Staff

Stu Austin

Associate Pastor

Stu is proud to serve as New Hope’s associate pastor, overseeing pastoral care and outreach ministries.

Stu has served in Fort Myers since November of 2002 when he, Ethelanne, and their son Sean moved from Kansas City, Missouri. Stu and Ethelanne are graduates of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Stu also has an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a self confessed adrenalin junkie and has engaged in activities such as white water kayaking, serving as a Navy Chaplain with a Marine Artillery Battalion, sky diving, flying in an acrobatic bi-plane, and most recently, driving a NASCAR race car at the Richard Petty Driving experience. However, his most thrilling experience is seeing men and women identify their Kingdom roles and serve in their area of giftedness. Stu has a special burden for the HIV/AIDS pandemic in southern Africa. His most recent adventure was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with his son, Sean.

Phil Chandler

Music Director

Phil earned his Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Alabama; his Master of Christian Education from Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi; and completed all course work work toward a Masters in Choral Conducting, again at UA.

He married Jennifer, a piano major, in 1975, and they have five children: three married daughters, from whom they have nine grandchildren, and two more children: Philip and Savannah, both of whom attend the University of Alabama.

Phil enjoys reading theology, Civil War history and detective stories and watching hero movies. He loves the University of Alabama and its football team, which makes their Music Department proud.

Phil Chandler directs the choir, handbells, and occasional special music orchestral arrangements.

Kevin Kenworthy

Contemporary Music Director

New on Staff!

Kevin holds a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies degree with concentrations in Music/Music Business and Management from Old Dominion University. He also studied music at Shenadoah Conservatory of Music and other colleges. He moved with his family to Fort Myers in the summer of 2013 from Tennessee where he was the Assistant Music Director and Contemporary Worship leader for his church. He is also a past television producer/writer/on-air personality for networks including TNN, ESPN and Speed channel, is still involved in television and is a published author.

He married Danielle, a certified personal and fitness trainer, in 1992, and they have three children; twins Kailee and Kasside and their son Keaton who love being a part of youth programs and worship! His entire family has musical gifts and they have shared them in worships and other programs whenever possible.

A former touring musician and musical director for U.S.O. Celebrity Tours, Kevin has a passion for music in worship which began for him as a teenager. He also enjoys working with youth and musicians of all ages who have a desire but maybe not the experience, yet, to be a part of a worship group. He believes that there are people with God given musical gifts who may not have been offered the right opportunities to nurture and share those talents and that it is an important mission to seek them out and help them grow.

Kevin’s musical skills include writing and arranging music as well as being a vocalist, guitarist, pianist, bass player and percussionist.

Jim Clark

Director of Student Ministries

Jim is new to the Fort Myers area, but has been serving in youth ministry for over 10 years. He studied Christian Education at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. Jim has led student ministries in Indiana, Pennsylvania and Florida. He loves discipling teenagers in relationship with the Lord, developing strong student leadership, and leading youth mission trips.

Jim believes that adolescence is the most critical stage in life; a season of tremendous physical, emotional, social and spiritual development. God has given Jim a passion to help boys and girls become young men and women who love God with their whole heart and serve others.

Jim’s wife, Stephanie, loves being involved with the youth group, and is a great friend to students. They have a daughter, Rebecca, and son, Matthew.

Krissy Whittier

Assistant Director: Student Ministries

Krissy has been with the New Hope crowd since January of 2003. She loves working with students, helping with the Contemporary worship service, and helping to plan and organize events for people of all ages to enjoy, especially students. The two highlights of her ministry year are the annual summer trips and the annual retreats.

Krissy is newly married to her husband Daniel and the two of them love to watch football, catch up with friends, and work with teenagers. You will often find Krissy at a local coffee house doing work while listening to the David Crowder Band, grabbing breakfast with students before school, or running around working on media and sound around New Hope. Krissy loves to get together to chat about life and faith, so give her a call and grab some coffee or a meal with her sometime!

