Thomas F. Leake - Senior Pastor-Teacher

Pastor Tom Leake was born overseas as an American citizen (his dad having worked for the U.S. State Department), but was raised in the United States in Maryland. He entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ while in college where he met his wife, Susan. After graduating, Tom taught in Christian schools for 12 years and earned a Master of Arts degree in theology from Capital Bible Seminary. Later he and his family moved to Southern California while he attended The Master's Seminary where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1997. While in seminary, the Lord had impressed on Tom the need for planting strong Bible-teaching churches—particularly in Maryland—so he returned there in the summer of 1997 to help establish Hope Bible Church.

Currently, Tom's primary ministries are expository preaching, teaching, and supervising the planning and development of Sunday worship services. In addition, he focuses on developing leaders and helping all the members of the congregation to become mature co-laborers in Christ. Tom and Susan have four children: Hannah, Grace, Faith, and Josiah.

(Note: Tom is a member of the IFCA International, a non-denominational fellowship involving about one thousand independent churches in the U.S. alone and The Shepherd’s Fellowship, a group developed through the annual Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church in California.)

Alan H. Plumley - Family Discipleship, Finances

Dr. Plumley grew up in Delaware, and became a Christian while a sophomore in high school. For five years in college he grew and ministered as a student leader of the Campus Crusade for Christ ministry on campus. After graduating, he and Carol got married and joined the staff of Campus Crusade, volunteering to minister overseas by using their engineering and teaching skills (respectively) to help meet people's physical needs while working with a team of others through local churches to help meet people's spiritual needs. They ministered for five years in Southern Africa, focusing on evangelism, teaching, and training. While there, God gave Alan a growing burden to have a Biblical impact on the Family, the Church, and the State. Recognizing his need to be better trained in government, they returned to the U.S., where Alan eventually earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University. While working on his dissertation, Alan came to Maryland to work for the IRS Research Division in D.C.—learning taxes from the inside. He continues to work there as an economist. Alan and Carol were also members of Forcey Memorial Church for twelve years, where they worked with the Leakes in parenting and homeschool ministries, and where he taught the membership class. Dr. Plumley was ordained an elder at the first worship service held by what is now Hope Bible Church. His primary ministry at Hope is teaching. The Plumleys have four children: Chris, Trevor, Jan, and Sarah.

Doug Baldridge - Worship Ministry

Doug Baldridge was saved as a child in elementary school. He was married in college and also baptized as a believer while he was in college. He first attended Grace Discipleship Church in summer of 1999. He and his wife Diane joined the church shortly afterwards. They started serving in the coffee table and then Doug went on to teach children’s Sunday School to the Young Disciples. Doug joined leadership training in 2002. Doug started leading the praise songs in 2003. Soon afterwards Doug began leading the choir at Hope Bible Church. Doug began leading a small group in 2004. Doug is an Elder Candidate and in 2009 he became a deacon at Hope Bible Church. Doug has three sons Austin, Alexander and Addison.

Craig Fyfe - Children's Ministry

With nearly 20 years of experience teaching Sunday School and currently being a Family Flock Group leader and a former small group leader in a local Christian middle school, Craig became the Children's Ministry Superintendent in 2002. In the summer of 2004, he was made the Deacon of the Children's Ministry. Craig and his wife, Belinda, have two daughters.

Ross Levin - Church Administration

Ross accepted the Lord in 1984 while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, having first been presented the gospel eight years earlier while attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. After leaving the military in 1986, he served in various vocations, including 17-years in the financial services community as a stockbroker, Certified Financial Planner and Compliance Officer. In October 1997, Ross and his family followed the Leake family from California to Maryland after Tom Leake graduated from The Master’s Seminary and left to plant Hope Bible Church (HBC). It was never in Ross' plans to serve in full-time ministry. However, God's plans prevailed as He providentially provided Ross' various vocational and training opportunities for the very purpose of serving Him at HBC. Ross is a graduate of Master's International School of Divinity at Evansville, IN, where he earned his Master of Christian Studies degree, majoring in Christian Administration and Management. Ross and Becky's children include Mallory (at home), Joseph (in the Air Force), and Shawn with his wife Angie, who are also members of HBC.

Roger Zeender - Visitors

Roger and his wife, Robin, are among the founding families of what is now Hope Bible Church. God gave them a burden to help plant a church like this that spread even to Pastor Leake while he was in seminary. From the beginning, the Zeenders have been used by God to spur our fellowship and sense of family. They have opened their home for numerous church gatherings — including Sunday worship for the few weeks between when we left our location in Laurel and when Fulton Elementary became available. They now lead the Greeter and Visitors Ministries as well as a flock group. They have three daughters.

Ross Levin - Church Administrator

Apart from Pastor Leake, Ross is the church's only full-time employee and also serves as Treasurer. He was hired in 2005, having already served for many years as our financial bookkeeper.

Susan Leake - Senior Pastor's Secretary

In addition to her many other responsibilities as Pastor Leake's wife, Sue works part-time handling many of the administrative tasks associated with Pastor Leake's responsibilities, freeing him up for more effective ministry.

Laura Zeender - Senior Pastor's Secretary

Laura, daughter of Roger and Robin Zeender, serves in the church office assisting Pastor Leake with his various ministry duties. She first worked as Pastor Leake's assistant in elementary school when, as his fourth grade student, she was responsible to grade her classmates Bible memory verses for him. After fourth grade, Laura went on to graduate from Howard Community College and American University with a degree in Political Science, working in the political field for 5 years. Laura's passion has always been for the Lord and for His Church so she is currently working on receiving her Master's in Biblical Counseling from The Master's College in California to better equip her for church ministry. She is also involved with the children's and worship ministries at HBC as a teacher and coordinator of special music respectively.