Bryan Jacobs, Senior Pastor
Bryan Jacobs serves as our Senior Pastor, a role he assumed in July 2024 after
faithfully serving as Associate Pastor since 2017. Prior to that, Pastor Bryan contributed
to our church through various ministry roles and as a pastoral intern. He holds a
Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Exposition from Moody Bible Institute (2017).
Pastor Bryan is deeply committed to preaching from a strongly conservative biblical
worldview, upholding the inerrancy of Scripture and delivering bold, exegetical sermons
that faithfully apply God’s Word to contemporary cultural issues. He adheres firmly to
the grammatical-historical method of interpretation, ensuring that the timeless truths of
the Bible speak clearly to our lives today. His life verse is John 17:17: “Sanctify them in
the truth; your word is truth” (ESV).
Bryan and his wife, Jessica, are blessed with two children and are actively involved in
the life of our church family. We are grateful for Pastor Bryan’s passionate leadership
and his heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of God’s Word.
Janet Davidson, Director of Worship
Janet is New Hope’s Director of Worship. She currently serves in this role in a part-time capacity while working full time in marketing management at a Chicago-based company. Janet graduated from Cedarville University with a B.A. in Business Administration (Marketing emphasis) and a minor in Bible. She came to know Jesus as savior when she was nine years old at a Bible camp and has been a student of God’s Word ever since.
Janet grew up in a close-knit family that loved travel and music. She has sung in various choirs, ensembles, and worship teams over the years. She believes worship leaders need to lead, not perform and seeks to encourage all believers at New Hope to worship God authentically.
Janet is auntie to three: Kevin, Billy and Olivia. She enjoys her two little rascal cats: Leo (a purebred Toyger) and Charlie (a moggie).
She spends most of her “spare” time taking care of family responsibilities but likes to listen to podcasts, read books, play tennis, and go for walks or bike rides around the forest preserves when she can. The verse that governs her 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.”
Gerry Miller, Pastor Emeritus
Pastor Gerry Miller was called as Associate Pastor of New Hope Church in June of
2006, and later as Senior Pastor in July of 2008 following the retirement of founding
Pastor Rev. David W. Yount. In July of 2024, Gerry stepped down from his role of senior
leadership into the role of Executive Pastor, and later became Pastor Emeritus in 2025.
Gerry came to know the Lord as his personal Savior while in college.
His primary secular work up to that point had been in business management. At first, he thought that
he could bring with him into ministry proven business principles that he could utilize in
fulfilling his pastoral calling. However, Gerry has since come to understand the biblical
model of church, drawing spiritual principles of church life from the early church in the
book of Acts. These spiritual principles, quite different from business practices, are now
joyfully embodied in the church’s vision statement.
Having faithfully served in numerous forms of ministry over the course of his vocational
Christian life, Gerry has been primarily a teacher of the Word. He and his wife Joyce
have 6 adult children—Greg, Peter, Katie, Ellen, Luke and Leslie—along with several
grandchildren. His favorite hobby is bike riding.
Gerry’s life verse is found in Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do far more
abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him
be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.
Amen
Beth Serritos, Director of Youth/ Children Ministry
Beth Serritos joyfully serves as our Children’s Ministry Director, a role she stepped into
in December 2024 after many years of faithful service in various capacities within our
Children’s Ministry and Awana program. Coming from a long family legacy of children’s
ministry volunteers, Beth brings a deep passion for helping children grow in their love
for Jesus and understand His Word.
Beth is known for her kind heart, diligent spirit, and genuine love for kids, creating a
welcoming and nurturing environment where young hearts can thrive spiritually. She
and her husband, John, are blessed with four children and are actively involved in family
life at our church.
In her free time, Beth enjoys playing Pokémon GO and crocheting, hobbies that reflect
her creative and adventurous side. We are thankful for Beth’s dedication and excited to
see how God continues to use her to impact the next generation!