Debbie Norris

Director: Children’s Ministry

Debbie Norris has served this church family since 1996—enough time to see God work in the lives of the children and adults who are regularly involved in ministry. It is an incredible privilege to see kids put their faith in Jesus and to see people of all ages grow as they step out in faith to serve. Her desire is that all children can see themselves as “world changers” as they live out an everyday faith in Jesus.

Her formal education includes degrees from FSU and FGCU, but nothing compares to the experience of growing with her girls, Jessica and Stephanie. Husband, Lee has a real estate appraisal firm and is a dedicated softball coach and dad. As a family, their favorite pastimes include travel, family nights, watching the girls’ sports, and enjoying holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Pam Poland

Director: Early Childhood

Pam Poland has been serving at our church since 2006 and feels this is what God has been preparing her to do all along. She enjoys growing in friendship with the parents and children. “It is such a joy to serve God in this way, I hope each child who visits our nursery goes home knowing they are loved at church and that church is a happy place to be learning about how much Jesus loves them.”

When Pam is not at work she enjoys being with her family, husband Paul, and teenage son Eric. They stay pretty busy with Eric’s sports schedule, but when they get some down time they enjoy walking on the beach or just chillin’ in front of the tv watching movies and sports. Paul and Pam met at Ohio State over 20 years ago and they all love cheering on the Buckeyes and the Cincinnati Reds each season. She also likes cooking, watching Eric play tennis and baseball, and reading.

Brad Starner

Executive Director

Brad joined the staff of New Hope in January 2013. He has a BA in Music and a BS in Bible from Philadelphia College of Bible (Cairn University) and a MRE in Christian education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Since seminary, Brad has owned 2 businesses and served in various capacities with 3 other congregations.

Brad and his wife Darlene moved to Cape Coral in 1995. They have 2 children, Adam and Anne.

Brad enjoys filling in as organist at New Hope when there is a need and teaching a weekly adult Sunday morning class.

Cecilia Drake

Administration | Publication

Cecilia is a Naples native with a degree in Marketing from the University of Denver. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, reading the Bible, and going to the beach with her husband, Ted, and their two German Shepherds. She has been a Church Ministry Assistant for since 1997, and her passion is to serve God and His people. Her favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Steve Roethle

Administration: Membership

Steve is a native of Minnesota where he was employed in the financial field as an executive assistant. He and his wife, Ronda, have been married over 25 years and have two children, Hannah and Daniel. He and Ronda enjoy encouraging and teaching new Christians in the faith, and desire to help families in the joys of marriage and parenting. In past ministry, Steve has served with Damascus Way Prison ministry, and Faith Studies International. One of his favorite Scripture verses is Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Ed Harger

Facilities/Maintenance

We are thankful to have Ed in charge of our facilities at New Hope. He’s a long time native of Cape Coral; he and Celeste are happily married and have three grown children and four grandchildren. He serves with the puppet ministry at McGregor Baptist and has helped with their preschool for many years. He is also an avid gardener! His humble spirit and gentle heart are a pleasure to have on our staff.

Deborah Fransway

Webmaster

Deborah Fransway has been playing bass guitar in the Contemporary Service since the days back at Covenant, and has come to serve in a variety of ministry capacities, often times behind the scenes. In 2009 she and her daughter joined Pastor Stu on a 2 week Mission Trip to Zimbabwe to visit our World Partners, Lance and Elizabeth Edwards. Video from their trip is available HERE. Deborah has been editing the sermon audio and preparing it for podcasts since 2011 and served on the Pastor Search Committee which God used to send us Pastor Eddie. She has chaperoned numerous student mission trips, painted VBS sanctuary banners, leads a Life Group, and has recently taken on the responsibilities of webmaster, eNews editor, and video editor for most of the presentations enjoyed by the congregation on Sunday mornings.

Deborah is married to Dr. Anthony Fransway and they have been blessed with two children; Tony and Paulina. The kids are grown now. As an “empty nester” Deborah has found that there is plenty to keep her busy at New Hope serving the Kingdom of God.

Deborah is also currently authoring New Hope’s “unplugged” blog which provides weekly commentary on the upcoming Sunday scripture passages. Visit the “unplugged” blog HERE.