215 East 21st Street • Chester, PA 19013 • Phone 610.876.2875 | Email Us

New Beginnings Church - Staff

new Beginnings Church - Jim & Anita PeperPastor Jim & Anita Peper, Senior Pastor

Pastor’s Testimony
Psalm 51:13:
“Then I will teach transgressors Your ways and sinners will be converted to You…”

Have you ever made a mistake? Then you’re in good company.

I was once the pastor of a wonderful church. I had a family, a house, a successful ministry. Outwardly, I was living the Christian dream. But things are not always what they seem to be. In my case, the perception of my life was not the reality. I walked away from God, my marriage, and my ministry. And for three years, I never looked back.

During that time, my distance from the Lord grew by leaps and bounds. The gulf between God and me extended to such Grand Canyon-like proportions that I truly believed there would never be a way to bridge the gap. My life continued to spiral downward, and there seemed to be no way for me to stop. I reached the bottom of my abyss when I found out the girl I was involved with was pregnant with my child. I felt hopeless, purposeless, and utterly useless before God.

However, on May 17, 2004, I was humbled by the realization that God had other plans for me and had not discarded me.  God used the birth of my daughter Madison to open my eyes to a new reality. As I held my newborn child in my arms and witnessed the miracle of her first breaths, I knew that a Father could never turn His back on His child.  And I was struck with the overwhelming thought: as long as I have breath, God is not done with me.

For the first time in four years, I cried out to God and begged for forgiveness and restoration. While forgiveness is immediate, restoration is a process. There were still struggles, and I still continue to experience the consequences of my sin. My mistakes are my own, and I take full responsibility for the direction my life took.

Today, I am happy to say, God is now responsible for the direction my life is taking. I am a walking example of the Lord’s grace and mercy, and I believe I truly understand these attributes of God far better today than I did years ago. God has burdened my heart to minister to those who feel the despair I once felt. And out of that empathy and compassion, a vision was born.

Through much prayer, wise counsel, and leading of the Holy Spirit, that vision has become New Beginnings Church. We are a church that believes we serve a God who not only gives second chances but a lifetime of forgiveness and fresh starts.

In Psalm 51, David is crying out to God because of his sin with Bathsheba. He asks God to create in him a clean heart and to restore the joy his salvation. Because God did that, David can now instruct others in God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness. As a result, people will come to know Him. We at New Beginnings Church pray that this will be a fresh start for those who are searching for hope, healing, and meaning in life. Remember, it’s not where you’ve been but where you’re going.

Anita Peper
Anita came to know Christ as her Savior in 2000 although she invited Christ into her life as Savior in 2000 it took her a few years before she allowed the Him to be Lord of her life.

Anita Peper serves as Admin Manager/Registrar for New Beginnings Academy. Anita worked for American Christian Academy and Prep School from 2005 – 2008 in the Administrative/Athletic Offices. Previous to ACAPS, Anita, was a successful business owner for 13 years in the healthcare industry.

Anita along with her husband Pastor Jim started New beginnings Church together in October of 2005. She serves in the multimedia ministry, various women’s ministries, and the Son-Rise Café Ministry of NBC.

Anita loves serving in the church and also in her ministry within the school by counseling with students and founding NBA’s Praise Dance Team.

She feels very honored and humbled that the Lord would allow her to serve Him in full time ministry and is very grateful for the opportunity God has given to her.

Chris Stanley, Assoicate Pastor

After graduating in 2002 from Philadelphia Biblical University with a B.S. in Bible and a B.S. in Business Administration, I spent five years working in the business sector for a thriving internet company. Feeling led of God to teach Bible to teenagers, I began my teaching career at American Christian Academy and Prep School in the fall of 2006. Continuing my teaching career, I accepted a position teaching Jr. and Sr. High Bible at New Beginnings Academy in the fall of 2008. In addition to teaching, I became Youth Pastor at New Beginnings Church in March of 2008 enabling me to work more with teens, constantly sharing the love of Christ with them. As the ministries of New Beginnings Church grew I gratefully accepted the position as Associate Pastor. Serving in the ministry, and working alongside Pastor Jim with the people of New Beginnings is the greatest honor in my life. I am so excited to see the blessings that God is pouring out on our Church. I simply cannot wait to see what else God has in store for our ministry!