EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD - 4

In February, 1997, the hand of God moved us to Akron, Ohio.  We had passed through deep waters as a family and had completely disrupted our lives for four months by essentially becoming homeless by choice.  I had left my appointment to the Spencerville, Maryland Free Methodist Church mid-year due to a family crisis.  After months of struggle, financial distress and utter dependence on God, we landed a job in Akron that provided a home and an income. 

We knew upon our arrival that we would attend the Akron Cornerstone Church, where seminary acquaintances of ours were the pastors: Charlie and Brenda Young. 

From the very first Sunday, Debbie and I, Troy and Tracie were wonderfully received.  Being in this new environment – where few knew me – catalyzed me to change my name from Harold to Hal.  😊  Within weeks, Brenda invited me to join the Cornerstone staff as a part-time associate.  Within a few months, she lost another pastor, and I became the Lead Associate Pastor of the church. 

This was the beginning of nearly six years of engagement that would challenge and grow me in ways I could never have imagined! 

Cornerstone had been led for years by Pastor Charlie [and Brenda].  It had become a healthy church that had built a new sanctuary and a strong, congregation of new believers.  Pastor Charlie had also planted another church during his tenure near Dalton, Ohio!  His passion was recognized and he was elected to be the Ohio Conference Superintendent.  Brenda became the new Lead Pastor at Cornerstone.

The already healthy and growing church nearly doubled in size in the next two years.  Brenda built aggressively on the foundation that she and Charlie had established through many years of persistent and excellent leadership! 

The Haire family arrived in the midst of this growth to see a vibrant church of four hundred with a busy schedule and a staff of part-time leaders. 

LET ME TRY TO DESCRIBE CORNERSTONE CHURCH AT THAT TIME

It was a vibrant church that was packing two services every Sunday morning.  Brenda referred to the congregation as having a mall make-up.  It was as though you went to the local mall and just randomly selected four hundred people and put them together in a church!  There was no common social definer. 

Brenda’s teaching/preaching style was a big key to the growth!  Her profoundly understandable manner of presenting the Word in practical terms simply drew people! 

The worship of the church was dynamic!  For one thing, having a worship center packed with people every Sunday does a lot to generate excitement!  The worship team was amazing!  The raw talent and fresh love for Jesus was evident in this group!  The mood of worship was praise and joy!  A prayer time was always observed when people would come forward and kneel around the altar four-and-five people deep!  It represented a passionate outcry to God and an utter expectation that He would draw near and help! 

[For a vivid picture of Cornerstone at that time, read my blog describing our family’s first visit to the church:  https://hal-lelujah.blogspot.com/2020/04/first-sunday.html]

THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING CHURCH THAT I HAVE EVER BEEN PRIVILEGED TO SERVE!

During my time of service with Brenda, we saw new converts every week!  The church’s outreach was largely based on several ‘feeders’:

1.       Brenda and I each did counseling.  Our intervention in failing marriages was significant! 

2.       The church operated Cornerstone Care, an in-house counseling center that was staffed by several counselors who were an integral part of our congregation.

3.       Jesus Said Ministry was a lay-led outreach to the homeless in downtown Akron every Saturday morning that provided – in an outdoor setting – hot food, free clothing, and vibrant, live worship!  The crowd often numbered around 150.  Many volunteers from various churches participated!

4.       The church offered a free meal every week in our fellowship hall to anyone who needed it!

5.       We operated a Sunday evening program called ‘Champion’s Institute’ that offered classes to help new believers grow in their new-found faith! 

6.       Cornerstone offered several crowd-gathering events each year on the property to gain an influence in people’s lives!

·         An annual outdoor music festival with food booths.

·         An Easter-Egg Hunt that drew hundreds of children and families!

·         A Trunk-n-Treat event over Halloween weekend that engaged the children creatively and generously!

·         A mid-summer cook-out that featured meat grilled by a couple of well-known Akron police officers! 

·         An outdoor Christmas Light-Up event that featured a famous Nativity set that had previously been featured on the roof of a downtown department store.

7.       Cornerstone offered an ongoing NA group, Divorce-Care group, prayer groups, Grief Share group, and a number of other specific opportunities for growth and self-improvement!

Forgive me for failing to mention so many other outreaches and programs that I simply am failing to recall! 

EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD!!!!!!

Experiencing God’s presence was the norm at this amazing church!  It’s the only church I know of where 75% of the congregants were first-time believers!  Expectations were high! 

First-time attenders frequently reported that they couldn’t stop crying during worship.  We explained to them that they were experiencing the presence of God!!!!! 

Things got rowdy!  😂

This congregation had NOT been steeped in the traditions of the church!  They didn’t know ‘how to behave during worship’.  😆   Baptisms were greeted with vigorous applause, hoots, clapping and cheers!  People danced in the aisles on occasions to the thrill of the upbeat praise music!  When the doors were opened to the worship center, people ran to get the best seats and save them for others! 

Eventually, the church grew to over seven hundred!  We acknowledged that no one knew everyone anymore – not even Brenda! 

God showed up every Sunday and at every special event!  His presence blessed, healed, renewed, challenged and rescued hundreds of souls! 

There’s so much more that could be said and I feel that I’ve failed to truly and effectively describe this remarkable movement of God.  I know that my family was honored to be a part of this ministry.  When we left Akron, our son, Troy, stayed and became part of the young adult leadership who were beginning to take the church in new directions.  This engagement helped to ground him during critical years of his development!

I haven’t attended Cornerstone Church for a long time!  It is currently under the leadership of Jacob Young – Charlie and Brenda’s youngest son.  Their daughter, Rachel, is also a worship leader and major contributor to the ministry.  I’m confident that the passion is still high and the influence is still great.  When my current responsibilities at The Foundery FMC in Wellsburg, WV end, I hope to visit Cornerstone to reconnect with old friends and make new ones!