John Hutcheson

Reverend John Hutcheson, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist church, has been involved in Place of Hope since he received a call from Reverend Joey Thompson, Clayton Baptist Church, came inviting him to participate in Place of Hope. There was another reason for his interest, for years he and his wife considered fostering or adoption or both. They recognized the need of kids who need parents. That was May 20, 2020 and he has been faithfully serving since then.

John and his wife Sarah have been married 22 years and have dedicated their lives and marriage to “Serving God together”. The couple has three daughters, Hailey, McKenzie, and Macy. As Macy was starting to learn, she was diagnosed with dyslexia, and Sarah dedicated her time and talents to learning all she could about this learning disorder. She has now become a certified dyslexia tutor, and teaches online classes all over the country.

Being in Rabun County is not John’s first rodeo. He was born in Augusta, but moved here when he was six months old. His father was the pastor at Tabernacle Baptist church from 1977-2000. After he finished schooling here, he enrolled in Bob Jones University to attend seminary. He met Sarah, from Grand Junction, CO there. Their ministry before coming here six years ago was in Dublin, OH. That church had a ministry similar to Place of Hope.

John is currently the chaplain for Fire/ Safety, EMS, and the Sheriff Department, and meets with those organizations on a weekly basis. He offers advice and counseling not only to his church members, but members of these critical areas of service to the community. Sarah joins him when a woman is seeking help.

His personal vision for Place of Hope is that they would be able to impact each child that comes through the system, and support every foster family. He believes that Place of Hope will have tremendous impact on the community. He has been encouraged and surprised at the financial support the venture has received. Currently, he is proud that the group is sponsoring a supply closet, and backpacks for each student. Word is getting out, and his hopes are high that what has begun will grow in love and honor.