25 Years of Hope: The Documentary
One vision. Twenty-five years. A story worth telling right.
A Story Too Big for a Slideshow
In honor of New Hope Cathedral's 25th Anniversary on August 30, 2026, we're producing a full-length documentary: 25 Years of Hope. This isn't a highlight reel. It's an in-depth account of how a church that began around a couple's living room furniture became an 11-acre cathedral campus that Henry County now looks to for civic gatherings, community events, and Sunday worship alike. The film is currently in production, drawing on interviews, archival material, and the ongoing work of New Hope's History Ministry.
From the Living Room to the Cathedral
25 Years of Hope will trace New Hope's full arc: Bishop Leaphart-Mack's 1997 ordination and the Habakkuk 2:2 calling that started everything; the July 2001 founding in the Leaphart home; the January 2002 move to Chapel Hill Elementary School; the December 2002 spiritual covering under Bishop Eddie L. Long and The Father's House Ministry; the December 2003 purchase of the Flat Shoals Road property and its 2009 payoff; and the 2011 move into the Stockbridge cathedral campus New Hope owns outright today.
Along the way, the film will follow New Hope's evolution into a civic landmark — hosting Henry County town halls and community meetings — and its growth into a full digital-ministry footprint reaching far beyond the Stockbridge campus.
The Founders
The story of Bishop and First Lady Leaphart-Mack, told from the calling forward — why they opened their home, and what it cost to believe a word before there was anything to show for it.
The Congregation
Founding members, longtime leaders, and newer voices, reflecting on what it meant to build a church one Sunday, one property, and one generation at a time.
The Campus
How eleven owned acres in Stockbridge became a worship center, a conference venue, and a gathering place for a whole community.
Have Footage, Photos, or a Story to Share?
The History Ministry is still gathering material for 25 Years of Hope — historic photographs, bulletins, and firsthand accounts from members who were part of New Hope's earlier chapters. If you have something to contribute, or a memory worth including, reach out before production wraps.