Conversations with Rev. Jim Hancock

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rev. Jim Hancock.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
What is my story?

I’ll be honest—talking about myself doesn’t come naturally. I’m much more comfortable talking about the people around me or what God is doing through our church and community. But since this is meant to help tell the story behind Bethel Methodist Church and the work we’re doing here, I’ll share a bit of my own journey.

I believe ministry, at its core, is pretty simple: love God, love people, and help build communities where faith can grow in real, everyday life. That belief has guided my life and eventually brought me to serve the greater Stockbridge area as pastor of Bethel Methodist Church.

I was born in Wisconsin but raised mostly in Mississippi, and I first sensed God calling me into ministry as a teenager. At fifteen, I was given the opportunity to preach during a Wednesday night service, and something clicked. Even so, my path wasn’t straight. For many years, I worked in business and technology, which took me to places like Nashville, Boston, and Phoenix. Those seasons gave me experience and perspective that help me relate to people today—families trying to balance work, finances, faith, and everyday pressures. Eventually, though, God led me back to where I knew I belonged, serving in ministry full-time.

Today, I am Senior Pastor at Bethel Methodist Church, located in Stockbridge and serving families throughout Ellenwood, McDonough, and the surrounding communities. Bethel has deep roots here, dating back to 1860, and in recent years the church walked through a difficult but important transition as it disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church. Then, in early 2024, the congregation affiliated with the Congregational Methodist Church, joining together with other churches such as the historically CMC church Rock Springs in Milner, and Harvest Point in Locust Grove, which also recently affiliated with the CMC at the same time as Bethel. This transition allows us to remain Methodist in theology while operating with strong local autonomy. I see this season not as an ending, but as a renewal—a chance to refocus on why we’re here in the first place: serving people and pointing them toward Christ.

At Bethel, we’re working hard to reconnect with the community, strengthen families, and create a place where people feel welcome no matter where they are in their faith journey. I try to lead with scriptural faithfulness in everything I do, and my preaching focuses on helping people apply God’s Word to real life. Church shouldn’t just be something that happens on Sunday morning; it should make a difference in how we live the rest of the week. So we’re investing in outreach, fellowship, and opportunities for people to connect and serve.

One thing folks around the church will tell you is that I never meet a stranger. My wife jokes that I’ll talk to anyone—whether it’s a visitor on Sunday morning or someone standing next to me in line at Costco. But honestly, I see those moments as opportunities. Every person we meet matters to God, and I try to treat people that way. I genuinely love people, and one of the greatest privileges of being a pastor is walking with folks through both the best and hardest moments of life.

Alongside my work at Bethel, I also serve in leadership roles within the Congregational Methodist Church. I work with churches, including several in the Atlanta area, that are exploring affiliation with the CMC, helping them navigate seasons of change and find healthy paths forward. I have also served as chair of one of our Annual Conferences and hold other denominational responsibilities. Connection and relationships among pastors and churches matter a great deal to me because I believe churches are stronger when we support one another instead of trying to stand alone.

At home, I’m blessed beyond measure. My wife Sheryl and I have been married for 25 years, and she has faithfully supported both me and the churches in which I have served. Together we’ve raised three daughters, and now we’re enjoying life as grandparents to four wonderful grandkids. Being a husband, father, and grandfather shapes my heart for ministry every day because families today need encouragement and hope more than ever.

At the end of the day, I don’t see myself as someone seeking recognition. I’m simply a pastor trying to help people encounter God’s grace. My hope for Bethel Methodist Church and for the communities we serve is that people know there’s a place for them, that faith can grow at any stage of life, and that new beginnings are always possible.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, no—it hasn’t been a smooth road. And I say that pretty plainly because most people already know life rarely is.

Some of the harder parts of my journey were the result of my own choices. Earlier in life, I chased career success and stability, thinking that providing well and moving forward professionally was the same thing as living in God’s will. I spent years building a career, moving to places like Nashville, Boston, and Phoenix, doing what I thought was best for my family and my professional career. But along the way, my priorities drifted, and my faith wasn’t where it needed to be.

There were seasons of real personal and family challenges, and at one point I found myself raising my three daughters largely on my own while trying to keep life moving forward. That period forced me to slow down, reevaluate everything, and recognize that God hadn’t moved—I had. It was a humbling season, but it’s also where my faith became real again.

Coming back fully into ministry later on wasn’t just a career change—it felt like returning to something God had placed on my heart when I was a teenager. It meant accepting that my story wasn’t perfect and trusting that God could still use it anyway. That realization changed me.

Ministry itself isn’t always easy either. Churches go through struggles just like families do. Walking with Bethel Methodist Church after disaffiliation and helping them in affiliating with a new denomination wasn’t simple. There were (and still are) emotions, questions, and uncertainty, because people deeply love their church home. But these seasons can also bring growth, unity, and renewed purpose.

What I’ve learned through all of it is that struggles make you more compassionate. Most people walking into church are carrying something heavy, and because I’ve had my own difficult seasons, I can sit with them not as someone who has everything figured out, but as someone who understands that life doesn’t always go as planned. We use a simple message at Bethel that says: Grace is real. Faith is growing. Everyone is welcome.

So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But I’m grateful for the road God allowed me to travel, because it taught me grace in a way success never could. And now, whether I’m in the pulpit or just talking with someone over coffee, I try to remind people that God can bring good even out of the messy parts of our lives.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At the most basic level, I’m a pastor. My work centers on preaching and teaching God’s Word, caring for people through all stages of life, and helping lead a church to serve its communities well. Any given week might include sermon preparation, counseling, hospital visits, leadership planning, marketing planning, or simply sitting with someone who needs encouragement.

When people get to know me better, they realize that I am truly one who is simply “approachable” for anything – whether it is church-related or personal. I genuinely love people and enjoy conversations wherever they happen—church, coffee shops, or even standing in line at Costco. Ministry doesn’t just happen in a sanctuary; it happens in everyday moments.

What I’m most proud of isn’t a program or accomplishment but seeing lives change—people finding faith again, families reconnecting with church, and congregations rediscovering hope and purpose. Watching Bethel regain excitement and momentum for the future has been especially meaningful.

If anything sets me apart, it’s that I try to lead from real-life experience. My journey hasn’t been perfect, and that helps me relate to people carrying real struggles. I simply try to lead with humility, faithfulness to Scripture, and a desire to help people grow in their relationship with God.

What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is my faith in Jesus first and foremost, then my family, and helping people know they are loved by God and have a place where they belong and can grow in their faith.

My relationship with Christ shapes how I see everything else in life. His grace, forgiveness, and faithfulness are not just things I preach about; they are realities I depend on daily. Because of that, I want others to know they are not beyond hope, not disqualified by their past, and never outside the reach of God’s love.

Family reinforces that truth in very practical ways. Like many families, ours has experienced both joyful seasons and difficult ones, and distance and busy lives mean we don’t always see each other as often as we’d like. Those realities remind me how important grace, patience, and forgiveness are in relationships. My wife, Sheryl, is my best friend and biggest supporter, and being a husband, father, and grandfather continually reminds me how much we all need grace, because none of us get it right all the time.

That understanding carries directly into ministry. I’ve seen too many people feel like church isn’t for them or that their past somehow disqualifies them. I care deeply about helping people reconnect with faith, find hope again, and realize God’s grace is bigger than their struggles or mistakes.

Part of why this matters so much to me is because I’ve needed that same grace in my own life. When someone realizes they’re not alone and that their life still has purpose, it changes everything. Being part of those moments—both within my own family and in the life of the church—is what keeps me passionate about what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.BethelMethodist.church