LEADERSHIP
Pastor Joel Nason, D.Min.
Pastor Nason, a native of Houlton, Maine, has pastored churches in South Carolina and New Hampshire. He graduated from Bob Jones University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible. He met his wife Hope as a student at the University and they were married in 1987. While working on a Master of Divinity, which he completed in 1991, Joel and Hope labored for a short time at a mission work in the Ivory Coast, West Africa. Having returned from Africa, he started a church in Chesnee, South Carolina while working on his M.Div. God blessed the church, and he pastored there until 1991 when God called the family to plant a church in central New Hampshire. During that time he continued work on his Doctor of Ministry degree, which he received in 2000. His wife Hope is from Gastonia, North Carolina and they have three grown children: Rebekah, Caleb, and David.
Pastor Ryan Blackard, M.A.
Pastor Ryan hails from Chocowinity, North Carolina but makes his home now in Laconia, New Hampshire. While preparing for the ministry at Gateway Christian College in Virginia Beach, Virginia, God opened the door for Ryan to spend two summers as an intern at Heritage. After graduating with his Bachelors degree in Bible he attended Bob Jones University where he earned his Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology. His wife Samantha is also from North Carolina and they have two children: Rayn and Reed. Ryan loves to preach the Word of God and work with young couples in our fellowship. Ryan lives to hunt ducks when October arrives.