Senior Pastor
Pastor Benjamin Gordon was born and raised in Springfield, IL. He is the second eldest of six boys. He is deeply grateful to the Lord for his faithful single Mother who taught him the importance of a stubborn trust in God under all circumstances. Pastor Ben trusted Christ as his Savior through the ministry of a faithful gospel preaching church in Springfield, IL. He was greatly influenced and discipled by his youth pastor which contributed to Pastor Ben's burden for local church ministry. Pastor Ben surrendered to the call of God to preach midway through his undergraduate years in college. Pastor Ben has a significant burden for passionate expository preaching, evangelism, and discipleship in the inner-city context. Pastor Ben received a BA in Humanities and an MA in Theology and will pursue a Master of Divinity degree.
Pastor Ben married his lovely wife TraCelia Gordon in May 2013. They have been blessed with three children including two daughters named Mya and Ava and a son named Coby. Outside of spending time with his family and local church ministry, Pastor Ben is a huge sports fan and enjoys playing and watching of basketball and football.
Pastor Ben's favorite verse is Galatians 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Assistant Pastor
Pastor Wade Kuhlewind Jr. was born in a small-town area in southwestern Pennsylvania. Growing up as the son of a pastor, he was introduced to conservative evangelical Christianity from the very beginning. From setting up tables for a funeral meal to teaching junior church, he was involved in many of the details of church ministry. Sitting through thousands of sermons and Sunday school classes further provided him with an extensive knowledge of Bible stories and a basic understanding of Bible doctrines.
Spiritually, however, he wavered between times of assurance and doubt concerning the certainty of God’s saving work in his life. Sometimes, he would frequently call out to God for salvation just in case his previous prayers did not work. Though he had attended a Christian school from K5 through 12th grade and had enrolled in a Christian college to study for the pastorate, his struggles with salvation and doubt had not disappeared. His many years of knowing spiritual truth without having had assurance of his salvation make it impossible for him to know the exact day, time, and place of God’s saving act in his life, but if you ask him whether he knows that Christ has saved him from his sin, you will hear a definite, “yes!” Not because he has the date written in his Bible but because the Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!” (Acts 16:31).
May 19, 2007 ushered in a new phase of Wade’s life when Aida Maria Gil-Ramirez accepted his hand in marriage. She is not only a wonderful wife, she is also his best friend and most faithful partner in ministry. She has introduced him to the culture of Latin America through her Venezuelan & Guatemalan heritage and has provided opportunities for him to learn more of the Spanish language. They trust that the Lord will continue to open doors of ministry for them in the country of Venezuela.
The Lord has burdened Wade for inner-city church ministry, for church planting, for pastoring teens and adults, and for seminary/Bible institute teaching both in the U.S. and abroad. Without a doubt, the Lord has used Hope Baptist Church as a proving ground for learning more about ministry but also for growing closer to Christ. He looks forward to seeing what the Lord will continue to do in him through His work in H.B.C.! His favorite verse is Hosea 6:3, “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; His going out is sure as the dawn. He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” (ESV).
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