Mount Hope is certainly "one-of-a-kind, diverse church with something for everyone and we would love to welcome you", as they said in a very sarcastic way. The following are my experience points with this group. And the Hispanic side is the worst of both worlds. Those two pastors were very friendly when they didn't have a congregation, but they are gods now.
I met two of the M.H. Church regular visitors who were homeless as a homeless can be, with only one set of clothes that they used for daily activities (including church), sleeping and working; one of them used to slip into a building and live in the mail room; and the other slept on the streets until a non-Christian business owner in the Old Town helped him, letting him sleep after hours in his shop, and thanks God Almighty for that, who doesn't need churchgoers to work His miracles. But the pastors at Mount Hope they never knew about their situation because they didn't like to mingle with the low classes.
Mount Hope also got an area to drink coffee and other refreshments, and to eat bagels, donuts, after the services (no, that's not a Vineyard's idea, even when they claim the copyright), and one day a lady fainted in that room. People just stood on the other side, ignoring her like nothing was going on. Nobody prayed for her even when the Christian's God is a Healing God.
I had the opportunity once to talk to the pastor reverend W.V., only once, btw, and he told me something about the Bible. And then I asked where I could exactly find that information, and he said, it's everywhere, front cover to cover, and evaded the question but couldn't hide his ignorance, which looked very unprofessional and made me question the seriousness of his claims. It's my opinion that if one wants to make money in a profession that only has one book, should at least read it once in a while. This could be the only way to avoid making it look like a scam.
Another story is that the bus driver, after a couple of years working for Mount Hope and not missing a weekend, had to work a Sunday. He informed the church, and was fired because of that. I'm not sure if he even had a salary for driving the church's bus, but it looks like somebody else was in line for the job position, and that person had friends in the right places.
I also received an email from a Mount Hope's reverend, minister of helps, senior team member and a regular teacher of their Bible Training Institute, who stated that "unsigned letters are demonic in nature. Jesus never sent a letter unsigned, nor should you. The devil's tactic is to operate from the shadows! -Rev. J.E." This new intel was very surprising, because it's a worldwide misunderstanding that not a single written word has been found from the Son of God. Several years later, I asked him where did he got this information from, and he answered: "I don't recall the email from 8 years ago, but given my response below, it is nothing I care to discuss/discourse with you on", confirming what Simon wrote in his 1st Peter 3:15.
To conclude this review, all the evangelical pastors of the area used to get together once in a while, and during one of those meetings, several of them questioned the anti-biblical behavior of the Mount Hope Church pastors. Their answer was that it was their church, and they could do as they pleased. An aptitude certainly very far away from the Spirit of Christ.
It looks to me that their hierarchy is above reality and our common folks.
Now, the good things of this review: their building is nice; lots of room. You can drive a car in the hallways. And they also have a nice gym for church members, if one like to sweat and get tired for no reason. And a nice store, where one can buy many religious thingies one cannot find anywhere else; and Bibles a little more expensive than everywhere else (Isaiah 56:7 & Matthew 21:13).
You may never have heard anything like this before. I most certainly hope I never hear it again.
PS. Nc L. filtered review for Mount Hope Church testifying that this a Mega Church that doesn't care about people is correct. I'm glad I am not the only witness, and not happy that I'm not the only victim. read more