Meet the Team

Al Soto: Lead Pastor, Men's Ministry

Al has had many years of being a Pastor as well as at one time he was District Supervisor as well as had a talk show called “GET REAL” for ten years on KFAX. He is married to his lovely bride Valerie for 43 years and they have five sons three who are married to some very remarkable ladies, and they have three grandchildren with one more on the way.
Al graduated from L.I.F.E. Bible College with a BA and went to Vanguard University pursuing an MA in Leadership & Spiritual Formation. He is a veracious reader and a nerd who loves the 49ers and likes to laugh.
His greatest joy is building teams and loves to equip and develop people into their God given purpose. After 41 years of sobriety from alcohol by the grace of God one of his favorite phrases is “we are all people in process.” He loves serving at New Hope Fellowship because the people are committed to living life like followers of Jesus and no one thinks they have already arrived … and they know how to have fun!
His favorite Scripture verse is Ephesians 2:10, that we are all unique pieces of art that the Master Artist wants to put on display for His glory! Al begins every morning making this declaration: “Lord, help Me to Be the Best tool in Your Hands!”

Valerie Soto: Office and Finance Manager

Jim Wells Care Pastor, Teaching Team

"In serving at New Hope Fellowship I find great joy in working with a very dedicated Team whose passion it is to see people of all ages and walks of life come into relationship with Jesus Christ.

The atmosphere and culture of affirmation elevates everyone to do their best so that our ministry and mission extends to our immediate community and to the world at large."

Nancy Mathis: Women's & Prayer Ministry Pastor, Teaching Team

Ranell Coleman: Director of Worship Arts

Leslie Hansen: New Hope Cafe Manager, Hospitality Team Leader

Leslie Hansen was born and raised in the Sacramento area. She attended Sac State and received her degree in communications. 30+ years ago, she met her husband Larry in a Church young adults group.

They have three adult children and enjoy serving at New Hope Fellowship in many different ways. They love living in Placerville with their three Siberian huskies.

Lynda Samples: Associate Pastor, First Impressions

Paul Samples: Associate Pastor, Care Team

Allison Wells: Associate Pastor, Teaching Team

Reed Albertsen: Connection Coach, Young Adults Leader

Reed grew up in Santa Cruz and after a West Coast (Seattle to Los Angeles) and 10 years in the Bay Area he has settled in Sacramento. He has participated, and been a leader, in a variety of ministries over the years including; leading Youth Groups/Young Adult groups, greeting, vacation Bible school, children's ministry and more!
He is also a nerd who makes video games for a living (15 years and counting!) and has aspirations to turn these talents toward making games that promote Jesus and His Kingdom. Also a noted foodie and collector of mid-century modern furniture and house plants.
The last few years at New Hope Fellowship have been transformative for Reed, learning to walk with the Lord in closer, more personal ways that have reignited authentic desire to follow Him. He started coming because of how genuinely loving the NHF crew was. He desires to reflect both of these things (desire to follow the Lord and be loved) to the wider church through serving on the connections team and leading the Young Adults group.

Sherry Reilly: Assistant Connection Coach

Ashtyn Van Cleave: Director of Children's Ministry

Ashtyn grew up in rural El Dorado County and within Shingle Springs Foursquare Church - now grown into New Hope Fellowship. Her journey here has bloomed into servanthood to God and His Church, in any way that He directs her. As a seed planted in her church home, she experienced VBS from a student to a group leader; she served as part of the worship team, in the church cafe, and taught Sunday school alongside her mother who was, at the time, the children’s ministry director.
Ashtyn married her husband, Cody, in 2020 and she officially became a stepmom. Soon following, having three beautiful, rambunctious children together. After returning to New Hope Fellowship, Ashtyn has steadily taken on more serving responsibility in children’s ministry. Ashtyn feels a strong responsibility to teach, guide, and protect all children, not only that of her own. Her compassion for children is her strength.
Any child that comes under her care is treated as what they are – God's child and a gift. This strength is what led her to becoming the director of children’s ministry. Her heart is set on what God’s will is for this ministry and all those that work within it. In this new spirit-guided venture these verses have echoed over the transition for the new direction of New Hope Fellowship Kids.
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:6-8 “but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Beth Christie: Social Media Content Manager and Graphic Artist

I was born on a fine spring day; flowers were blooming, birds were singing, and the sun was shining. I was raised in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains where I frolicked along the American River and country trails.

As a young adult I moved to Maui, where I fell in love, got married and had our son. I love God, family, America, and serving our community. I am excited about the growth and culture here at New Hope.

