Pastor Mike Johnson

Carissa Hershberger

Student & Music Ministries Director

Carissa trusted Jesus as her Savior at two years of age. Growing up she enjoyed serving with her parents and brother in church ministry where she learned the value of reaching others for Christ. Carissa pursued God’s calling on her life to study music and speech at Pensacola Christian College where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in music and knew she wanted to continue to teach and share the gospel through fine arts. It was here she met her husband Josh. They were married in 2007 and Carissa worked on staff at PCC teaching until they moved to Michigan for law school. In 2010 Carissa and Josh were called to serve at Cornerstone.

Carissa completed her Master of Arts in teaching degree from Liberty University in 2014, has established her fine arts studio- Shine Studio, LLC, travels and speaks with her ventriloquist puppet HUGGA, and has recorded her original piano creations and is actively writing music and stories and directing plays through a variety of educational and ministry opportunities. She loves her Savior, her family, homeschooling and raising her children- Aryana and Gabriel, serving with her husband in the college and career ministry and teens and serving at Cornerstone as the Student Ministries and Worship Arts Director, the treasurer, and on the administration team.

Josh Hershberger is an attorney, minister and speaker. He leads The Church Ambassador Network, an Indiana-specific ministry that builds relationships between pastors and governing officials, and the Good Citizen Project, a national ministry that equips Christians to be gospel-centered citizens (Phil. 1:27). Josh is licensed to practice law in three states, the U.S. Supreme Court, and a number of other federal courts; assists Christian ministries throughout much of the United States; and serves as a teaching pastor here at Cornerstone Baptist Church.

Lead Pastor

Pastor Mike is a dedicated servant of God with a rich history in ministry and a passion for spreading the message of Christ's love. Pastor Mike's journey of faith began at the age of 10 when he received Christ as his Savior, a decision that profoundly shaped his life. Just a few weeks later, he was baptized, marking the beginning of a lifelong commitment to his faith. At the young age of 16, Pastor Mike surrendered to the call to preach, setting the stage for a lifetime of service to God and the Church. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Trinity Baptist College, where he not only gained an education but also found a life partner in his beloved wife and first girlfriend, Missy.

Continuing his pursuit of knowledge and ministry, Pastor Mike went on to receive his Master's degree from Bible Baptist Theological Seminary. Over the course of 40 years, Pastor and Missy have served tirelessly in full-time Church work, impacting the lives of many in their community. Pastor Mike's family is a testament to his devotion to both God and family. He and Missy are proud parents to two children, Carissa and John Michael. Carissa is married to Joshua, and together they have blessed Pastor Mike and Missy with two grandchildren, Aryana and Gabriel.

With an Associate of Arts degree in Church Ministries from Liberty Baptist Bible Institute, Missy brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to her ministry. She is actively involved in various aspects of church life, hosting church-wide events alongside her husband and assisting as needed with church work. Missy's heart for service extends to every area of ministry, making her an integral part of the spiritual community.

Our Team

What We Believe

God

We believe there is one God eternally existent in three Persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are separate in personality and work.

Jesus

We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His blood, shed for our atonement, his bodily resurrection, and His ascension into heaven to be our Intercessor.

The Bible

We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God. We believe that God has preserved His Word through accurate copies and translations. Recognizing the accuracy and general acceptance of the King James Version, we will use this translation in our ministries; however, the church may not infringe upon an individual’s preferred translation. We believe the Scriptures to be the supreme standard for all matters of faith and practice.

Salvation

We believe in the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, “One for all, and once for all.” Salvation is by grace through faith, the free gift of God, not by virtue of the works of men. All true believers possess the gift of eternal life, sonship in the family of God, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish.

Statement of Faith

• HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, makes believers children of God through the new birth, assures them of heaven, and by His Indwelling enables Christians to live a godly life.

• CREATION: We believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis, that God created all things in six twenty-four hour days. We deny any form of atheistic or theistic evolution.

• MAN: We believe that man was created in holiness and that by disobedience to his Maker he incurred physical and spiritual death. We believe that all men through choice and nature are sinful and therefore, are under condemnation without defense or excuse.

• SIN: We believe that sin is the transgression of the Word of God. We believe in the universality of sin, that it separates man from God and that there is no remission of sin apart from the shed blood of Jesus Christ and man’s repentance.

• SATAN: We believe in the person of Satan, man’s great tempter, the deceiver and prince of this present world. We believe that he was defeated and judged at the cross of Christ, and, therefore, his final doom is certain.

• HEAVEN AND HELL: We believe every individual, following their life on this earth, will spend eternity either in heaven or hell, depending on their acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ. Heaven is a literal place of eternal joy and comfort, while hell is a literal place of eternal torment and pain in fire.

• JUDGMENTS: We believer in the Judgment Seat of Christ for the saints and the Great White Throne for the lost.

• FUTURE EVENTS: We believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the believers, followed by seven years of tribulation on the earth. We also believe in the premillennial return and millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• MISSIONS: We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As Ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15)

• SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE: We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all of its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect and value human life. (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

• UNITY: Cornerstone Baptist places a high value on unity within the body of believers that comprise its Active Members, regular attenders and guests. This commitment is a direct reflection of the clear mandate of scripture to avoid divisions and discord (I Cor. 1:10, Romans 16:17 and Proverbs 6:16-19).

• MARRIAGE, GENDER AND SEXUALITY: In accordance with our view of the Bible as the supreme and final authority on all matters pertaining to faith and life, we believe that marriage is the exclusive, covenant relationship between one man and one woman. We believe that marriage is an illustration of the relationship between Christ and the church. Though sexual intimacy within the marriage relationship between one man and one woman is approved and even celebrated in Scripture, we believe that any sexual intimacy outside of this covenant relationship falls short of God’s standard and is prohibited. Further, we believe that God created human beings in two distinct genders: male and female. These two distinct genders, when considered together, reflect the image and nature of God. We believe any attempts to alter or change one’s birth gender fall short of God’s standard and are prohibited. (Gen 1:26-28; 2:18-25; Matt. 5:16; Matt 15:18-20; Acts 3:19-20; Rom 1:18-32; 10:9-13; 1 Cor 6:9-11,18; Heb. 13;4). We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to church members and to the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, all members of the church, and that all who serve as volunteers in a teaching capacity should abide by and agree to this statement on Marriage and Human Sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly. Further, no ceremony of marriage may be performed by church ministers or on church property unless that ceremony of marriage is fully consistent with the Scriptural principles set out in this statement.

• DIGNITY AND RESPECT: We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of this church.

• LOVE: We believe that the greatest commandments are (1) to love God and (2) to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-40). We believe that we should demonstrate love toward fellow believers, those who are not believers, those who actively oppose us or our faith or doctrine, and those who engage in actions contrary to Biblical teaching. We believe that we should deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently and humbly. We believe that the Scriptures forbid the taking of revenge and the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. (Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10; Philippians 2:2-4). We also believe that love and truth complement rather than conflict with one another. (Ephesians 4:15).