Our History
God’s
directive as outlined in Mark 16 verse 15, “….Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel...” has been New Hope’s mission from the outset.
Under the very capable leadership of Pastor Dolphy Cross, this new church
family committed to adhering to God’s clearly defined directive. Pastor
Cross played a pivotal role in implementing evangelistic programs working
tirelessly and harmoniously with New Hope’s leaders and members.
On September 2, 1995, New Hope opened its doors and began worship at the
Holiday Inn situated in Plantation, Florida. The mission was to evangelize
the areas of Plantation and Sunrise, in South Florida. By October, the
membership had increased and the hotel rental facilities became inadequate
for continued worship. Identifying an alternative venue to house the new
body of believers became paramount. The New Hope Seventh-day Adventist
Church became the 105th church to be officially organized under the aegis of
the Southeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, on December 16, 1995,
and continually put God to the test by stepping out in faith in search of a
location that they could eventually call home.
In February, 1996 a multi-million church complex was identified and the New
Hope family deemed this as an indication that God was ever present. Holding
firmly onto God’s promises detailed in Hebrew 11; after much prayer and
fasting the New Hope body entered into negotiations with its then Methodist
owners. New Hope was one of three in the monetary bid for the complex. New
Hope’s bid was almost identical with one of the other entities; but New Hope
included the parsonage in its offer, setting it apart from the other two
entities. The decision as to who would acquire the property was exclusively
in the hands of the Methodist Board. When the vote was cast, God showed up
authenticating His promise outlined in Hebrews 11 verse 1 “...faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.
The Methodist Board was deadlocked when it came time for a decision. The
Chairman for the Methodist Board recalled his positive and memorable
encounters with Adventists at an earlier time in his life, which influenced
the vote and New Hope was granted the opportunity to acquire the property at
a lower rate than the asking price.
The miracle working power of God did not stop there; the church now required
a ten percent down payment. Providentially, God knew the church would need a
special financial blessing. Therefore, at the organizational ceremony in
December, He had moved on the heart of a precious sister visiting from New
York, and she had made a generous $10,000 contribution to the new church
family. The Church was granted thirty more days to come up with the required
funding. The spirit of cooperation prevailed as the members and leaders of
this small congregation rallied again and raised $42,000 (more than fifty
percent of the down payment) during the first week. Heaven rejoiced as God's
people worked harmoniously with each other. The remaining $30,000 was raised
in subsequent weeks and the down payment was made. The events made the
dragon angry but New Hope never feared nor wavered, taking solace in John 10
verse 10: “…I have come that you might have life and that you might have
it more abundantly".
The story of New Hope proves what God can do when you put Him to the test;
for only He can make the seemingly impossible possible. We must continue to
labor in the vineyard and envision new spiritual vistas. Young minds must be
brought into harmony with His character, and we must all become a beacon of
hope to this community and beyond. It is our prayer that each member of this
growing congregation and each Pastor called to lead New Hope will continue
to endorse the divine mission given by our Heavenly Father.