Leadership

Learn more about the church staff and leadership at Living Hope. Our goal is for you to know who we are so we can better meet your needs when you visit us at Living Hope!

Living Hope Baptist Church | Samuel and Carolyn Yager

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Samuel and Carolyn Yager

Samuel Yager grew up a pastor’s kid and has been involved in ministry for most of his life. Even while surrounded by the truth, he did not at first recognize his own need for salvation. It was at age 10 that he understood his need and received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. As God continued to grow him closer to Himself, Samuel began to realize that He was being called to be a pastor. He initially struggled with God’s direction internally for a few months; however, he finally surrendered to God’s calling for his life at age 15.

Samuel attended college at Pensacola Christian College where he studied pastoral ministries. Every summer, he had the privilege to serve as an intern in churches or as a counselor at a youth camp. It was during his first summer working at Teen Extreme that Samuel met his beautiful wife, Carolyn. From serving at teen camp together to going through college together, God clearly led them both together. They got married on August 20, 2021. Since then, God has led them to assist in church planting at Living Hope Baptist Church.

Samuel says, "I have been so blessed to have been given the opportunity to pursue God’s continued leading, and I am excited to continue to serve Him."

Living Hope Baptist Church | Mike Russell

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Mike Russell

Mike Russell's coming to serve at Living Hope got somewhat of a delayed start. He came to Christ in his mid-twenties after having been an unconverted yet baptized church member for years. Since his start in Christian service was later in life than some, so was his call to preach. Upon surrender to that call, he left his job as a teacher and worked to receive his degree from New Orleans Seminary.

During his last semester, he was called to serve as pastor of First Baptist Church Lauderdale. Some ten years later, God called him to serve as pastor of then Oakland Heights Baptist Church which later became Oak Hill Baptist Church. He served there for twenty years until semi-retirement in 2017. God led Brother Mike to Living Hope for what he thought would be a church home between interim pastorates. For a while, that was true. However, God began to make it clear that Living Hope would be his new home church. Since that time, Brother Mike has been added to the staff to serve as the Associate Pastor of Living Hope.

Living Hope Baptist Church | Chris and DeeDee Yager

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Chris and DeeDee Yager

Pastor Chris and his wife, DeeDee, along with their four children, Charity, Samuel, Charissa and Titus have served together in full-time ministry since 1997. Chris and DeeDee were married in August of 1994.

At the age of nine, Chris realized his need for salvation and trusted Christ as his personal Savior. It was just before his 16 th birthday that God called him into the gospel ministry. Since that call, Chris graduated from Pensacola Christian College in 1997 with a Bachelor of Bible and a minor in Biblical Greek. He has served for 4 years as a youth pastor, 10 years as the church planter and pastor of Heritage Baptist in New York, and 10 years as the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist in Michigan. Pastor Chris has a love for church planting and is enthusiastic about beginning this new church.

Growing up in church, DeeDee felt the Holy Spirit’s conviction at the age of ten and asked Christ to save her. Surrendering to full time Christian service as a teenager, she has served in various ministries through the years aiding her husband’s ministry. Along with her ministries, DeeDee has spent many years homeschooling their children.

The Yager’s four children are intricately involved in ministry with them. They have helped with the church plant in New York and in the ministry at Cornerstone. Charity and Samuel are currently attending Pensacola Christian College while Charissa and Titus are still at home.

 

6648 North Hills Street
Meridian, MS 39307

(601) 337-1727

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