Pastor John Hodgell came to New Hope Church and Lake City from Zion, Illinois in January 2003. He is our solo pastor and only full-time staff. In Zion, Pastor John was the Associate Pastor of youth and evangelism pastor for Grace Missionary Church from 1994 – 2001.
Born in Sheboygan, WI, into a deeply troubled and dysfunctional home, John experienced many painful events like the divorce of his parents, poverty, and the murder of his grandma along with his 5 brothers and sisters. But through it all his mother involved the family in the life of their home church, which provided the family with compassionate Christian care and role models.
The experiences of his youth shaped John and steered his life towards pastoral ministry. He would tell you that he reluctantly followed this leading. The thought of being a pastor did not enter into his thinking until well into adulthood, even after attending a well-known Bible college to pursue an unknown future.
Pastor John received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and Theology from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He also attended Silver Lake College of the Holy Family, in Manitowoc, WI for a few liberal arts courses. In the early 1990s he worked on a Master of Arts degree in Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. John received his ordination from Grace Missionary Church in Zion, IL.
John married Linda in 1985; they met at Moody. They lived in Sheboygan during the early years of their marriage where they both pursued education and careers. It was not until the mid-90s when they lived in Zion that they began their family. Emily, Elijah and Elena are their children. Emily is a student at Moody Bible Institute, Elijah is in high-school and Elena is in junior high.
Over his career, Pastor John has had the opportunity to organize and lead short-term missions to Hopiland (Hopi reservation) in AZ, Venezuela twice, Greece, and South Africa. In 2012 he had the opportunity to participate in a mission to Kapenguria, Kenya with a team from Rochester, MN.
In addition to the pastorate, John worked as a building contractor, home improvement carpenter and remodeler in Wisconsin, Illinois and Lake City—during the first few years when he was bi-vocational. He lead the people of New Hope to remodel and reclaim the church building at 302 N. Prairie Street after several years of holding meetings at the local elementary school. His contractor skills have now become people building skills. His hobbies and interests are camping, wildlife (wanted to be a veterinarian as a teen), most sports, contemporary Christian music, and the Green Bay Packers—which doesn’t sit well with a Minnesota congregation!