History

Living Hope Family Church began as a Bible study that Mike and Jane Petzer taught in
the summer of 1995. The first official church service, attended by over 40 people, was
held on October 1, 1995 in a carpet warehouse near the airport rotary in Hyannis. Mike,
a South African Bible school teacher and church planter, saw great growth in the initial
years of the ministry. He moved the fellowship to 46 Mitchells Way in June 1996. By
1998, he called Darryl and Janine Mather-Pike, his former colleagues from Zimbabwe,
to join him in the work.
In 2001, Mike and Jane Petzer started a Living Hope church in Tucson, Arizona. Darryl
and Janine then took the lead pastoral role. God also gave the church a team of elders
who collaborated in leading the church. Two years later, Erik and Tami Eskelund joined
the Mather-Pikes on the pastoral team.
In 2006, Darryl, Janine and their family became directors of a mission to vulnerable
South African children. Back in Hyannis, Erik was ordained as the lead pastor at Living
Hope.
As the church continued to grow and our influence in the community increased, Erik and
the elders sensed the need to add pastoral help. After fasting and prayer, it seemed
good to the Holy Spirit and the elders to call Emelio Gassibe of Cape Town, South
Africa. He, his wife Claudine and their two children joined the team as youth director
and associate pastor. They are now leading Youth for Christ Cape Cod , an independent
ministry resourced by Cape churches to help teens from across the Cape follow Jesus
Christ.
As Youth for Christ Cape Cod gained momentum, Erik and Tami continued to serve
faithfully until May 2023. As their faithful ministry came to an end, God had already
placed the church’s next pastor. In 2021, Ben, his wife Halley and their children first
attended Living Hope. Ben had served as pastor at other churches but he merely
volunteered as Erik or the church had need.
When the Eskelunds announced their transition, the elders asked Ben to serve as
interim pastor in May 2023. But in January 2024, the church began conversations about
having Ben become the church’s pastor. After a time of prayer, reflection and intentional
conversation, the elders and congregation finalized that decision in March 2024.
As the church’s 30th anniversary approaches in October 2025, Living Hope continues to
come and see that Christ is our all-sufficient savior. Because we have seen that the
Lord is good, we grow and go and tell others an indestructible, imperishable hope can
be theirs through Christ.