Who Are We?

Abiding Hope exists to share the love of God in Christ as we rejoice together in the full and free forgiveness that our Savior, Jesus, has won for all people.  As a family of believers, we gather together for worship, Bible study, and fellowship to be strengthened in faith and to support and encourage one another.  At the same time, we pray that the Lord would give us the opportunity to reach out to our community with the good news of salvation in Jesus and by the Spirit’s power bring many others into God’s kingdom through faith.

Our History

Our congregation got its start when Pastor Paul Lemke arrived in Ocala in the fall of 1984 to begin a new mission church.  As the Lord blessed the faithful work of Pastor Lemke a core group of believers began gathering for worship and Bible study in various temporary locations until the current property was purchased and the church built in 1990.  The Lord has continued to bless Abiding Hope over the years and we look forward to serving our members and the community with the gospel for many years to come.

Our Pastor

Pastor Miller wasn’t born in Florida, but he got here as soon as he could! He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He graduated from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2015. He completed his pastoral training at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI, receiving a Masters of Divinity degree in May 2019. Upon graduation from the Seminary, he was assigned to serve for two years as a campus pastor at his old high school, Luther Preparatory School, in Watertown, WI. In May of 2021, he was called to serve as Pastor at Abiding Hope and has been serving here since mid-July.

Luke is so excited to call Ocala home! He looks forward to exploring this beautiful city, meeting his new community, enjoying the Florida sunshine, and serving Jesus in Ocala for years to come! He’d love to meet you!

Our National CHurch Body (WELS)

Through our connection to our national church body, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), we help spread God’s kingdom throughout the world. Founded in Wisconsin in 1850, the WELS has grown to a group of nearly 400,000 men, women, and children in nearly 1,300 congregations across the United States and Canada united by a common faith in Christ’s saving love.  We are committed to a common calling—encouraging each other in our faith and sharing God’s gift of our Savior, Jesus, with the rest of the world.  For more information about the WELS, go to www.wels.net.