Baron Howerton ministers at Hope Chapel as the Elder of Missions. His work for the church includes leading the Missions Committee, advocating for the needs of Hope’s current missionaries, and serving as the point of contact for international mission groups or those with special projects in need of support. Before joining Hope Chapel, Baron planted and pastored Providence Baptist Church in Lugoj, Romania, where he lived and served for over eighteen years with his wife and children. After returning to the US to be closer to family, Baron and his wife Joyce became members of Hope Chapel in 2021. Baron’s heart for serving others quickly became evident to all around him, and he became an elder in 2023. Baron’s sacrifice to pursue foreign church planting for the sake of the gospel prepared him well to be a compassionate, discerning leader of mission work at Hope.
Baron was born in Kingsport, Tennessee (go Vols!), but was raised in Kansas City, Missouri (go Chiefs!). Although he became familiar with the gospel from an early age and grew up watching his Christian parents serve within their local church, it was not until age twenty-one that Baron realized his personal need for a savior and began pursuing Christ. Before he had even finished school, he knew that he wanted to spend his life sharing the gospel and making disciples. In addition to his efforts to establish an autonomous, indigenous church in Lugoj, Baron taught classes at the Baptist College International (formerly Baptist College of Romania) in Costei, Romania, for more than ten years. He and his wife Joyce also worked closely with the organization Romania Without Orphans, through which he received a certification as a Trauma Competent Caregiver. Baron and Joyce have been married for 28 years and have six adult children, two by adoption.
Educational Background:
Bachelor of Arts in Bible - BJU, Greenville, SC
Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies - BJU, Greenville, SC
Certification:
Trauma Competent Caregiver – Romania Without Orphans
Community Involvement:
Guatemala Mission Trip, 2023
