Since May (2016) we have embedded in fellowship and mission with Hill Chapel Baptist Church, a faithful and historically black church in West Athens. We have experienced exceptional welcome at Hill Chapel and vibrant spiritual nurture from our pastor, Rev. Benjamin E. V. Lett. I serve with the ministers of the church and was given an opportunity to preach in October. Nicole is involved with choir. Our kids (3 of 4) are in children’s choir. Other launch team members are getting involved.

Hill Chapel is less than a 1/2 mile from our house, but the cultural context feels worlds apart. When building bridges, we need strong foundations on both sides of the divide. It seems we have moved away and yet come home at the same time!

We host prayer and vision gatherings in our home with a diverse launch team. I have spoken in or helped facilitate eight different community reconciliation gatherings over the past two years in partnership with other ministries. We also serve as foster parents with team members supporting.

Nicole and I (Parker) can trace many threads woven together into this expression of God’s call on our lives. We met at UGA (2000) and helped plant a local Hispanic Mission church in Athens during our courtship. We married in 2003, and during grad school (Covenant Seminary, and Nicole at Saint Louis Univ. for Medical Science) we served on the launch team for New City Fellowship in South St. Louis for 5 years, where I ministered primarily among Liberian refugees and Nicole served on the worship team. We returned to Athens in 2008, and I pastored The University Church (TUC) here for 8 years. With the support of TUC we were approved through Church Planter Assessment with Mission to North America (MNA). We are planting as a Mission Church of Georgia Foothills Presbytery, PCA and as members of the New City Network.