Brandon Griffin
Head Pastor
Pastor Brandon Griffin has dedicated his life to serving God and His people. He was called to serve New Hope Baptist Church in December of 1996. His driving purpose as the pastor has been to agonize, struggle, and wrestle to present every member of New Hope to Christ Jesus as “complete” as humanly possible (Col. 1:28, 29). His deepest desire is to be part of a body of believers passionately pursuing holiness as they take the gospel to the ends of the earth. His other interests include reading, fishing, hunting, and spending time with family and friends.
Brandon married Beth Snider on August 6, 1994. She holds two Master’s degrees in Education and Marriage and Family Counseling. Brandon holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. They have four children: Calvin, Rebekah, Carey, and Katarina.
Brandon came to know the Lord as his Savior in July of 1986. From that point, the Lord has faithfully transformed his life through an intimate daily relationship with Christ. He is committed to fulfilling the three callings God has placed on his life: 1) his personal relationship with Christ, 2) his role as husband and father, and 3) his role as shepherd of God’s people.
His philosophy of ministry is simple: Since all have fallen short of God's glory, every individual's essential need is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God has commissioned all believers to be vessels of His grace to all peoples with the purpose of reconciliation.
His theology is concise: God is sovereign, and mankind’s sole purpose is to glorify Him and have fellowship with Him forever; Jesus is God in the flesh; God has chosen to save sinners by grace through faith alone in Christ; believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the Revealer of truth and will always point to God’s glory and reveal mankind’s need to commune with Him; the Bible is the living and complete word of God, and the only foundation upon which the church is to be laid.
Brandon married Beth Snider on August 6, 1994. She holds two Master’s degrees in Education and Marriage and Family Counseling. Brandon holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. They have four children: Calvin, Rebekah, Carey, and Katarina.
Brandon came to know the Lord as his Savior in July of 1986. From that point, the Lord has faithfully transformed his life through an intimate daily relationship with Christ. He is committed to fulfilling the three callings God has placed on his life: 1) his personal relationship with Christ, 2) his role as husband and father, and 3) his role as shepherd of God’s people.
His philosophy of ministry is simple: Since all have fallen short of God's glory, every individual's essential need is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God has commissioned all believers to be vessels of His grace to all peoples with the purpose of reconciliation.
His theology is concise: God is sovereign, and mankind’s sole purpose is to glorify Him and have fellowship with Him forever; Jesus is God in the flesh; God has chosen to save sinners by grace through faith alone in Christ; believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the Revealer of truth and will always point to God’s glory and reveal mankind’s need to commune with Him; the Bible is the living and complete word of God, and the only foundation upon which the church is to be laid.
Phillip Draayom
Elder
Phillip Draayom, Elder of New Hope, grew up in Chipley, Florida.He met his wife, Kim Sloan, at Chipola College and they married June 11, 2011. They have 3 children: Jeremy, Karoline, and Owen .
Phillip has a Bachelor of Science degree from Chipola College in Mathematics Education, and a certificate in Occupational Safety and Health Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Kim also graduated from Chipola College with a BS in Mathematics Education, and currently homeschools their children.
Phillip shares his personal testimony: “I was saved and baptized as a child, around 6 or 7 years old, and struggled to live out the Christian life of sanctification through middle and high school. God used marriage and the birth of Jeremy to convict me of the seriousness of His Word and the responsibility of a husband and father. This is when Kim and I really started to grow. God’s Sovereignty in all things is a truth that our marriage and lives have been rooted in since we came to understand this truth ”
Phillip is a teacher at heart: “As far back as I can remember, I have been called to instruct others and teach them. I've always had a love for teaching, and as evidenced by the number of opportunities God has placed before me, I feel a call from Him to pursue this gift. In high school I tutored middle school students and in college I tutored peers. I hobbied as a martial arts instructor, was trained as a high school math teacher, was hired at Trawick Construction as Director of Safety Education, was called and taught adult discipleship class at Bethlehem Baptist Church, and led Bethlehem Baptist as choir director. In June 2020 Phillip accepted the call to help lead New Hope Baptist Church in worship, and is a rotating teacher for adult Bible Study.
Phillip also has a deep love for music: "I can remember being a young child and singing hymns with Papa and Granny on the tractor, or riding in Gram and Granddaddy’s van to church. Throughout middle and high school I played every instrument I could in band. I learned to sing with others in chorus, theater, and church choirs. Looking back, I can see how this love for music, training in music, and love for teaching has been brought together in me by God.”
