Will Lohnes serves Hope Chapel as the teaching pastor. His primary responsibilities include expository preaching on Sundays, seeking and communicating God’s vision for the church, and providing discipleship through Biblical counseling. Will’s commitment to following Jesus has led him to start churches in Hawaii, Ohio, and South Carolina – four in all – culminating with the planting of Hope Chapel in 2012. Although he repeatedly made the sacrifice to move on from each successive church plant, in 2019, Will was asked to stay and lead Hope Chapel into further stages of discipleship and growth.
Will’s passion for ministry began in childhood, when he was greatly influenced by the pastors, teachers, and evangelists within his own family. As a young man, he spent a decade working with the Wilds Christian Camp in North Carolina as well as serving for five years as a youth pastor at a large church in Greenville, SC. He became a certified counselor through the Association of Certified Biblical Counseling and the International Association of Biblical Counseling, and he was a frequent guest speaker at ACBC conferences for many years. Throughout his time as a church planter, Will also established counseling training centers where he could teach fellow Christians how to counsel from a Biblical worldview. Will’s desire to teach and equip believers for serving their communities has resulted in the training of over one hundred Christian counselors in the U.S. Will and his wife Maria have been married for 37 years and have five adult children along with one (objectively) beautiful granddaughter.
Educational Background:
Bachelor of Arts in Humanities - BJU, Greenville, SC
Master of Arts in Theology - BJU, Greenville, SC
Master of Divinity - BJU, Greenville, SC
Doctorate in Ministry - Grace Theological Seminary, Warsaw, IN
Certifications:
Certified Counselor – Association of Certified Biblical Counselors
Certified Counselor – International Association of Biblical Counselors
Community Involvement:
Upstate Pastors – Organization of local pastors
Spread Truth Ministries Inc. – Kenya Mission Trip, 2024
Renew Uganda – Uganda Mission Trip, 2024
