Getting to Know Our Pastor
Rev. Christopher M. Bishop
Pastor Chris is a family man who has traveled all over during the course of his life and ministry. He was born in Washington, DC in February of 1976 and has lived in Maryland, Florida, and Tennessee. Chris grew up in church; he knew God and was dedicated to the work of the church and served in many areas as a child and youth in various denominations. However, at the age of 21 in a small Southern Baptist Church on the Tennessee/Alabama state line, Chris committed his life to Christ as Lord. It was then he answered the calling God had placed on his life to full-time ministry.
Since 1997, Bro. Chris has sought any opportunity available to simply serve the Lord where he was. Some of his early ministry experiences included prison ministry work in 1998 within a teenage boys facility. Chris comments “It was a great place to preach your first sermons because they couldn’t leave.” During the summer of 1999, he served as a summer missionary with the Tennessee River Baptist Association doing children’s ministry. Later that year, he began to minister to young men at Teen Challenge in Bonifay, Florida (a rehabilitation facility for all types of addictions).
During his time as a student at the Baptist College of Florida, Chris worked as the Recreation Coordinator, Director of Activities, and Director of Admissions. Bro. Chris very much considered his full-time work for the Baptist College as a ministry, assisting students with enrollment in the college and completion of Biblical and ministry training. Simultaneously, Bro. Chris was supply preaching and also served as an interim pastor. He and his wife, Tasha, were also heavily involved in children's ministry at Harmony Baptist Mission Church.
After serving with his Pastor, Raymond O’Quinn and experiencing the positive affect a loving pastor can have on a church and community, Chris began to feel called toward pastoral ministry and served as the Associate Pastor of Harmony Baptist Mission Church. He considers it an honor to have served under his pastoral mentor, Mr. Raymond.
“I am privileged to be here at New Hope in Wauchula—this is a wonderful family of loving believers who are seeking to serve their Lord and their community.”
Please contact Pastor Chris personally if you have any questions or need any information about New Hope Baptist Church by phone at 863-773-2101 or by email at chris@newhopewauchula.org
