Hickory Presbyterian Church , Hickory, NC
Rev. Tripp Castell
Tripp Castell brings a deep love for Jesus Christ, his Church, and the people of Hickory, North Carolina. A Hickory native, Tripp is grateful to plant Hickory Presbyterian Church in the community where he and his wife, Amy, have raised their six children and now enjoy two grandchildren. The Castells remain deeply connected to the community that has shaped their lives, and their long history in Hickory has built a foundation of trust and meaningful relationships that now support this new work of grace. Tripp now follows God’s call to plant a Christ-centered, Reformed church with the vision of seeing daughter churches extend into the surrounding towns.
Describe your plans for the new church?
In January 2025, I began the process of planting without a core group from another church or an existing Bible study wanting to become a church. I met with everyone I knew to gauge their interest in joining the work. By the Lord’s grace, twenty people, most of whom didn’t know each other agreed to take part. On the first Sunday in February, those twenty gathered in our home for our first time of worship, prayer, and fellowship, and we have met every Sunday since.
We became an official mission church of First Presbytery in July. On August 3, we held our first public worship at Market on Main in downtown Hickory, a beautiful, rent-free space with room for over 200, complete with sound equipment, a baby grand piano, and tables for shared meals. This fall, our congregation has grown to 35 committed individuals preparing for membership.
How to pray for you?
Pray for wisdom in the many decisions before us, for our people to be grounded in their faith, for unity in spirit with no divisiveness, and for a growing eagerness among our members to serve faithfully in the work God has called us to.
Ask the Lord to raise up new servants and future leaders who will help shepherd and sustain this young church. Pray also for the launch of our new men’s and women’s Bible studies, as well as discipleship and evangelism training beginning in January 2026. We pray that these would strengthen believers and equip them to share the gospel with confidence and compassion.
Pray that the Lord would open doors for evangelism throughout Hickory and the surrounding towns, and that many would come to know Christ through the witness of our church. Lift up our efforts to build meaningful relationships in the community and to be known for gospel faithfulness and love. Finally, pray for continued financial provision as we move into our second year of ministry, trusting the Lord to supply every need for the work He has begun.
Follow along: hickorypresbyterian.com
