Anchor of Hope Church finds home at Sutton Center

Sheri Trusty
·3 min read
Pastor James Pitt was praying about serving teens when he felt God talk to him about starting a church in Ottawa County. Here, he stands with his wife, Amber Pitt, inside the Sutton Center, where they have their church, the Anchor of Hope Church.
Pastor James Pitt was praying about serving teens when he felt God talk to him about starting a church in Ottawa County. Here, he stands with his wife, Amber Pitt, inside the Sutton Center, where they have their church, the Anchor of Hope Church.

PORT CLINTON - When Pastor James Pitt was attending a youth conference and praying about how he could better help teens, God led him in another direction. Pitt followed where God was leading, and today he heads The Anchor of Hope Church, which meets inside the Sutton Center.

“I was praying for youth specifically, and God talked to me about Ottawa County specifically,” he said. “Little did I know that someone from Michigan was praying, too. He would come to Port Clinton on vacation, and he really wanted to see a ministry started here.”

At the time, James was serving as a youth pastor at New Life Community Church, a United Pentecostal Church in Fremont. The Michigan man, who is now a parishioner at Anchor of Hope, visited New Life Community Church and connected with James and his wife, Amber Pitt.

“We started doing outreach in Port Clinton, doing Bible studies,” James said.

A revival service began in a Port Clinton woman's yard in 2020

In August 2020, Port Clinton resident Lorie Anderson invited the Pitts to hold revival services in her yard and services in her garage.

“At our first revival, we baptized four people in Lake Erie. After that, Lori opened her garage to us,” James said. “She actually opened her whole garage. We drywalled it and heated it and turned it into an actual church building.”

When the church outgrew the garage, Pitt reached out to Brian Snyder about holding services at the Sutton Center.

“We couldn’t find anything. I called Brian, and he let us come here,” James said. “He loves us. He’s been a major blessing. He said he would absolutely love to help a first-time church.”

Anchor of Hope Church moved into Sutton Center in 2021

The Anchor of Hope Church moved into the Sutton Center in August 2021. The church is still a sister church of New Hope Community Church in Fremont, but is “on our way to becoming autonomous,” James said.

The Sutton Center, which houses several social service organizations, has been an ideal location for the church.

“We’re tied to multifaceted resources for the community,” James said.

The church does not yet hold Sunday morning services. It meets at the Sutton Center on Sundays at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. The evening services have been welcomed by locals and summer tourists.

Pastor James and Amber Pitt started a church in Port Clinton to spread a message of hope.
Pastor James and Amber Pitt started a church in Port Clinton to spread a message of hope.

“The tourists can swim and boat during the day, and at night, we’re open,” Amber said. “The Fremont church comes on Sunday nights to support us.”

Amber said the name for the church is based on Hebrews 6:19 in the Bible which says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil.”

“This verse kept popping up in mind. It’s what God wanted,” she said.

The name epitomizes the heart of the church.

“We want everyone to know that there’s hope. That’s what brought us here to Port Clinton,” James said. “There’s so much gloom and doom, but as long as there’s breath in your lungs, we have hope.”

More information can be found on The Anchor of Hope Church Facebook page.

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Anchor of Hope Church holds evening services at the Sutton Center