Meet Our Faculty
David Bempong,
Pastor,
Downtown Hope
David serves as the Lead Pastor at Downtown Hope Church in Annapolis, MD. His spiritual journey took a transformative turn at the University of Maryland when he encountered the profound reality of the Gospel and God's work through Christ. David, proud of his Ghanaian heritage, comes from a family with roots deeply connected to Ghana. His cultural background enriches his perspective, and he actively incorporates elements of his heritage into his leadership and ministry. David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland, a Master of Divinity degree from Regent University, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Liberty University. David and his wife Sandra are proud parents to two daughters, Moriah and Aliyah.
Bishop Charles Carroll,
Senior Pastor, New Creations Community Church
Bishop Charles E. Carroll attended Frostburg State University and is a graduate of Apostolic Christian College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology. His ministry experience includes his wife, Darlene Carroll, both founding New Creations Community Church in Annapolis, Maryland, where he serves as the senior pastor. Bishop Carroll has ministered across the island of Jamaica and is the founder of Transformation Deliverance Worship Centre. He and his wife have 3 sons and 2 daughters.
Bret Hicks,
Pastor, Bay Ridge Christian Church
Bret grew up in rural Georgia with his parents and younger sister. He came to the Naval Academy, graduating in 1983, and then serving as an officer in the Marine Corps until 1988. After leaving the Marine Corps Bret returned to Annapolis, initially working in management and as a computer programmer for various companies. He became pastor of Bay Ridge Christian Church in 1993 and has remained there ever since. During that time, he has been involved in gathering area pastors to pray for revival, awakening, and reformation in our region. Bret has been married to his wife Linda for almost 40 years. They have 4 children and 12 grandchildren. Bret loves listening to music, reading, running, cooking, and camping when he can get the chance.
Abraham George,
Executive Director, Invisible Girl Project
Abraham George (goes by ‘Abey’) began his career as a Pastor and Theology Lecturer in India, where he grew up. For the past 20 years he has lived in Maryland with his wife and two grown kids. Recently, for 10 years, he worked with a leading anti-slavery organization leading their church partnership efforts globally. Currently, he leads an international nonprofit called Invisible Girl Project focused on ending female gendercide in India. Abey has an M.Div. from India, and an M.Th. in Historical Theology from Trinity Theological College in Singapore. He has published several articles and book chapters and is the co-author of God of Justice (InterVarsity Press). On a good day, you might find him riding his motorcycle, detailing his car, or exploring coffeeshops in the DMV area.
Aaron Mayhew, Executive Director, Estuary
Aaron has served in ministry for more than 20 years, with experience in church leadership, pastoral ministry, and as a missionary. He currently serves as Director of Ministries at Downtown Hope Church in Annapolis, Maryland, and Executive Director of Estuary; a missions organization that equips Jesus followers to have gospel impact beyond their church walls. Aaron holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration and a master of arts in leadership with a focus on teaching. He enjoys smoking meats, exploring coffee shops, and the culinary arts. He and his wife, Sarah, live in Linthicum Heights with their 5 daughters.
Dan Nash,
Pastor,
Christ Reformed Evangelical Church
Dan grew up in Anne Arundel County, graduated from Book of Life Academy Annapolis, MD 1988 (High School) and attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, MN majoring in Youth Ministry and Pastoral Studies. For more than twelve years, Dan served as a pastor in St Paul, Minnesota, as well as Annapolis and Crofton, Maryland. Dan furthered his education and the Bucer Institute in Monroe, Louisiana. Dan served as a founding member, the Executive Director, and as Chaplain during his tenure as board President. Dan has been married to Rachel for 31 years. God has blessed Dan and Rachel with 8 children, 5 of whom are married, and 8 grandchildren. By God’s mercy and faithfulness, all are faithfully serving Jesus Christ and His Church across the US.
John Smart, Pastor, Lighthouse Church
John grew up in the Millersville area and has served as a pastor at Lighthouse for nine years. At the church, he leads the discipleship team which helps people in all levels of maturity grow in their relationship with Jesus. John has B.A. in pastoral leadership from Liberty University. He lives in Severn with his wife, Mary, and their three boys. John is passionate about prayer, revival, and contemplative spirituality. He loves anything outdoors, especially gardening, and is a big fan of literature and other nerdy things like that.
Jorge Solorzano, Lead Pastor,
Axis Church
Jorge was born and raised in El Salvador. He has served in vocational ministry for the past 20 years. This includes experience as a college ministry pastor and serving as a missionary with Great Commission Latin America. In 2017 Jorge and his family moved to the USA with a vision to plant churches in partnership with Bay Area Community Church. In 2019 he launched Axis Church in the city of Annapolis. Jorge has an M.A. in church planting from Lancaster Bible College. He is passionate about making disciples and developing leaders who plant churches and expand the Kingdom. Jorge loves spending time with his family, playing the drums, and playing basketball.
Anush John,
Author, Speaker, and Teaching Pastor
Anush John, born and raised in Bangalore, India, grew up in a pastor’s home and gave his first sermon at age 10. After earning a Master of Divinity and working at Christian Medical College, he moved to the U.S. in 2003. There, he pursued both theology and medicine, becoming a Maxillofacial Surgeon and earning a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Seminary. Anush now practices in Maryland, teaches at two local churches, and is working on a Master of Theology in Apologetics. He is the author of The Jesus Conversations (2016), with podcasts and radio broadcasts reaching audiences worldwide. He enjoys photography and cooking in his free time.
Joey Tomassoni,
Pastor, Downtown Hope
Joey has been serving in ministry for over two decades as a missionary, church planter; and most recently as a pastor with Downtown Hope Church for the past fifteen years. He is married to Katie and father to four children. Joey completed a Church Planters Residency through Bay Area Community Church which included foundational theology coursework through Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. He also holds an MFA from American University and is currently completing his MTh (Masters in Applied Theology) from the University of Oxford. Joey enjoys fishing and painting.
Josh Young,
Pastor, Redeeming Hope
Josh is a church planter and biblical counselor who has been living in the Nashville area since 2015. He received his BA in Biblical Studies from Washington Bible College and his MA in Christian Counseling and Discipleship from Capital Bible Seminary. He has served on the staff of multiple churches and in 2017 Josh and his wife Rachel followed God's call to plant Redeeming Hope where he serves as Co-Lead Pastor. Josh also coaches church planters through Converge and AT3 and travels to Togo, Africa as an adjunct professor at Faculte Biblique Du Togo. He also started Seminary Without Walls, a praxis-based theological training program for local churches. Josh has been married to Rachel since 2013 and they have one daughter, Autumn Marie.