnathan Bryson
Johnathan Bryson is a resident of Gastonia, NC, and a graduate of Montreat College where he earned a BS in Management, and Gardner-Webb University, where he earned a MDiv in Intercultural Studies. He serves as Pastor for Community and Strategic Engagement here at New Hope. Johnathan also serves on the board of Crisis Assistance Ministry, Gateway Gaston, and the City of Gastonia’s Arts Committee, as well as serving as a strategic management consultant to businesses, churches, and other nonprofits.