Cornerstone Church (Toledo)

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. The Church streams live services on the internet and has a 24/7 streaming website devoted to playing media from the Cornerstone Global Network. 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.

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. As of 2013, the Cornerstone Global Network included 115 Churches around the globe.

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, Steven Furtick, Tudor Bismarck, Sheryl Brady, and Samuel Rodriguez. The Church also hosts an annual Women's Inspired Conference, and SKILLS camp for children. Three time Grammy winner Israel Houghton performed a free concert in 2010 after recording his "New Season" album at the Church in 2001. In 2013 TV Evangelist Rev. Benny Hinn held a miracle service at the Church. To conclude the 2014 Quantum Conference, Cornerstone Church hosted a night of worship with Jesus Culture. In 2002, former two-star Deion Sanders preached on a Thursday night at the Church, speaking often of how discontent he was in life before he converted to Christianity. The Church choir performs externally to the Church building, having been invited to perform at the 8th Annual African American Festival in 2012. The building itself contains a 2,500 seat sanctuary with state of the art sound engineering

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, to collecting Bibles for US soldiers, to partnering with Mercy Ministries, to hosting the African Children's Choir, and supporting Dr Patricia Bailey-Jones who ministers with Master's Touch Ministry Global. 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.