Rev. Dr. Hope Lee

Lead Pastor

Hope doesn’t know how to cook. She’s not exactly a patient driver. She always returns her grocery store cart to the corral. She does not like snow under any circumstances. Hope is a real person who happens to really love Jesus Christ and has a heart for all the people He loves, which includes YOU!

Hope grew up in Maryland, and she graduated from Eckerd College (formerly Florida Presbyterian College) and holds a Doctor of Ministry degree in homiletics (that’s just a fancy word for preachin’) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, as well as a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. She’s served pastorates in Amelia Island, FL, King of Prussia, PA, and Bradenton, FL, but spent the years before that leading youth and campus ministry programs including Georgia Tech.

Hope came to know Christ personally through the ministry of the Beth-El Farmworkers’ Mission in Wimauma, FL where she has served on their Board of Directors as President of the Board.

The Scripture that defines her life is Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it holds the power of salvation for all who believe.” Hope has a deep passion for the local church. She believes that we are the face of Christ to the neighborhood and that God has already equipped us with all that we need to live out His mission and vision for the people right where we live and then to the world.

Hope was the opening preacher for the Covenanting Conference of the Fellowship of Presbyterians in Orlando, FL, and preached again for the Fellowship in Atlanta, GA. She has also been the keynote speaker for the Alabama State Collegiate Conference, the Trinity Youth Conference in Traveler’s Rest, SC, Renewal by the Lake in Juneau, AK, the National Discipleship Conference, the Young Adult program speaker and conference preacher at the New Wilmington Mission Conference, and she is often asked to speak and preach at conferences and workshops and presbyteries all over the United States. She has served as an Evangelism Coach on behalf of the National Office of Evangelism and Church Growth. Hope and her husband, Sung, have three children, Anna, Peter, and Maria.

She is a long-suffering fan of the Baltimore Orioles (no love for the Ravens)  but for all other sports she is Tampa Bay all the way! Go Bucs! Go Bolts! She loves comedies, hates sci-fi/superheroes, and tolerates dramas. Hope is highly relational and loves to talk to people about almost everything (not Star Wars or the Florida Gators) but especially about what Christ is doing in their lives.  Stop by her office to get a glimpse of sunshine and experience the joy of the Lord!