MEET THE TEAM
Carlos and Waydia Hughes have been married for 25 years. They have three adult children, Nate, Sarah-Danielle, and David. They have been in ministry for over thirty (30) years. In 2006 they launched Bethesda Tabernacle in the South Tampa area under the leadership of pastor Daniel Davy. They pastored in that region for thirteen and a half years. During this time, they witnessed many souls transformed by the power of Jesus Christ.
Our vision for the Southshore community is to establish a church where people can establish a relationship with Jesus Christ and find their God-given purpose in the Kingdom of God. New Hope Church, Southshore, will be a church for all people to come and worship the One true God, Jesus Christ, without reservation.
MEET OUR PASTORS
CARLOS HUGHES
Born in Miami, Florida, to Pastor and Evangelist Hughes, Carlos Hughes embraced his faith at the age of 13 within the church where he grew up. After graduating from Miami Carol City High School, he pursued a degree in Management Information Systems at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Carlos transitioned to Jacksonville and later to Tampa, working as a Software Engineer. In 1998, he married Waydia Sawyers, and together they have three children.
In 2006, Carlos answered the call to ministry and became the pastor of South Tampa UPC, later known as Focus Life Church. After 13 years, he embarked on a new chapter, stepping down from the pastoral role. Following a four-year stint as a high school teacher in the Southshore area, Carlos felt compelled to establish a church in the region. Now, he anticipates a season of change and revival as he ventures into this new chapter, believing in God's transformative power for the community.
WAYDIA HUGHES
Waydia was born and raised on the Island of Jamaica to parents Desmond Sawyers and Marcia Lawrence. She migrated to the United States at the age of seventeen. Soon after she dedicated her life to Jesus. She has been a devoted Christian for the past thirty-three years. Waydia married Carlos in August 1998, together they have worked in ministry for the past twenty-five years. Waydia is a devoted mother of three awesome children Nathanael, Sarah-Danielle, and David. She is a Registered Nurse and holder of a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
She is passionate about her relationship with Jesus, prayer, helping others embrace bible salvation, reading and studying God’s Word, God’s kingdom, helping others, health and wellness, fashion, and exploring new places. She is dedicated to helping women find their voice, their worth, and their place in the kingdom of God and the world. She is an aspiring author and a lifelong student of healthy communication. She is known for her strengths in compassion, encouragement, mothering, and selfless service to others. To know her is to love her.