Rev. Bennie Castle
Rev. Castle was installed at New Hope by a commission from Calvary Presbytery (PCA) on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Rev. Castle is a graduate of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, having been ordained in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church since 2019. He is married to his better half, Amanda, with whom he has four children, Nathaniel, Amy Lou, Atticus and Charlotte. The Castles are progeny of the South having ancestors in this region to go back to the Virginia Colony.
Pat Hodge
Elder
Pat is active in his church activities by teaching Sunday School and serving on the PCA Administration Committee. He is married to Dena S. Hodge and they are the parents of three children: Jay Hodge of Anderson, S.C.; Cary Hodge of Summerville, S.C.; Millie Runyon, along with granddaughters Mayson and Callie of Summerville, S.C. A graduate of Abbeville High School and Mars Hill College, Pat served his country in the US Air Force prior to joining the family business, Hodge Frozen Food. He is employed with Harris Funeral Home as a licensed funeral director. His community activities include: Abbeville First Bank director and board member of United Christian Ministries of Abbeville County (UCMAC). He likes to spend his spare time playing golf and watching sports.
Roy Phillips
Elder
Roy grew up in Marianna, a small, coal mining town south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Minnesota and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Roy served on active duty for 26 years and retired in 2004 after returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom. He and his wife, Sherry (an animal lover), moved to McCormick, SC from Oceanside, CA in 2010. In his spare time, Roy likes to fish and barbecue. He loves music, plays the piano and trumpet and has sung in a number of church choirs and a barbershop quartet. He currently leads a community Bible study in McCormick.
John Cook
Elder
Originally from Macon, Georgia, John is a graduate of North Georgia College (’69) and Medical College of Georgia (’73). While in medical school, John married the love of his life, Sally, and also the U.S. Army Medical Corps, in which he served for twenty years. After leaving the army, John & Sally moved to Aiken where he continues to serve the community as a dermatologist. They have been happily worshiping Jesus Christ at New Hope PCA since 2002. John and Sally have two children and five grandchildren.