Anthony Rodriguez has been pastor of Valley Hope since Fall 2011. He served as a preacher and leader of Isight (which was Valley Hope’s original name) since his days as a student in Montreat College, when the church was started in a bar in Black Mountain. After a year serving in Cape Town, South Africa, Anthony entered studies full-time at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte. He graduated and became an EPC Commissioned Pastor in 2012. He was ordained as a Teaching Elder in 2017. Anthony serves Valley Hope as a preacher and pastor and by leading the elder team. Anthony and the elders are responsible for discerning and communicating Valley Hope’s vision while caring for and equipping the people for the work of the Gospel in whatever context God calls them. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Montreat College. Anthony enjoys trying to stay active at the gym, playing and watching soccer, or golfing, mostly badly. And of course, he’s probably reading several books from the various stacks around his house and office.

Anthony married his best friend, Erin, in 2006, following his graduation from Montreat. Together they have three beautiful daughters, Ryann, Alethia, and Hope and one son, Valor. Erin works in construction and remodeling, working with her hands to make beautiful things. If she’s not working at her job, she’s probably at home building something else to make their lives better.

The Rodriguez family loves Valley Hope and is thrilled to be in the Swannanoa Valley, continuing to invest in the community that has given so much to them for so long.

Ted grew up in Old Fort, NC, and attended NC State University. While earning a Master’s in Horticulture Science (ask him about it sometime!), he began to sense a call towards vocational ministry. After working in a variety of church contexts and roles in both Raleigh and Cleveland, Ohio, he is excited about the potential to plant a new church in the future. Ted and his wife, Ashley, have a growing family. Together, they are passionate about community, discipleship, and advancing the gospel through church planting.

Ben lives in Swannanoa with his amazing wife, Tiffany (married 2009), and two daughters. The Lillards joined the Valley Hope community (formerly known as iSight) in 2013 and moved to the Swannanoa Valley in 2015. Ben served multiple terms on Valley Hope’s session. After nearly ten years at Black Mountain Home for Children, he is enjoying a new thing – pastoral residency – as he finishes seminary studies.

Tiffany and Ben count it an incredible blessing and enormous grace to have grown up in and with Valley Hope, and to be raising their girls here. They enjoy seeing how God directs paths, heals, and brings life and hope to people against all odds. God is Father of the fatherless, protector of widows, he settles the solitary in a home, and he leads out the prisoners to prosperity (Psalm 68:5-6)!

Some of Ben’s favorite things to do are spending time with people, sitting in a coffee shop, being in the woods, hiking, going on family trips to new places, and basketball (when the ball is going through the net, all of life seems right). Please feel free to reach out to Ben – he’d truly love to talk with you!

Amy Berry has served as the Director of Discipleship for Valley Hope Church since the Fall of 2020. She graduated from Furman University in 2001 where she discovered the ministry of Young Life and felt a call to be in relational ministry. After she and Phil were married in 2003, they moved to Gwinnett County in Georgia where they were part of a Young Life/ church partnership for the next 4 years. They learned a ton about youth ministry, church work, nonprofits, fundraising and the importance of community. Phil was asked to come work at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys where he had been coming since he was 9 years old so they packed up and moved to Black Mountain, NC. Phil currently serves as Executive Director of Ridgecrest Camps. From Fall of 2007-Fall of 2020, Amy served on the Young Life staff of Asheville/Buncombe County in various roles until God asked her to do something new and serve at Valley Hope. Amy is passionate about people learning how to follow Jesus every day of their lives while always having eyes to see others that do not yet know him.

Amy and Phil have 2 daughters, Piper and Lily. Piper attends Samford University and Lily is at Owen High School. Amy is passionate about our schools and helping people in our Valley that may not have resources that they need. She wants the people of Valley Hope to be a people that is always looking up to God, in to love each other and out to see who is there to be brought into God's family.

Amy loves walking and hiking, reading, eating good food and drinking good drinks and traveling. Please let her know if you ever want to go on a walk or get a cup of coffee!

In 2005 Jeremiah married his wonderful wife Becky. Together they have two amazing children, Ellen and Jude.  Becky is a talented artist who has served Valley Hope for years as the leader of the Liturgical Arts and Prayer teams as well as leading worship on Sundays. She has a big heart for connecting people to the healing offered to them by Jesus and has been an inspirational example to her husband as to what it looks like to follow Jesus in all areas of life.

Jeremiah has returned to the staff at VHC because he has a lasting desire to see churches planted and to be a part of the work Jesus is already doing to expand the Kingdom of God.

Jen Aitken serves as the Director of Children's Ministry at Valley Hope. Jen graduated from Houghton College with a degree in Vocal Performance and then later received her Elementary Teaching license from UNC Asheville. She had a blast teaching Kindergarten at Asheville Christian Academy before becoming a stay-at-home mom. As a stay-at-home mom, Jen taught voice lessons part-time and created curriculum and classroom resources for other teachers. 

