New Hope United Methodist
Our Story
Our History
Our history began in 1880 when 19 people became members of what came to be known as "The Little White Church on Baldwin Street". From these modest beginnings, Albright United Brethern Church began. A new building was constructed in 1915. With the union of the Evangelical United Brethern and Methodist Episcopal Churches in 1968, the church became known as Albright United Methodist Church. In 1988 the decision was made to reorganize as a new church in the rapidly growing north side of Elkhart. The new church was named New Hope United Methodist Church.
New Hope was birthed in November of 1988. Pastor Joe Baunoch, the founding pastor, held the first service at Brookdale Club. New Hope began with a core group of members from the Albright United Methodist Church and those who responded to a telephone campaign to reach unchurched people in the community,
Two years later, Mike Saddler became the pastor and relocated the church to a warehouse building on County Road 6 in June of 1991. The property on the corner of County Road 4 and 5 was purchased in July of 1994. The first facility was built in the summer and fall of 1995 and the first worship service was held on December 3, 1995. In our first year in the building, the church doubled in size and has continued to grow.
The Saddlers received an opportunity in another community in October 1996 and Lee Campbell became the pastor in November of 1996. The church has continued to grow physically and spiritually under Pastor Campbell's leadership. In October of 1997, the church purchased an additional 16 acres of land. Through a generous donation of a family and their friends, the John Abel Memorial Softball Field was constructed. Additional projects that have been completed are: the paving and expansion of the parking facilities, installations of the parking lot lights, improvements, landscaping and lawn seeding, playground equipment, outdoor basketball & volleyball courts, a firepit, garden patio, construction of a storage building, improvements to the sound system, artistic banners for the auditorium and an upgrade of office equipment. In March of 2003, we dedicated the new Office and Education Wing. In 2009, we dedicated the Hanby Christy Memorial Library and the Elizabeth Abel Food Pantry. We also put an additional storage unit on the property. We recently completed two tile entryways, this was made possible from the Jane Myers Memorial.
Currently our staff consists of Pastor Sarah Miller who has been here since August 2022. Deanna Carlson is our Business Administrator who oversees the office, Creative Kidz ministry, along with Women's Ministry. Chella Maldonado is our Custodian, she maintains the cleanliness of the building. We have many volunteer leaders in every area of ministry within the church. God continues to bless us as we seek to see lives changed by the power of God's love revealed to us through Jesus Christ. The future looks bright as we continue to seek opportunities to impact our community and the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.