A small church that plans to stay small-hearted
Hope Chapel exists because our founding families believed Conyers needed a church where questions were welcome and nobody had to pretend. We're non-denominational, elder-led, and deliberately local — our building sits eight minutes from Olde Town, and most of our people live within a few miles of it. We'd rather know a hundred neighbors well than fill a thousand seats with strangers.
What we believe, briefly
We believe the good news of Jesus is genuinely good: that God comes looking for people rather than waiting for them to clean up first. We teach the Bible plainly, verse by verse, and we try to hold our convictions with open hands and a low voice. We believe the church is meant to be a family, which means showing up for each other on Tuesdays as much as Sundays — with casseroles, rides to appointments, and honest prayer. And we believe grace is bigger than anyone's worst season, including our own.
How we try to do church
Four commitments that shape everything on our calendar.
Honest over polished
We'd rather be a church where people tell the truth about their week than one with a flawless production. Our band tunes up in front of you.
Rooted in this zip code
We give a fixed share of every offering to Rockdale County schools, the food pantry, and neighbors in a tight spot. Local first, always.
Safe for kids
Every volunteer with children is background-checked and trained, rooms are two-adult minimum, and check-in tags match kids to grown-ups.
Recovery isn't a side room
Our Tuesday group is part of the main story of this church, not an add-on. Recovery language gets used from the pulpit, too.
Who you'll meet
A small team, most of us with day jobs and driveways in this county.
Marcus Ellery
Marcus taught high school history in Rockdale County for eleven years before helping start Hope Chapel in that Milstead Avenue living room. He preaches with a whiteboard marker in his hand out of habit.
Dana Whitfield
A pediatric nurse and mother of three, Dana built our children's ministry around one rule: every kid should leave knowing their name was said out loud by someone glad to see them.
Ray Okafor
Ray is a licensed counselor and fifteen years sober. He facilitates our Tuesday group, keeps the coffee urn full, and answers his phone at odd hours.
Bethany Cruz
Bethany leads Sunday music with an acoustic guitar and picks the hymns nobody expects. She also runs the welcome table and remembers everyone's kids' names.