Bri was born and raised in Orlando, FL and graduated from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL in 2019. She pursued a degree in Comparative Politics, knowing she would likely never use it! Even so, she loved her time in college, concentrating on the Politics of Developing Countries and minoring in Documentary Production. She's been on staff with Young Life the last five years, working on the Food Service team at Windy Gap most recently.

She's always had a heart for church ministry, having come to faith herself in the student ministry of a church in Florida, and is excited to step back into a world she's not been in for some time. Having not grown up in church, Bri is often amazed by the faith of young people. As a friend and a mentor, she seeks to break down walls that in turn create spaces where people can connect and find unlikely friendships. Through hospitality and care, she strives to offer a place where everyone can experience a sense of belonging.

Bri loves to be with people, drink good coffee, watch the Orlando Magic (& pray they don't let her down), eat a home cooked meal, and talk about what music/movies/books you're enjoying!

Kayla grew up in a small beach town on the east coast of Florida. She and her now husband, Brian, began dating while they both competed for Duke's Cross Country and Track teams. They got married after graduation and quickly moved back to Florida for Brian to begin his long medical journey.  During this time, Kayla completed her Masters of Social Work and spent a few precious years working in the hospital as a NICU social worker. After moving to Asheville in 2018 for Brian to start his residency, Kayla began to work at Black Mountain home for Children with foster youth and families and became fully licensed as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has had the privilege to provide counseling for children and teens during her time at the Children's Home and loved her work. Living in Asheville quickly felt like home, so much so that they decided to make the mountains their permanent home after completion of Brian's training. On the home front, Kayla and Brian have 2 littles, Andie and Reid.

Kayla feels blessed to have been raised in a Christian home and does not remember a time that she didn't know about Jesus' love for her. She was saved as a little girl but has seen God continue to write his testimony in her life as she grows and matures. She is so grateful for her own youth group and several mentors who have made such a big impact along the way. Her work in social work has led her to missional work with youth as well as providing trauma-informed training and therapy. After staying home full time with her kids the last few years, she felt called by God to serve and work in a new way. 

Josiah comes from a large family, with humble, Christ following parents, who continue to be a shining example for their family. He has lived in many states including Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama. He moved to Black Mountain in August of 2024 to work as an intern at Ridgecrest Conference Center, and start a journey of service, following his passion of serving students and equipping them with knowledge they can use throughout their entire lives to follow and seek Christ. He is excited to join a team where discipleship and developing relationships with students are the focal point for the team.

Josiah has served 3 summers working for FUGE Camps, where he developed a love for guiding students, and all the crazy, fun moments that come with it. His first 2 summers were spent in Fort Worth, Texas, where he led students from across the country at various mission sites across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area. His 3rd summer with FUGE Camps, he served as Mission Fuge Site Director for the Philadelphia Team. This role allowed him to work more directly with contacts in Philadelphia. The work in Philadelphia included sending students to work with local churches, local community centers, neighborhood gardens, food banks, and even local parks, to demonstrate Christ’s love through action and evangelism.

Josiah enjoys playing any sport where he can be competitive, especially basketball, so ask him about his favorite players! He loves to spend time with his friends that have also made the Swannanoa valley home, and looks forward to being a part of such a loving church and an amazing community!

Mila grew up on a small farm in Old Fort, NC and spent her formative years in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Prior to her work as Ministry Assistant at Valley Hope Church, Mila worked at home raising and educating her three daughters and assisted in her family’s small custom cabinet business. Before children she worked as Communications Director with The American Chestnut Foundation in Asheville, NC.

Service to others — at school, church, and in her community — has always been important to Mila. As a child her family would visit homebound friends in nursing homes and volunteer at a women’s shelter. As a teen she became a youth deacon at her church in Black Mountain and learned the power of the Gospel through missions work locally and abroad. After graduating from Erskine College with a BS in Biology, she joined Peace Corps Paraguay and worked in a rural community on conservation and agroforestry projects.

Mila and her husband Taylor live in Swannanoa with their three girls Rosie, Sylvia, and Laurel, their chocolate lab Creek, and twelve chickens. Mila enjoys hiking, knitting, reading, and gardening.

With a lifelong passion for sharing the love and hope of Christ with a hurting world, Lindsey is deeply grateful for the privilege of walking with our neighbors in need. As someone who has personally experienced God’s restoration in profound ways, it is a rich joy to watch it lived out in physical form in the Swannanoa Valley during this season.

Lindsey has spent the past 20 years working in humanitarian aid and is driven by a desire to help organizations lead programs that are delivered with both excellence and efficiency, going beyond good intentions to truly achieve lasting impact. She studied Political Science, Education, and Missions at Ouachita Baptist University and received her Master’s in International Relations: The Effective Distribution of Aid from New York University. She has worked with organizations ranging from the UNU, the International Rescue Committee, MedShare, and the Taskforce for Global Health, along with many others including Spirit in Action, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping those living in manufactured home communities recognize their rights. 

