Pastor Paulo Freire has been shepherding the congregation at Hope Church in New Jersey for more than twenty years. He is a native of São Paulo, Brazil, but was raised here in New Jersey. As a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute, Pastor Paul brings a love for the study and application of the Word of God into the pulpit with him. He lives in Wantage with his wife Lisa. Pastor Paul and Lisa have three sons, Tyler (attending Reformed Theological Seminary and married to Jeanna), Micah (attending Cedarville University), and Elias, who is still at home.

When he is not behind the pulpit here at Hope, Pastor Paul can be found preaching and teaching in other venues, leading the "Abide" college and career group, training pastors through the EFCA Gateway program, and coaching his son's soccer team. While he still enjoys taking visitors into the city to see the sights, Pastor Paul is thankful to be ministering in the serene beauty of Sussex County.