pastor
alton hardy
Pastor Alton Hardy, founder of Urban Hope Community Church, Manifold Vision, and co-founder of Urban Hope Development in Fairfield, Alabama. A visionary leader behind the Urban Hope Leadership Initiative, Pastor Hardy is advancing gospel-centered community transformation through economic renewal, discipleship, and reconciliation.
My Story
I’m an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), and I have the privilege of serving as the pastor and founder of Urban Hope Community Church in Fairfield, Alabama. I’m also the co-founder of Urban Hope Development and the visionary behind the Urban Hope Leadership Initiative (UHLI), a one-year intensive discipleship and training program designed for African American college graduates. Through UHLI, we’re raising up urban leaders who will serve their communities for generations to come, equipped with a deeper understanding of the unique complexities and pathologies that shape urban life.
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Under my leadership, we’ve seen true community development take root—led by the local church and encompassing commerce, housing, and other vital initiatives. Our goal is to breathe life back into Fairfield, a city that once thrived but has faced significant challenges in recent years. I’m deeply committed to trailblazing a kingdom movement called “The Manifold Wisdom of God,” which brings together the Christian business community and theologically conservative, gospel-centered churches to address pressing needs like economic development and quality housing for married, low-income families among the urban poor.
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By God’s grace, we’re witnessing longstanding racial hostilities begin to wane, and a genuine gospel reconciliation is emerging across the Birmingham metro area. I’m originally from Selma, Alabama, and spent many years in Louisville, Kentucky and Grand Rapids, Michigan before returning home to Alabama. My educational journey includes degrees from Alpena Community College, Reformed Bible College, and Calvin Seminary, along with a Certificate of Completion from Antioch Leadership Training in Reformed Preaching.
I’m blessed to be married to my wife, Sandra, and together we’ve raised five wonderful children. In my free time, I find joy in prayer, reading voraciously, and reflecting on God’s providence. My passion is to confront the conditions facing urban communities and to live out the call of true gospel reconciliation.