Our Staff
Joe Pellizze President of Hope Ministries Pastoral Counselor
Hope Ministries is a place for hurting men, women and families to receive “Hope” by the power of God through the Holy Spirit, for their lives when all seems lost and impossible to find. We are honored to have the opportunity to remind Gods' children that He loves them and that He desires to restore each of us to a
life of peace, joy and total dependency on Him.
We meet women who are, or who have been tortured by memories of childhood sexual abuse, or who are living in domestic violence, unable to find a way out of the emotional, and/or physical pain.
We work with men and women who want to be free from addiction’s that have plagued them for many years, and their families who have been affected by these addictions.
We minister to individuals, husbands, and wives needing assistance in living by the Spirit as recorded in Gods' Word; Galations2:20-21, 3:26-29, 5: 13-26, Ephesians2:8-10, etc.
At Hope we minister the truth found in God’s Word and people are positively changed by the power of it! What a blessing it is for us to remind them of such scripture as: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
Lew Gervais Director of Education Addictions Pastoral Counselor
Lew grew up in New Hampshire and came to Christ in December of 1972, while serving in the Air Force. In 1979 he earned a BA degree in Special Education while living on the island of Guam. He served as a teacher and as a counselor in a reform school on the island for several years after receiving his bachelor's degree and his teaching credentials. In 1982 Lew married Barbara a fellow teacher. In 1985 Lew left the classroom to go into full-time ministry to crack addicts in the Bahamas. His Mansion Ministries sent him to Nassau as their missionary to work with the crack addicts there. He spent nine years in the Bahamas and helped start two Christ-centered residential programs for addicts. In all he spent 20 plus years on staff with His Mansion Ministries as well as serving as one of their board members for several years. (www.hismansion.com)Since 1994 Lew has lived in Palm Bay Florida with his family. Shortly after moving to Florida Lew started working at Hope Ministries as a missionary. He also spent over nine years working as the recovery pastor at his former church, Zion Christian Church (now called CerterPointe Church). He is licensed by the state of Florida as a Certified Addictions Prevention Professional (CAPP) and has had over 35 years of hands on experience counseling and helping the addicted. As a former substance abuser and heroin addict himself, Lew speaks authoritatively to the issues involved in recovery from: drugs, alcohol and sexual addictions. Since 1996 Lew has been going to churches throughout the US and Canada offering his experience and wisdom as he helps churches learn to reach out to the hurting and the addicted in their community. His facilitator training seminars have been instrumental in helping many churches develop and expand their ability to minister to the hurting and the addicted in and around the church. Lew’s two fold passion is to see Christ-centered recovery ministries operating in churches all around the country, and to help equip the next generation of addictions counselors. When he is not traveling, Lew can be found at Hope Ministries where he leads support groups, and counsel's addicts, as well as teaching classes to people who want to learn how to minister to the addicted.
Tom & Barbara Murgatroyd Business Office Managers Prison Aftercare Ministry
Gateway to Life Prison Ministries Directors
Tom and Barbara Murgatroyd were called by God to this prison outreach ministry and they are reaching out to inmates and their families to show them love in practical ways and show them that they they are not alone. Tom and Barbara; married 43 years and blessed with three sons, five grandchildren and Three great-grandchildren are the leaders of this very important ministry. They personally understand how incarceration affects the families left behind. They experienced it and are now reaching out to help others caught in difficult situation. Tom and Barbara say,
"We are not professionals, we just have a heart for the hurting."
Gina Lindquist Licensed Minister Addictions Pastoral Counselor
Gina Lindquist is a native Floridian who grew up in Miami. Childhood trauma and neglect led her to a life of dependency on alcohol to cope, until she found victory through God’s grace and the understanding of her identity in Jesus Christ. She believes that one of the biggest lies that perpetuates addiction is the belief that our behavior defines who we are. The truth is that who we believe we are, is what will dictate our behavior. Addictions and other destructive behaviors are the product of the lies we believe about ourselves and our worth. Knowing our true worth is the key to freedom and changing our beliefs can change our life. Gina’s life has confirmed this. God healed her health and finances in record time and at 46, she returned to college for an Associate degree in Human Services. She went on to graduate from Charis Bible college with a bachelor’s degree in Theological Studies and is a licensed Minister. In 2020 she started her organization Passion Ministries Inc from a desire to help other woman break free from the guilt and shame of a traumatic life and find healing for themselves and their families. Her vision is to establish a residential treatment program for woman that will provide a safe and loving environment for this to take place. This year she joined the staff at Hope Ministries and freely offers her life experience and biblical knowledge to their success of “Helping Hearts Heal”. What could have been a life of defeat is now a story of triumph by the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Her greatest passion is to help women break free from false beliefs that lead to addiction and find healing and restoration for them and their families. She does this by redirecting their lives to an understanding of the God who created them in His image and loves them unconditionally.” Gina is available for individual counselling, group studies or speaking engagements.
