Pastor Transition Updates

Pastor Alistair Anquetil will arrive here Monday Oct. 17.
The rest of the family will be coming later.  There is an issue with one of the children’s visas.  The PCUSA immigration attorney and Sen Tillis’ office are involved in resolving this issue.
Pastor Alistair asked to share this with you –
“There have been some developments since we last communicated our arrival plans.  Matthew’s visa has been issued. There is a problem with Samantha’s visa (that we believe is a processing error on the side of the consulate). It is not yet clear how to solve the problem and how long it will take (it may be days, weeks or heaven forbid, months). I have decided to schedule my flight to arrive on Monday, October 17. This gives me next week to do what I can to get to the bottom of the problem and to try and prepare our family for a potentially long time apart. Thank you for your care and support. I am very sorry for any additional pressure that this places on the congregation.  Joanne joins me in sending love.”  Alistair
Please continue to pray for the Anquetil family.  They are in a place of limbo between where they were and where they want to be with us.”

August 2022 Great News!

The Anquetils have an appointment at the Johannesburg US Embassy for an interview and visa processing on September 6th! Initially, the only appt that was available was in October. Pastor Alistair was on the website at midnight to 3am for a month trying to get an earlier appt. Possible arrival in Huntersville in October!

Good News!

An update regarding the progress we’re making bringing Pastor Alistair and his family to the US, and Hopewell.

The United States Customs and Immigration site visit was done Friday morning June 3 here at Hopewell.  Two agents from the US Customs and Immigration Service, a part of the Department of Homeland Security, were here on campus verifying that we are indeed a religious organization that is meeting regularly.  Very fortunately, Lillian Barnette and Sarah Scoggin were here at the church preparing for the Graduation Breakfast and could greet the two agents, showing them around the campus and answering questions about our church.  This site visit is a month earlier than anticipated.

What does this mean?  This means that the visa application is being worked and we could be approximately 2 months from a decision from the USCIS, based on what we are seeing in other cases similar to ours.  That gets us to a August date when Pastor Alistair can schedule his in-person interview at the US Embassy in South Africa.  After that we are hopefully less than 6 weeks away from the family arriving in the US.

So we may be welcoming Pastor Alistair and his family to the US in September or October!  Of course, this timeline is a guess.  It could be faster or slower, depending on the US Government timeline.

What can you do to help prepare for their arrival?

Next Saturday June 11 at 8:30am, we are meeting at the manse for a yard maintenance clean up morning!  There are weeds and shrubs that have taken advantage of the sunshine and rain and need some pruning!  Please come dressed for work, and bring yard tools, ready to do some work in the flower beds and yard.

If you have not already, please sign up to meet our new pastor through a Zoom call.  You can see any member of the PTC team to get help signing up or with doing the actual Zoom call.  (Or ask your grandchildren or children to help!)  Please do not miss this opportunity to begin your relationship with our new pastor.

Thank you all again for your continued support of this effort. Please continue to pray for Pastor Alistair, Joanne, Samatha and Matthew, St. Columba in Johannesburg, and the USCIS.

We will continue to keep you updated as things move forward!

April 19, 2022
Dear Members of Hopewell:
The Pastor Nominating Committee who helped call Pastor Alistair and his family to Hopewell has now become the Pastor Transition Committee.  We welcome anyone who feels led to join us to plan for their arrival.  Please contact Suzanne Davis about this if you are interested.
We also wanted to let the congregation know that the U.S. Immigration Department received the application for Pastor Alistair and his family in February and is listing the processing time to now be 7 to 10 months.  Unfortunately, that means that the earliest they could be here is September–and it could be as long as year-end.
We are asking Senator Tillis’ office for their help to improve this timeline.  You can also help by sending a letter or an email to Sen. Tillis asking for help in reducing the processing time to get Pastor Alistair Anquetil here sooner!  https://www.tillis.senate.gov/
Pastor Alistair has been having small group Zoom calls with the Elders and Deacons for the past couple of months.  The opportunity for the congregation to participate in a Zoom call with Pastor Alistair will happen in the near future.  The pictorial directory will be very helpful for that!  Look for more information about this soon.
Most of all, please continue to pray for Pastor Alistair and his family.  Pray for Pastor Lynn, Sarah, and all the Staff of Hopewell to prepare us all for Pastor Alistair and to continue to guide us to do work for Christ.  Pray for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service that they may process Pastor Alistair’s visa application with speed.  Pray for United States Embassy in Johannesburg, South Africa that once the visa is processed that they may do what needs to be done quickly.
We will continue to share additional information as it is available.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask in person or by email hopewellpreshuntersvillencpnc@gmail.com.
Blessings,
Pastor Transition Committee (PTC)

We have called a new pastor!!!

Rev. Alistair Anquetil from Johannesburg South Africa.

Press Release

After several months of thoughtful, prayerful, and diligent search and discernment, Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Huntersville, NC has called a new pastor, the Reverend Alistair Anquetil of Johannesburg, South Africa.  Reverend Anquetil has accepted the 23 January call, and in conjunction with Hopewell Presbyterian Church, the Presbytery of Charlotte, and the Presbyterian Church (USA), is currently pursuing the necessary R-1 Immigrant visa through the US State Department process.

Reverend Alistair Anquetil currently serves as Minister at St. Columba’s Presbyterian Church in Parkview Johannesburg, a member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church of South Africa.  He will be coming with his family who includes his wife Joanne, his daughter Samantha, and son Matthew upon receipt of their visas.

Founded in 1762, and one of the seven original Presbyterian churches in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region, Hopewell Presbyterian Church is currently pastored by Rev. Dr. Lynn Thompson Bryant.  Sarah Scoggin is the Director of Children and Youth Ministries.

Located at 10500 Beatties Ford Road in Huntersville, NC, Hopewell Presbyterian Church offers a Sunday 9am Non-Traditional Worship in the Family Life Center and 11am Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary.  To learn more, they can be reached at 704-875-2291, or hopewell@hopewellpresbyterian.com.  Visit their website hopewellpresby.org, and you can find them on Facebook for more information.

Pick up information handouts in the church office.Alistair Questions Infographic (8.5 × 11 in)

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