Elders | West Cary Campus

Elder Bios

	Mark Martyak Mark Martyak has been married to his high school sweetheart, Patti, for 29 years. They have two adult children and have been members of Hope since 2000. Mark serves on the worship team and is a band member of the Band of Brothers. He also is a chairman of the board for Hope for Haiti. Patti is a small group leader for middle school and high school students, and volunteers for Hope’s accounting department. Mark is a registered professional electrical engineer and is President-Distributed Generation for PowerSecure Inc., where he helps lead the company with Christian core values. Patti and Mark live in Cary.
	Steve Superville Steve and Amanda Superville have been married for 5 years. They have two children; Samantha, 3, and Abigail, 1. Steve and Amanda have been members of Hope since 2004 and are core members of the Holly Springs campus. Both Steve and Amanda have served on various First Impressions teams. With his passion for engaging people in exploring their faith, Steve currently serves as a Life Group leader and a Starting Point leader. Amanda currently serves in KidCity. Steve is employed by Epic Games as a Senior Gameplay Programmer. He and his family live in Apex.
	Al Adams Al has been married to Laura for eight years. They met while students at UNC-Chapel Hill and were heavily involved in Campus Crusade for Christ and Fellowship of Christian Athletes as undergrads. They have three young sons. Al is from Fayetteville, where his father served in pastoral ministry for more than 25 years. Al and Laura serve in KidCity and as LifeGroup leaders. They have been members of Hope since August of 2004 and attend the Holly Springs campus. Al is employed as a District Manager by the Hershey Company. He and his family reside in Apex.
	Mike Smith Mike Smith has been married to Marti since 1995. They have two young daughters and have been members of Hope for seven years. He was raised in a Christian home as the son of a Pastor, and has seen church leadership up close most of his life. He has served at Hope as a LifeGroup leader and on the tech team. Marti has served on the medical team and currently serves in KidCity. Mike currently works for GENBAND as a technical account manager. The Smiths live in Cary.
	Jeff Nielsen Jeff and Becky Nielsen have been married for 28 years. They have four sons and three grandchildren. As founding members of Hope Community Church, Jeff and Becky have served as LifeGroup leaders, premarital mentors and a host home for student ministries. Jeff also serves on the worship team, with Local Hope and is involved in ID. Jeff owns Nielsen Construction and his family lives in Cary.
	Scott Newnam Scott Newnam and his family have been attending Hope since 2007. He married his wife, Jennifer, in 1996 and they have three young children. Scott and Jennifer are LifeGroup leaders and serve in KidCity. They are also involved with the Helene Foundation, the Ronald McDonald House, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Anna’s Angels. Scott has also participated on a Hope mission trip to Africa and is a local youth soccer coach. Scott is the president and CEO of Audio Advice in Raleigh and his family lives in Morrisville.
	Mike Lee Mike and Laura Lee have been married for 32 years and have two adult children and two grandchildren. Mike and Laura founded Hope Community Church in 1994 after moving to North Carolina from California. Both have served in nearly every ministry at Hope and have participated in mission trips to Haiti and Africa. Mike is the senior pastor at Hope Community Church. Mike and Laura live in Apex.
	Pete Zimmerman Peter and Mary Zimmerman have been married since 1976 and they have two adult sons. Pete and Mary have served as LifeGroup leaders and serve on First Impressions. Pete also serves on the prayer team, has had supporting roles in capital campaigns and taught in numerous settings over the years in their various churches. Mary also has served on mission trips to India and as a mentor to mothers. They have attended Hope since 2004. Pete is currently the global logistics manager with John Deere. Pete and Mary live in Raleigh.

FAQs about our elders

How are elders chosen?
The process can begin by someone expressing interest in entering the elder process or the elders may invite some men into the process. Screening includes a training class, reading, personal interview with senior pastor, an application, and approval by the elders. The final step is a confirmation vote by the members. The entire process is handled slowly and with prayer.

What are the prerequisites for an elder candidate?
The qualifications are from 1 Timothy 3:1-12 and Titus 1:5-11.

How long is an elder appointed?
Elders are confirmed for life, but may step aside from serving actively if needed.

What are the elders' responsibilities?
The elder’s role is to ensure the church accomplishes its mission, protect the essential biblical doctrines (faith) and observe biblical standards (practice).

Why do we need elders?
Elder is the highest biblical office given to the church to exercise oversight and shepherding (1 Peter 5:1-2) of the local body. Elders lead and govern the local church by teaching biblical truth, modeling Christ-like behavior, maintaining doctrinal purity, disciplining members, overseeing finances and praying for the sick.