Phillip's thoughts on worship: "What the church sings is important; it has an “instructive” quality in that much of what people know theologically is imbibed through what they sing, whether good or bad. This is a stance that I have come to after much discussion, scripture reading, and prayer. Deep, rich hymns have been left to the church and some are still being written. It is vital to the life and growth of a church that these are sung joyfully and passed down to the next generation. Worship music need not be dry and boring, and at the same time ought not be the emotional catalyst for the service. The truth we sing should well up inside of us, and by being reminded of what we know to be true, our affections for the One we worship are increased. This is what I feel God’s calling to do: teach people how to worship God for who He is and what He has done for us in Christ."
Phillip is firmly rooted in the reformed faith and regulative principle of worship. His desire is to lead the church in the ordinary means of grace through the reading of scripture, preaching and teaching the Word, prayer, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Phillip has a Bachelor of Science degree from Chipola College in Mathematics Education, and a certificate in Occupational Safety and Health Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Kim also graduated from Chipola College with a BS in Mathematics Education, and currently homeschools their children.
Phillip shares his personal testimony: “I was saved and baptized as a child, around 6 or 7 years old, and struggled to live out the Christian life of sanctification through middle and high school. God used marriage and the birth of Jeremy to convict me of the seriousness of His Word and the responsibility of a husband and father. This is when Kim and I really started to grow. God’s Sovereignty in all things is a truth that our marriage and lives have been rooted in since we came to understand this truth ”
Phillip is a teacher at heart: “As far back as I can remember, I have been called to instruct others and teach them. I've always had a love for teaching, and as evidenced by the number of opportunities God has placed before me, I feel a call from Him to pursue this gift. In high school I tutored middle school students and in college I tutored peers. I hobbied as a martial arts instructor, was trained as a high school math teacher, was hired at Trawick Construction as Director of Safety Education, was called and taught adult discipleship class at Bethlehem Baptist Church, and led Bethlehem Baptist as choir director. In June 2020 Phillip accepted the call to help lead New Hope Baptist Church in worship, and is a rotating teacher for adult Bible Study.
Phillip also has a deep love for music: "I can remember being a young child and singing hymns with Papa and Granny on the tractor, or riding in Gram and Granddaddy’s van to church. Throughout middle and high school I played every instrument I could in band. I learned to sing with others in chorus, theater, and church choirs. Looking back, I can see how this love for music, training in music, and love for teaching has been brought together in me by God.”
Phillip's thoughts on worship: "What the church sings is important; it has an “instructive” quality in that much of what people know theologically is imbibed through what they sing, whether good or bad. This is a stance that I have come to after much discussion, scripture reading, and prayer. Deep, rich hymns have been left to the church and some are still being written. It is vital to the life and growth of a church that these are sung joyfully and passed down to the next generation. Worship music need not be dry and boring, and at the same time ought not be the emotional catalyst for the service. The truth we sing should well up inside of us, and by being reminded of what we know to be true, our affections for the One we worship are increased. This is what I feel God’s calling to do: teach people how to worship God for who He is and what He has done for us in Christ."
Phillip is firmly rooted in the reformed faith and regulative principle of worship. His desire is to lead the church in the ordinary means of grace through the reading of scripture, preaching and teaching the Word, prayer, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Rick Blanchette
Elder
Rick Blanchette, Elder of New Hope Baptist Church I started in service to the Lord at a young age when my parents became missionaries to the indian tribes in Brazil. When I was nine years old, I joyfully received the call from the Lord and was saved. I grew spiritually while we served in the jungle and when we eventually returned home to the states. Because of growing up in poor areas of the world I have always been drawn to helping the poor and needy. I have also always felt a call to work with young people. Even when struggling as a young man, I still worked with the youth, as well as serving those in need. The Lord led Kathy and I to meet one another on September 1st, 1982 and we married eight months later; forty-one years of marriage later and we now have three children and five grandchildren. Due to the shared difficulties Kathy and I have had, we have always felt the call to work with youth groups and young married couples. I enjoy teaching Sunday School and always look forward to my turn. I look forward to continuing to serve the Lord and my church family.
Sonny Fortunato
Elder
Ethan Draayom
Deacon
