Who We Are
Our Vision
To be a growing family united in Jesus Christ that demonstrates love, proclaims truth, and makes disciples who make disciples.
Our Mission
To glorify God by leading people to Jesus and membership in his family, developing them to Christ-like maturity, and equipping them for ministry in the church and mission in the world.
Our Story
A Testimony To God's Grace
Living Hope Fellowship (LHF) was planted by the Vietnamese Alliance Church, which meets next door. LHF grew out of a need to allow 2nd generation immigrants to be able to worship and serve in the English language. From its roots as an English ministry of a Vietnamese church, God has allowed LHF to grow and expand its vision to preach the gospel and make disciples throughout the Philadelphia region. LHF is characterized by a strong emphasis on discipleship and lay leadership development. The leaders of the various ministries of the church have a strong sense of unity and ownership and are following Jesus’ leading to “build His church.”
Living Hope Fellowship became an official church plant under the Christian and Missionary Alliance in 2022 and appointed Rev. Viet Nguyen to be its Senior Pastor. LHF is part of a network of churches called the Vietnamese Alliance Northeast (VANE) and holds several events annually with these sister churches. LHF is also part of the wider Christian and Missionary Alliance family and operates under its doctrinal statement and by-laws.
Meet Our Leaders
Rev. Viet David Nguyen
Pastor Viet Nguyen was born and raised in Lancaster, PA. He received his call and graduated from Lancaster Bible College in Biblical Studies and Student Ministry and Crown College for MA in Counseling. He served as the Youth Pastor for the Vietnamese Alliance Church in Lancaster for 7 years until God called him to Philadelphia.
He is currently the lead pastor at Living Hope Fellowship in North Philadelphia. He still thinks he is in his athletic prime as he attempts to keep up with the youth and their sports. He has three children with his wife Shannon.
Rev. Phong Tran
Pastor Phong graduated from Nyack College with a BA – Philosophy of Religion. Prior to his current position as an associate pastor at VAC – South Philadelphia, he served as youth pastor at Vietnamese First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida for 10 years.
Before that, he headed the College and Careers ministry with Saving Grace Ministries, Lancaster PA. His goal in life and ministry is to follow the Proverbs 3:5-6 teaching. He loves and is passionate for the youth and young adult ministries.
Scott Ashman
Scott Ashman is an elder and a frequent speaker at Living Hope. He and his wife Jean moved to Philadelphia in 1988 to assist resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees and to help start churches among them. They were involved in the beginning of the Vietnamese Alliance churches in north and south Philadelphia and with Living Hope Fellowship.
They help lead Living Hope’s couples fellowship and are regularly involved with pre-marital and marital counseling. Scott and Jean have 3 adult daughters and 8 grandchildren.
Son Nguyen
Son Nguyen was appointed as an elder of Living Hope Fellowship in 2023. He was raised in the Vietnamese Alliance Church, which later planted LHF, and has been part of the church family ever since.
Son works as a nurse and has faithfully served in multiple ministries, including teaching the youth and playing drums on the praise team. He and his wife, Mika, are grateful for the privilege of serving the church body and worshiping the Lord together.
Our Beliefs
There is one God,(1) who is infinitely perfect,(2) existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.(3)
Jesus Christ is the true God and the true man.(4) He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.(5) He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust,(6) as a substitutionary sacrifice,(7) and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.(8) He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures.(9) He is now at the right hand of Majesty on high as our great High Priest.(10) He will come again to establish His kingdom, righteousness and peace.(11)
The Holy Spirit is a divine person,(12) sent to indwell, guide, teach, empower the believer,(13) and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.(14)
The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.(15)
Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God:(16) he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature,(17) are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.(18) The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment;(19) and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.(20)
Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.(21)
It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly,(22) being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service.(23) This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion. (24)
Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body.(25) Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age (26)
The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, (27) which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations.(28) The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.(29)
There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life;(30) for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.(31)
The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent(32) and will be personal, visible, and premillennial.(33) This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.(34)
[1] Deuteronomy 6:4, [2] Matthew 5:48, [3] Matthew 28:19, [4] Philippians 2:6–11, [5] Luke 1:34–38, [6] 1 Peter 3:18, [7] Hebrews 2:9, [8] Romans 5:9, [9] Acts 2:23–24, [10] Hebrews 8:1, [11] Matthew 26:64, [12] John 14:15–18, [13] John 16:13; Acts 1:8, [14] John 16:7–11, [15] 2 Peter 1:20–21; 2 Timothy 3:15–16, [16] Genesis 1:27, [17] Romans 3:23, [18] 1 Corinthians15:20–23, [19] Revelation 21:8, [20] Revelation 21:1–4, [21] Titus 3:4–7, [22] 1 Thessalonians 5:23, [23] Acts 1:8, [24] Romans 6:1–14, [25] Matthew 8:16–17, [26] James 5:13–16, [27] Ephesians 1:22–23, [28] Matthew 28:19–20, [29] Acts 2:41–47, [30] 1 Corinthians 15:20–23, [31] John 5:28–29, [32] Hebrews 10:37, [33] Luke 21:27, [34] Titus 2:11–1