Our History

Thirty-Three Years of History at New Hope

New Hope Lutheran Church of Missouri City Texas, was organized on November 9, 1975. Rev. Edmund Steinbring, Jr. was called to serve the area of Missouri City, Stafford, and Sugar Land. In the beginning, an old schoolhouse was moved onto 1424 FM 1092 to use as a meeting place, but the congregation outgrew it before it could be used. In early 1976 an old church was purchased in Cypress, Texas and moved on site in three pieces. In June of 1976 the congregation dedicated that building and the ministry was begun at the current site.

Pastor Steinbring left New Hope in April of 1979 and Rev. Stephen Quill was called to New Hope on July 9, 1979. Under Pastor Quill’s leadership, the congregation grew rapidly and built the present sanctuary in 1982. In 1986, the Rev. Thomas Grevlos was called as an associate pastor in charge of youth ministry and served with Pastor Quill until December of 1990. In August of 1991, the Rev. Elizabeth Stein was called to serve as Pastoral Director of Congregational Care and Education and served until November, 2005. In August of 1997 the Rev. Mark Warpmaeker was called as associate pastor in charge of youth ministry and served until October 2003. Pastor Tom Glasoe was called to develop a satellite church in the Sienna Plantation area. Porch Light Lutheran Church worshipped at Lake Olympia Middle School and then on the New Hope Campus until 2006. Pastor Quill retired in 2006 following many years of faithful service.

New Hope’s ministry has been marked with many blessings. In 1987 the Hew Hope Community Clinic was started. This free clinic, staffed entirely by volunteers, merged with the county health department in 1994, after a fruitful 7seven years of service.

In 1988, New Hope built a Community Center to house a gymnasium, classrooms, youth loft, and kitchen. Many community groups use this facility throughout the week.

In 2008, we installed and dedicated a new pipe organ designed and build by the Parson's Organ Company.

Outreach is a very important facet of New Hope’s mission, and we are active in the community in various ways:

New Hope is one of the founding sponsors of the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry (www.humanneeds.org) which runs a food bank and resale shop.
We are partners in the Coalition for Mutual Respect, and an annual participant in the Anti-Defamation League’s (www.adl.org/regional/houston/default.asp) effort to bring about trust and mutual respect among different religious communities.
We have partnered with several congregations in Fort Bend County to sponsor Family Promise, (www.fortbendfamilypromise.org/) a ministry to homeless families with children. Our former sanctuary is now used as the Day Center.
New Hope has a sister congregation relationship with El Buen Pastor (The Good Shepherd) Lutheran Church in Usulatan, El Salvador. We support the pastor and the church rent, exchange visits frequently, assist with agricultural and shrimp farm loan programs, and have provided scholarships for hundreds of students.
We pioneered the Camp Hope program, a summer day camp using youth as counselors, which is now used by several churches in the Synod.
In April of 2008 a Tamil congregation (www.houstontamilchurch.org) began worshipping on our campus, awaiting a purchase of their own church building.

New Hope is blessed to have very active ministries in the areas of music, youth, education, small groups, and outreach. Our staff and congregational leadership provide tremendous energy and vision as we work together to serve the Lord.

In October, 2007 the Rev. Richard Wolf was called as Senior Pastor.