Our Pastor
Pastor Steve M. Epting, Sr.
Pastor Steve Epting, Sr. has been involved in ministry for over twenty years. He was installed as the Senior Pastor of Hope Community Church in February of 2004. Pastor Epting’s straight forward approach of teaching the Word of God and growing God’s kingdom has attributed to the rise in membership of Hope Church from under two hundred, to a congregation of well over eight hundred members.
Education & Training
Pastor Steve Epting, Sr. acquired a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western University in Macomb, IL and a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Chicago State University in Chicago, IL. His background includes twenty years of senior management in non-profit, community corrections and employment and training. Pastor Epting has served as a Consultant for the National Institute of Corrections and the Safer Foundation.
Family
God has blessed Pastor Steve Epting, Sr. with his beautiful wife, Felicia; one son, Steve Jr.; one daughter, Sydney and one grandchild, Shane.
Outreach
God instilled in Pastor Epting a vision and passion to identify and meet the needs of others both locally and globally. Under Pastor Epting being led by God and driven by his passion, the Hope Food Pantry was established to aid in the fight against hunger. What started out as a pantry that provided food supplies to 20-30 families a month, now provides food to on-average 300-350 families per month [1400 individuals]. The Hope Food Pantry goes a step further by delivering food items to local senior living facilities and Austin residents who are sick and/or shut-in.
In 2008, Pastor Epting and Hope Community Church, partnered with the Buchanan AC Church and took the lead in acquiring the needed funds to erect a house of worship and a medical center in Liberia, Africa; an area stricken by poverty and a high HIV presence.
Today, Hope continues to provide funding for building improvements, clean water and medical supplies.
Pastor Epting is the Executive Director for the Helping Our People Excel (H.O.P.E.) Community Development Corporation, whose main focus is to improve the quality of life for residents of the Austin community by addressing physical, emotional, psychological, economic, and employment needs. Some of the Outreach Programs include healthy eating (food pantry), educational training, youth employment, scholarship programs, senior services, etc.
The H.O.P.E. CDC serves in excess of 2,500 individuals in the Austin area monthly.
While taking the necessary COVID-19 safety precautions, in October of 2020, Hope held a
Drive-Up Prayer Service for those in need of prayer and anointing.