Rev. Miles Spencer Hopgood

Pastor

Born and raised in Lexington, KY, Pastor Hopgood first came to the east coast in 2013 to pursue a PhD in Church History at Princeton Theological Seminary. Prior to studying at Princeton Seminary, he lived in Chicago for seven years, where he earned both his Masters of Divinity and Bachelors at the University of Chicago. He completed his doctorate in the fall of 2019 by defending a dissertation on Martin Luther’s lectures on Deuteronomy, after which he was ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament and began serving a call in Ewing, NJ.

While studying at Princeton Seminary, Pastor Hopgood met his wife, Kayla. A fellow graduate of the seminary and trained spiritual director, she serves as Pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in Washington Crossing which she began in August of 2023. Together, they share their lives with their two children as well as their cat who watches over their two hives of bees and a small but mighty flock of chickens. In his spare time, Pastor Hopgood enjoys a number of outdoor activities from rowing to mountaineering. At home, you can find him in the kitchen, where he loves to cook and bake, or around a table playing board games with anyone who’ll join him.

It is a core conviction of Pastor Hopgood’s ministry that the good news of God’s grace is a word all people need to hear, and that it is the mission of the church to translate this message into one our community can hear and receive. He looks forward to meeting everyone at Good Shepherd and learning more about our passion for ministry and community.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy – Princeton Theological Seminary (2019)

  • Master of Divinity – University of Chicago (2013)

  • B. A. Religion – University of Chicago (2010)

    Pastoral Experience

• Pastor – Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, Ewing, NJ (2020-Present)

Other Experience

  • Adjunct Faculty – Moravian University, Bethlehem, PA (2019)

  • Vicar – Lutheran Church of God’s Love, Newtown, PA (2018-2019)

  • Director of Christian Education – First United Methodist Church of Germantown,

    Philadelphia, PA (2014-2016)

  • Registry Chaplain – University of Chicago Medicine (2012-2013)

Areas of Expertise

  • Preaching/Worship Leadership

  • Teaching

  • Campus/Young Adult Ministry

  • Youth & Family Ministry

  • Building a Sense of Community

    Areas of Strength

  • Counseling/Social Work

  • Strategic Mission Planning

  • Innovation/Creativity

  • Community Organizing

  • Volunteer Coordination

    He shared the following reflection on his theology, sense of call & the way it shapes his life and work.
    My sense of call comes from my lived experience of the church as a universal fellowship gifted to the world by God, as one body where we are joined to Christ and one another as friends, and as the vehicle through which the Holy Spirit works renewal of us and our world. These experiences of grace in the Christian community have shaped my sense of call, allowing me to see that my life and work are to help build up the church so that others can experience God in the same way. While the particular gifts God has given me to preach, teach, minister, counsel, and lead are what led me to rostered ministry, this sense of call is why I am a Christian and would be part of my life, regardless of my vocation.