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Steve Morton, Senior Pastor

Pastor Steve Morton joined Hopewell as Senior Pastor in July, 1997. Growing up in West Chester, PA, Steve's pre-college years were centered around his involvement in the West Chester United Methodist Church, where he held a part time job and was very active in both youth and adult ministries.

Steve began his education at Grove City College and continued his preparation at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC, where he graduated with a Master of Divinity in December 1983. 

His first charge in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church was a six-month assignment at Kellersville in the Pocono Mountains, before moving on to Faith United Methodist Church in Reading. Steve came to Hopewell after seven years as Senior Pastor of Hope United Methodist Church in Ephrata, where he grew Sunday morning worship attendance to more than 260. 

Steve married his wife, Joan, in 1989, and they have two children, Jordan and Jessica.

Read Steve's MONTHLY BLOG

Vicki Pry, Pastor of Caring Ministries, has been a member of the Hopewell Church staff since June 2001. She is a United Methodist Local Pastor appointed to the church by our conference. Her areas of ministry include: Caring Ministries; preaching; staff support person for worship and Older Adult Ministries.

Dan Hepner, Pastor of Discipleship Ministries

Dan Hepner was appointed in a quarter time position to Hopewell Church by our conference in 2008. Pastor Dan came to Hopewell Church after serving for the last two years as part time Pastor at Glenmoore United Methodist Church. He is a United Methodist Local Pastor and Hopewell Church is Dan's second conference appointment.

 

His areas of ministry include preaching and worship leadership, teaching and adult education, new member ministry and discipleship.

 

Dan is a graduate of West Chester University, majoring in Criminal Justice. Currently Dan is enrolled as a part time student at Evangelical School of Theology in their Masters of Divinity program. Prior to his calling to ministry, Dan worked in law enforcement and currently continues his career in the insurance business.

 

Dan and his wife Donna have lived in Downingtown since 1985 and have been members of Hopewell Church since 1986. Dan and Donna are the parents of four daughters, all being raised in Hopewell's congregation.

 

John Neider, Pastor of Outreach Ministries

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John Neider was appointed Pastor of Outreach Ministries in January, 2011. John’s main emphases are coordinating Celebrate Recovery on Tuesday evenings, teaching Bible study such as the Disciple II class which meets every Sunday evening at 6pm and being an integral part of those who preach on a rotating schedule.

 

John was raised in a strict Baptist family- “we were always in church”. This set the foundation. John entered Houghton College as a pre-ministerial student, but left college, and spent four years in the Air Force. John completed an undergraduate degree in English and also attended graduate school in American Studies at the University of Minnesota.

 

He is a single dad with three sons and two daughters.  In addition to Celebrate Recovery, a goal of John’s ministry is to encourage ways in which Hopewell members can be public about their faith and worship experience. John has been part of Bible study groups that have met at Manhattan Bagel and Hickory Park, both public places where others take notice. “You may be the only Bible someone reads.”

Servant Leadership