Our Team
David (Doc) O’Connor is NewHope’s Lead Pastor. He has been married to Amity O’Connor since 2002 and together they have four boys. Doc’s passion in life is to see people encounter Jesus and fulfil their God-given purpose and potential.
Amity O’Connor also serves as an Associate Pastor at NewHope, serving the Women of our church and leading our Safe Ministry team.
Doc has served in full time ministry since 2001 and is a keen cricketer and golfer, and a passionate Canberra Raiders supporter.
Ben Cochrane is one of NewHope’s Associate Pastors and joined the team in September 2021. He is married to Rebekah and they have two amazing children, Arielle and Levi. Ben is an absolute people-person and is passionate about seeing people discover Jesus and the ways they have been gifted and graced for life and ministry.
Ben has served in full time ministry for over 15 years and brings huge pastoral + teaching gifts to NewHope. He currently oversees our Kellyville & Norwest Communities.
Drew Meers is one of our Associate Pastors at NewHope. He currently oversees our Box Hill Community. He is married to Virginia Meers who serves as our Kids Coordinator at our Box Hill Community. Together they have served in Ministry for many years and bring so much experience. They both love people with their whole heart, and love to point people to the goodness of God. They have two beautiful children in Romeo, born in 2018, and Rose, born in 2019.
Jacquie Neale represents NewHope as a School Chaplain at Kellyville Public School. Along with her husband Gavin and their four amazing children, Jacquie is an amazing blessing both within and beyond NewHope. Her heart for people and Christlike character and temperament bring peace and kindness to every interaction and context. In her other time Jacquie also serves as an Aged Care Chaplain and participates broadly in our local community.
Matthew Townsley has joined our team as the Kellyville Community Builder. Him & his wife Celeste, along with their two children Audrey and Hudson, are a gift to our NewHope family. Matt works along side Ben with coming alongside our NewHope Community in pastoral care and the running of a Sunday service. Both Matt & Celeste love the Lord with all their heart and are a great example of what it means to be all in for Jesus.
Gil Corr is the Next Generations Pastor at NewHope and is responsible for championing our kids, youth and young adults in their relationship with Jesus and pursuit of His call for their life. He also works as a Chaplain in the local schools. He is married to Jade Corr who also serves on staff as our Administration & Communications Team Leader. Together they bring vast ministry experience and a contagious passion for building the church and ministering to the next generations. In late-2021 they welcomed their first daughter Ada into the world, and recently welcomed their son Gideon in January 2024. They joined the team at NewHope in mid-2022. They are huge Parramatta Eels fans and both grew up in the Hills District.
Aaron Guilmette is the Worship Director at NewHope. He and his wife, Judith, are passionate about leading others into God’s presence through praise and worship. Together, they have over two decades of experience in leading worship and mentoring developing leaders. They serve with energy and excellence, focusing on creating a space and atmosphere where people can open their hearts to Jesus in a place of awe and praise. Aaron and Judith live in Kellyville with their two beautiful children, Melodie and Cadence. In addition to his role at NewHope, Aaron is actively involved in the retail and distribution of Christian books, Bibles, and ministry resources.