Leadership
Called to serve.
Get to know the men and women who lead Hope as pastors, elders, and deacons.
Our Elders
Hope is led by a group of elders so no one person has too much power and each is held accountable by others. Pastors and ruling elders share responsibility for the spiritual oversight of the congregation — the Presbyterian model of church governance.
Joe Haack
Pastor
Joe was born in Illinois (Chicago), raised in Indiana (Muncie), went to college in Ohio (Miami), and attended seminary in Missouri (Covenant in St. Louis), giving new meaning to the adjective "Midwestern." He and his wife Josie have three boys and have been following Jesus together for over two decades.
Aaron Badenhop
Teaching Elder
Aaron grew up in Northwest Ohio and moved to Columbus to attend Ohio State. After 20 years working on staff with Cru, he has helped launch a Christian Study Center for OSU called Carmen House. He is married to Elisabeth and with their two daughters they love the outdoors and OSU sports.
Ryan Hullinger
Ruling Elder
Ryan was born and raised in Fort Wayne, IN and came to Columbus to study at Ohio State. In 2006 he and his wife Amanda joined the church that planted Hope and he has been blessed by Hope friendships ever since. Ryan loves to spend time with family, especially singing karaoke in the car with his three daughters.
Allan Adams
Ruling Elder
Allan grew up on the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. After coming to faith in Christ at the age of 18, he was instrumental in starting a youth group, which later became a church in his village. Later he moved to the south of the island to plant a church. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1998 and after living in Iowa and Kentucky, moved to Columbus 10 years ago and joined Hope. He is married to Ingrid and they have two daughters and one granddaughter. He likes football (soccer), tennis, and playing chess.
Wes Piehl
Teaching Elder
Like many at Hope, Wes and his wife (Michelle) made Columbus home while he was a student at Ohio State. He then pursued a call to ordained ministry, finishing seminary while serving in various roles at Hope. Wes loves shepherding children and youth at Hope. He also loves playing board games, learning musical instruments, and enjoying good books, movies, and music.
Service & Mercy
Our Deacons
A deacon's first duty is sympathy and service. They are instruments for acts of mercy and compassion. Because Jesus redefined leadership as service, our deacons embody the welcome of Jesus and help Hope do the same.
Amanda Hullinger
Deacon
Amanda grew up in the midwest and attended Wheaton College. She and her husband, Ryan, began married life in New York City and then moved to Columbus in 2006. She is a clinical counselor and enjoys good food, fitness and reading with friends. She and Ryan have three grown daughters and one very silly dog.
Bernadette McNamara
Deacon
Bernadette was born and raised in Dayton, OH and is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where she met her husband, Ryan. Together, they spend their days raising three adventurous sons. She later earned a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary, where her passion for the intersection of psychology and theology took root.
Brian Kuric
Deacon
Brian grew up in Erie, PA, but Columbus became home while attending The Ohio State University, where he met Jesus through Cru and later met his wife. He enjoys using creativity and thoughtful design to help people experience the welcome of Jesus.
Christian Brill
Deacon
Christian is an Arkansas native who has lived in Clintonville since 2010. Shortly thereafter, Christian, his wife Seuli, and their family joined the beginnings of what would become Hope in order to help plant a new church in the community in which they were professionally invested. Christian enjoys traveling, playing the violin, and cheering for the Arkansas Razorbacks. His favorite movie character is Han Solo.
Michelle Piehl
Deacon
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Michelle moved to Columbus in 2015. She is married to Wes and enjoys crafting and thrifting in her spare time. She has special interests in accessibility and the connection of faith and vocation.
Ryan McNamara
Deacon
Ryan grew up in Avon Lake, on the shores of Lake Erie in Northeast Ohio, before heading to Ohio State, where he met his wife, Bernadette. The two have called Columbus home since 2012. Ryan works as a data analyst in fintech, and when he's not wrangling data (or their three boys), he's cheering on the Buckeyes.
Tom Mendel
Deacon
Tom is from Virginia, finding his way to Columbus to join the faculty at Ohio State after some time in Cleveland. He and his wife Kathryn enjoy being outside with their three kids and have been putting roots down here in Columbus since 2021.