Our staff look forward to serving and working with you in any way that they can for any need you may have. 

Rachel Peters

Position(s): Church Secretary

Rachel joined the staff of New Hope in 1996 as the secretary and bookkeeper.  After attending high school, she attended Tri-County Technical College where she received an Associate Degree in Business.  Rachel and her husband, Eric, have two children and one grandson.  As a pastor’s daughter and worship pastor’s wife, Rachel brings a unique understanding to our church office.  She enjoys spending time with her family, decorating, and music.

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Rev. Brian Buckner

Position(s): Pastor

Brian is originally from Madison County in Western North Carolina.  God called him into the ministry in 2000.  He has a B.A. Degree in Communications and Public Relations from Mars Hill College (1996), an Associates in Religion and Church Ministries degree from Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute (2001) and a Master of Divinity Degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (2006). 

He has been married to Shelley Moore Buckner for 13 years.  They have three children, Isaac, Leah and Alex.  God called them to New Hope in May 2006.  They are excited about what God is doing and is going to do at New Hope in the coming days!  Their prayer is that God would do something so big at our church that no man could take credit for!

Brian received Christ as my Savior at the age of eight at North Fork Baptist Church. 

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Rev. Caleb Whitt 

Position(s): Youth Pastor

Caleb joined the New Hope staff as Student Pastor in March of 2007. He was called into ministry in 2005 while attending UNC Asheville. After answering God’s call on his life he transferred to Fruitland Baptist Bible College where he received an Associate’s degree in Pastoral Ministries. 
 
He received Christ as his savior at age eight in Vacation Bible School at Bethel Baptist Church in Mars Hill, NC. 
 
He is grateful and excited that God has called him to New Hope so that he may take part in serving with a body of believers that desire to be used for great things to further the Kingdom of Christ.
 

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Elaine Ward

Elaine says it seems she has been at New Hope for a lifetime!  She was hired as custodian at age 15 and continues in this capacity today.  In the mid 1980s, she began serving as a Sunday School teacher along with playing piano for the children’s choir.  In 1986, she became the children’s choir director.  When she was needed, she also led the youth choir.  Now, she is officially the youth choir and puppet team director and has transitioned to co-director of the children’s choir.  Elaine is married to Stan and they have two grown children and five grandchildren.