About Us
Our Mission
At Giving Hope Fellowship, we are committed to demonstrating compassionate care, nurturing individuals in their spiritual journeys, and offering the Hope of Christ.
Ministry Staff
Our pastor, Mari Gonlag, came to our church in 2021. She has a lifetime of experience as a pastor, denominational leader, and professor. With a BA from Marion College (IN), a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary (KY), and a doctorate in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL), she loves to teach and preach God’s word. But she is also passionate about caring for God’s people and leading the church. She’s been in South Carolina for 26 years and considers it home! On her days off, you might find her hiking in the mountains, reading, and playing with her furry family members!
History
The church has always been a community church, with various influences at various times from the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists, especially in the days of circuit riding pastors, many of whom only visited a location once a month! In 1884, the church officially organized under the name New Hope Methodist Church and became “United Methodist” in 1968 when a merger created that new denomination. New Hope maintained that affiliation until 2024. Committed to the beliefs of historic Methodism, the church in 2024 changed its affiliation to the newly organized Global Methodist Church.
Global Methodist Church
On July 1, 2024, Giving Hope Fellowship officially ‘re-started’ under its new name and the affiliation of the Global Methodist Church, a recently established new expression of the historic Methodist Church. To learn more about the GMC, click the links below.