Lindsey has lived and taught in Uganda and Japan, and has served in a number of other countries, but feels that there’s no place as close to heaven on earth in beauty and community as the Swannanoa Valley and Valley Hope. She is married to Patrick, who is her greatest gift from God, and they have three very passionate and active children, Lily, Jonathan and Anna. She loves hiking, running, live music and being with community (especially outdoors), and can be found most evenings in this season at a kids' practice or game.

Lisa is very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Helene Recovery team as the Volunteer and Restoration Coordinator. Even though she is newer to Valley Hope and its neighbors, she longs to see the Swannanoa Valley restored physically and spiritually.

Lisa was raised in the Romanian Orthodox Church in Cleveland, Ohio. This was a very rich and cultural experience for her as she was part of a church family deeply rooted in tradition, values and faith. Because of this, Lisa is passionate about serving others and giving back for all of the received blessings she knows she does not deserve. She started volunteering with various organizations in college. In medical school, another student and her started a free student-run medical clinic for the uninsured in the Toledo area. In Asheville, she has served as a member and chair of the board of the ABCCM Medical Clinic and the Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation at different times- both serving the medically uninsured. She has served on multiple, short-term medical mission trips in places such as the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Belize, Thailand, Canada, and Haiti. Through these experiences, God has put many truly faithful people in Lisa’s life to show her how to serve selflessly and witness to those in need wherever you may be. If Jesus is in the center, then the possibilities of sharing the hope and love of Christ are endless.

Lisa graduated from the College of Wooster with a major in biology and a minor in sociology, and then from Medical College of Ohio. She completed her Family Practice residency with MAHEC here in Asheville over 30 years ago. After many years of patient care to being at home raising twins, Lisa feels very certain the Lord has been leading her to serve her community in another way. She is honored to be a part of this very meaningful work of restoration and care for the neighbors of Valley Hope who were devastated by Helene. May it all be for the Glory of God and His Kingdom.

Lisa is married to Jim, and they have 4 sons, 2 daughters-in-law and 2 granddaughters. She loves spending time with her family, hiking, gardening, kayaking, traveling, reading, painting and using power tools!

Samuel serves as the Director of Worship here at Valley Hope Church. He trained as a classical violinist as a child and began playing on the worship teams for the churches where he grew up in Rutherford County, NC. Throughout high school and college, he led on multiple worship teams. Samuel attended Belmont University in 2012 as a Songwriting Major, and then transferred to Montreat College in 2013. He graduated in 2015 from Montreat College with a Bachelors in Music Business. During his time at Montreat, he served by leading worship in the chapel band. Samuel’s wife, Emily, also attended Montreat college and graduated with him in 2015. Emily currently serves as the Director of Montreat Morning School in Montreat, NC. They have two boys, Ezekiel and Cooper, who are both full of life and energy and keep Emily and Samuel very busy.

Samuel has a passion for worship music that is grounded in scripture as well as working to bring out the worship gifts and talents of the members of Valley Hope Church. He leads the worship team at Valley Hope along with three other leaders. Samuel led on the Worship team for around 4 years before he stepped into the role of Director of Worship in 2023.

When he’s not wrestling his two boys, Samuel enjoys reading, songwriting, and being in the beautiful outdoors of Western North Carolina.

Jen grew up on a small farm in Tennessee and graduated the University of Tennessee in 1995 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering.  She then worked for about a decade for John Deere as a software engineer designing and writing code for their engine controls system.  She had not grown up recognizing her creativite side but a life long love of photography eventually led her to venture into graphic design. So began the next decade long career as a freelancer doing web development and graphic design.  It was during this time that she began exploring more traditional venues of artistic expression.  Eventually she stumbled into encaustics which is currently her favorite medium in which to work outside of photography. Now retired from other jobs, she enjoys running, hiking, landscape photography, photography adventure travel and doing encaustic art.

Though she had grown up occasionally going to church as a child, it was through some life hardships that she came to believe in and depend on Jesus.  Her faith has grown and deepened over the years both through study as well as her daily walk with God through the joys and challenges of everyday life.  

Jen and Brock have been married since 1995 and have a VERY spoiled cat. Jen is excited to have an opportunity to serve Valley Hope. She is passionate about helping people have the tools, processes and information they need to get connected and grow in Christ centered community.

Leslie was born and raised in Buncombe County and loves having the views of the mountains in her sight every day! Leslie started her career working in non-profit accounting with a school foundation until asked to come work at a historic church in downtown Asheville; she never looked back. She has many years of church finance experience and loves being able to apply her talents in a church setting. She currently provides the accounting services to multiple churches and stays very busy and challenged!

She is married to her husband Larry, they have two sweet kids, Mattie Grace and Liam. Leslie enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, eating good food and the beach! She is happy to be working with the staff and church family of Valley Hope Church!