Profile of Our Church Planting Team

Steve and Ann Mayes are natives of Mississippi. Steve is from the small town of Lake and Ann is from the neighboring town of Newton. They were married in June 1989 in Newton. At that time Steve worked as a bridge inspector and Ann served as an elementary school teacher.

Just one year after their wedding, Steve accepted God’s call into ministry. After doing pulpit supply for several months, Steve was called as interim pastor and eventually as pastor of a Baptist church near Union, Mississippi (1991-1993). While serving there, their first child Beth was born in 1992 in Jackson, Mississippi. Steve earned his college degree in Biblical Studies at William Carey College in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in May 1993.

In the summer of 1993, the Mayes family moved to Birmingham, Alabama for Steve to begin seminary work at Beeson Divinity School on the campus of Samford University. In July 1994 Steve was called as pastor of a Baptist church in Jacksonville, Alabama and served there until the fall of 1998. While in Jacksonville their second child Ben was born Birmingham, Alabama in 1996. Steve received his Master of Divinity degree in May 1997.

In October 1998, the family moved back to Mississippi in anticipation of Steve’s pursuit of a doctoral degree. Steve was accepted into the doctoral program at Baylor University. Plans for further education changed in May 1999 when Ben was diagnosed with a brain tumor which affected his optic nerve and caused him to be blind. As a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Ben underwent chemotherapy. Ben’s fight against cancer ended in July 2005 as he went home to be with his Lord.

Steve was called as the pastor of a Baptist church in central Mississippi in 2001. In June 2005, Steve and Ann welcomed their third child, Timothy, who was born in Jackson, Mississippi. After serving six and a half years at this church, Steve resigned in October 2007 in order to move to Jacksonville, Alabama to pursue a PCA church plant there. Steve began working for Kraft Foods International as a Senior Sales Representative in November 2007. In May 2008, an opportunity opened for Steve to work as a full time hospice chaplain for Alacare.

In February 2008, Steve was licensed to ministry in the Presbyterian Church in America in Evangel Presbytery. Steve and Ann attended and successfully completed the Church Planting Assessment Center of the PCA in June 2008 and were recommended as church planters. In November 2008, Steve's ordination was transferred into the PCA and he was called as the Assistant Pastor for Church Planting by the Faith Presbyterian Church in Anniston, Alabama. Hope Community Church was also recognized as a mission church by Evangel Presbytery in November 2008.