"Jesus loves me! He is near. He is with His Church so dear."
In 2011, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod commissioned Pastor Bradley Kerkow to start a new Lutheran congregation in the suburbs of Austin. The first services were held at Cox Elementary School in Cedar Park, starting on April 29, 2012. That year, Hope purchased land on County Road 175 across from South Williamson County Regional Park and began worshipping on the veranda at the back of the house on the property, which served as a parsonage for the pastor’s family. In 2017, construction began on the church next door to the parsonage; the church was dedicated to the glory of God on Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018.
Pastor Kerkow served Hope as pastor from 2012 until 2021. A second pastor, Daniel Ruiz (who served Hope as a student vicar in 2015-16), served as associate pastor from 2016 until 2019. Pastor Jerome Gernander arrived as pastor of our congregation in June 2022. In 2025, our congregation formally adopted the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary as our hymnal for use in our services: another step forward.
As we move forward in faith, we thank God continually for the riches of His grace.
*Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #179 v. 4.