Frank Labua: Christ Ambassador of Ponderosa

Erik Erwin: Student Ministry Pastor

Susan Baldi: Associate Pastor of Senior Ministries

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
Susan has experienced the powerful, redemptive hand of the Lord in her life for some 32 years. Her passion to love and serve God’s people is reflected in a heart that desires for all to walk in Christ’s love, purpose, healing, and abundance.
After she retired from ministry in Folsom, CA, as an ordained Foursquare pastor, Susan was thrilled when God brought her to New Hope Fellowship. She firmly believes that the Lord has plans to prosper and use us in every season of life, and is delighted to love and pastor the 55+ family at New Hope Fellowship.
Susan’s joy is being “Italian Mamma” to her daughter Tristina and son-in-law Michael. When she isn’t writing messages and poems of Jesus’ encouragement and hope, you can find Susan in the kitchen, baking sourdough and creating meals to nourish the souls of those around her table.

Mark Lane: Custodian

Dr. Dave Palmer: Theologian in Residence

The following is my biography and presents significant aspects of my personal life regarding my birth, upbringing, faith in Christ, experience of salvation, involvement in ministry, and family life.
I was born to Frank and Virginia Palmer January 12, 1953 and raised in Sacramento California. As a young person I was brought up in the Lutheran Church which my parents and members of my larger family belonged to. In the Lutheran Church I was presented by my parents for baptism as an infant and subsequently was confirmed.
Although I had a fine church background and had a basic factual knowledge of Christ, I did not really at that time have the kind of saving faith the New Testament speaks of. In my sophomore year at C. K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento California, through the influence of some of my close friends and the larger influence of the counter-culture at that time, I began to use drugs. This became a problem in my life.
At the age of seventeen and a half in August 1970 I was presented with the gospel of Christ at a Christian half-way house in Sacramento. During the conversation with people at the house one person asked if I knew Christ. In that moment I understood the difference between my earlier church experience and the personal experience of salvation that these people were talking about. I concluded that I knew about Christ but that I did not know him. That night, with very little understanding, I gave my life to Christ. The issue of drugs had not come up and I went home.
Later that week on a particular night, I was again with my friends who were smoking marijuana, and I joined in as usual. The second time the joint of marijuana came around to me, I experienced a powerful thought that fastened itself upon my mind and heart, which I later came to attribute to the Holy Spirit. The substance of that thought was this, “Put that down because it is holding you back from what you can have with me.” I responded to the Lord and passed the joint on and did not take any more hits. That night I was delivered from what probably is best described as a psychological dependence on various drugs. My walk with Christ continued. About three weeks after this encounter I experienced a filling with the Holy Spirit in the manner that people from the Pentecostal and Charismatic tradition speak of. Later I was baptized in water in the American River near Sacramento on Easter Sunday 1971.
Following my experience of salvation, I felt the call of God to ministry. To make a long story short, I attended L.I.F.E. Bible College and then Fuller Theological Seminary. After this I got married and later entered the ministry of the Foursquare Gospel Church. For three years I served as an Assistant Pastor at the Foursquare Gospel Church in Orange, California. During this time, I became ordained. For two years after that my wife and I worked at planting a Foursquare Church in Yuba City, California. During the course of that experience, we became convinced that my place was more appropriately in academics and teaching. I applied to several graduate schools. This represented a transition in ministry focus. I was accepted at the Claremont Graduate School to study Old Testament under Dr. Rolf P. Knierim, who had been recommended to me by two of my professors at Fuller Seminary. I began the Ph.D. program in the Fall of 1992 and graduated with my doctoral degree in 1998.
For a time, I felt like I should become a part of a main-line denomination to be a witness and be an evangelical presence. But it did not really work out that way even though I had prayed about it. I was not able to land a teaching position in the profession. I had focused on finishing my dissertation, rather than on presenting papers and publishing short monographs as I went along. Also, few of the institutions really wanted someone who did not have a history in their tradition.
I went through a divorce in 2003 and have not remarried. Lynn and I have a lovely daughter, Abigail, who is married and expecting her first child.
I worked for Southern Cal Gas Company starting in 2001 and retired in 2016. During this period and afterwards I was a part of Faith Community Church, West Covina; One and All Church, San Dimas; and Calvary Chapel, Georgetown Divide over the years. Recently, the Lord spoke to me that I should go back to the Foursquare Church as my church family. I had moved to Garden Valley, CA in 2021. My two sisters and other family members live in the area.
My desire in ministry has always been to teach the Bible in a way that leads people into knowing Christ more fully. I desire to equip people with a knowledge of the Old and New Testament within the context of a faith that pursues a growing relationship with Christ.