Cornerstone Church (Toledo)

Cornerstone Church
Location Toledo, OH
Country United States
Denomination Nondenominational Christianity
Weekly attendance 3000-4000
Website http://www.cornerstonechurch.us
History
Founded June 1986
Clergy
Senior pastor(s) Michael Pitts

Cornerstone Church is a non-denominational Church located in Maumee, a suburb of Toledo, Ohio. The Church was founded, and is still pastored by, Michael Pitts and his wife Kathi. Michael Pitts was consecrated as the bishop of the Church in 2009.[1] The Church streams live services on the internet[2] and has a 24/7 streaming website devoted to playing media from the Cornerstone Global Network.[3] From 1993-2004 the Church also held services in the historic Eastwood Theater on the Eastside of Toledo. In 2014 the Church repurchased the Theater with the intention of playing family friendly movies and holding weekly services.[4][5]

Church beginnings

The Church started when in June 1986 Michael and Kathi Pitts left Lima, Ohio to start a Church in Toledo. The first service in a rented storefront building drew 35 people. Within 8 years the Church moved 4 times, finally into its present location in Maumee Ohio averaging 4000 members as of 2005. In the past, Cornerstone has also owned two radio stations.[6] As of 2013, the Cornerstone Global Network included 115 Churches around the globe.[7]

Conferences and guest speakers

The Church hosts an annual conference in October titled "Heaven On Earth" that has welcomed speakers such as T.D. Jakes, Paula White,[8] Steven Furtick, Tudor Bismarck, Sheryl Brady, and Samuel Rodriguez.[9] The Church hosts an annual Women's Inspired Conference, with speakers and singers including Nancy Alcorn of Mercy Ministries, Prophetess Jane Hamon, Lisa Bevere, and Cece Winans.[10] The Church also holds a SKILLS camp for children.[11] Three time Grammy winner Israel Houghton performed a free concert in 2010[12] after recording his "New Season" album at the Church in 2001.[13] In 2013 TV Evangelist Rev. Benny Hinn held a miracle service at the Church.[14][15] To conclude the 2014 Quantum Conference, Cornerstone Church hosted a night of worship with Jesus Culture.[16] Evangelist Morris Cerullo preached at the Church in 2014.[17] In 2002, former two-star Deion Sanders preached on a Thursday night at the Church,[18] speaking often of how discontent he was in life before he converted to Christianity.[19] The Church choir performs externally to the Church building, having been invited to perform at the 8th Annual African American Festival in 2012.[20] The building itself contains a 2,500 seat sanctuary with state of the art sound engineering[21]

Philanthropy

Cornerstone Church's outreach ministry Heal The World works both locally and globally with various partners, from covering the cost of soup kitchen Thanksgiving meals,[22] to collecting Bibles for US soldiers,[23] to partnering with Mercy Ministries,[24] to hosting the African Children's Choir,[25] and supporting Dr Patricia Bailey-Jones who ministers with Master's Touch Ministry Global.[26] Over the past 20 years of ministry, Cornerstone Church has partnered with, and hosted annual WOWJAMs, a ministry started by Stephen and Linda Tavani aimed at reaching poorer communities around the city by utilizing music, games, dances, and prizes.[27][28]

References

  1. ↑ Yonke, David (26 July 2014). "Cornerstone's pastor elevated to higher rank". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Cornerstone Live". Cornerstone Church. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Cornerstone Global Network". Cornerstone Global. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  4. ↑ Cornett, Wendy (July 2014). "Historic Eastwood Theater reborn as site for Cornerstone Church and family-friendly movies". First Local Toledo. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Barger, TK. "Eastwood Theater to host Cornerstone Church revival". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Yonke, David (26 November 2005). "Rev. Pitts, wife included among power shifters". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  7. ↑ Yonke, David (7 September 2013). "Pitts presses on with outreaches from Toledo to Zimbabwe". Toledo Faith and Values. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "Jakes, White to speak at Cornerstone". Toledo Blade. 3 October 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Cornerstone Church slates One Blood conference". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Yonke, David. "Church Offering More to Women". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Cornerstone Church offering 8 SKILLS camps from July 17-21". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "3-time Grammy winner slates free Toledo concert". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "Worship CD Recorded In Toledo". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  14. ↑ Barger, TK (14 September 2013). "Touching lives: Pastor Benny Hinn's ‘healing tour’ stops in Toledo". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  15. ↑ Yonke, David. "Hinn preaches salvation, prosperity in ‘miracle service’". Toledo Faith and Values. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  16. ↑ Faith, Education. "Cornerstone Church presents 15th Annual Conference Quantum 2014". Holy Toledo Magazine. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Staff, Blade. "Offerings". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  18. ↑ Emmons, Donald. "High Life Didn't Satisfy Sanders". Toledo Blade.
  19. ↑ Yonke, David. "Sanders Finds Peace In God's Game Plan". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  20. ↑ Mullen, Roneisha. "African American Festival kicks off Friday". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  21. ↑ Tarjanyi, Judy. "Churches, especially progressive ones, go for top sound systems". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  22. ↑ McKinnon, Julie. "Toledo charity lost its leader but not her spirit". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  23. ↑ Yonke, David. "Churches equip U.S. soldiers with Bibles". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  24. ↑ "Cornerstone Toledo Youth Visit Mercy Ministries Today". Mercy Ministries. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  25. ↑ Sander, Logan. "Music for Life: African Children’s Choir to perform at Cornerstone Church on Dec. 12.". Toledo Free Press. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  26. ↑ Krolak, Karen. "Doing good to heal the world". First Local Toledo. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  27. ↑ "Local church to sponsor benefit for city's needy". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  28. ↑ Staff, Blade. "Cornerstone Brings Ministry Program". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 11 August 2014.

External links

List of the largest Protestant churches in the United States