About Us
Haven of Hope Ministries is located at 800 Welsh Street, Chester, PA 19013. It was founded and organized by the present Pastor, Bishop Larry D. Snow on August 19, 1992. It was started in the living room of his home at 807 W. 3rd Street in the city of Chester, PA. The ministry started with 10 people. In the beginning, the ministry was called Haven of Hope Apostolic Temple.
As the ministry began to grow, under the unction of the Holy Spirit, we were instructed to come to Philadelphia, PA. In making this move, God had instructed that many would come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ through this ministry. In May 1993, the ministry relocated to 5954 Chester Avenue, in the heart of Southwest Philadelphia.
The building was an old after-hours club that was somewhat broken down and dilapidated. Bishop Snow could not understand why God would want him to get this particular building when there were other buildings that were in much better shape and ready to be moved into. As we went into prayer, the spirit let him know that as this building was broken down and dilapidated, so are the lives of people. Our renovating and refurbishing of the building would be a reflection as to what God is able to do with a life. He can take an old broken down life and use it for His glory.
Upon opening the Ministry in this area, we began to see the influence of God in the lives of the people that walked through the doors of the church. The ministry began to grow.
In 1995, the Lord blessed us with the building that was next door. We needed more room in the ministry at this time. God always has a way of getting the job done. In attaining this property, we were able to expand the sanctuary of the church. It also gave additional room for Sunday School classes and a nursery. Through the work and efforts of the congregation, we were able to get this work done and prepare to dedicate the new portion of the sanctuary in August 1996.
It was at this point that the name of the ministry was changed from Haven of Hope Apostolic Temple to Haven of Hope Ministries. This was to reflect the directive that God had given to Bishop Snow. There were going to be areas that this ministry would go into; areas that would minister to the needs of those that were hurting and broken down.
Since the expansion, we have seen a dynamic move of the Spirit of God. We know however that this is not the climax. There are still greater things that God is preparing to do in this ministry. As the vision unfolds, we receive confirmation time and again concerning the direction for this ministry. As of September 2005, we have been at our new edifice located at 800 Welsh Street in Chester, PA. Therefore, we conclude by saying that the history of Haven of Hope Ministries is still being written.
