Michael Pitts (pastor)

Michael Pitts was born in south Lima, Ohio, in 1964 to factory workers Eugene and Brenda Pitts. His parents were raised attending church regularly, and were both filled with the Holy Ghost many years ago. Brenda played guitar and sang at Quickstep Pentecostal Holiness Church in Alger, Ohio, with Eugene serving in various roles of church governance. From an early age, Michael struggled with the unwavering, unquestioning faith of his parent's church and soon became frustrated with the things that didn't seem to make sense.

At the age of 14, he had a strong sense of God's presence, and made the decision to follow Christ during youth week at the Faith Gospel Tabernacle in Lima. Soon afterwards, he was attending Mount Olivet Church of God in Christ, where he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, and started speaking in tongues. It was during these two distinct moments in his faith journey that he began to feel a distinct purpose: to preach to all who would hear.[2]

Pitts gave an account of honing his ability by preaching to soda bottles as props while working a part-time convenience store job. He spent much of his later teenage years traveling from church to church, requesting an opportunity to preach. In 1984, at a tent revival in Defiance, Ohio, Kathi Gamble came to hear Pitts preach. The two met, started dating, and married later that year in Lima, Ohio.

In June 1986, with a $1,000 gift from his parents, the couple moved to Toledo to start a non-denominational church, which they named Cornerstone Church.[1][3] The church opened with once-a-month Thursday evening meetings at what was then the Reynolds Road Holiday Inn. They advertised on the local gospel radio station, and on the first night, 18 people came. There was no written plan, no outreach plan, and little external funding. The original vision from God for the Church, given in 1984, years before the church's formation, and still written on paper, stated "The plan is simply for God to have a church that is run on His divine order and inspiration. A church where people of all races, ethnic groups, and religious backgrounds can come together to worship God. A place where sinners will find grace and acceptance, and where they will be challenged to grow. A place where those who need healing and deliverance will find God ever present to meet their needs. A growing place. A happy place. A lighthouse to the whole city, ministering to the whole man."

After a few successful months of Thursday night meetings, they decided to start weekend services. The first Sunday service drew 35 people to a small storefront building, and due to its rapid growth, they had to move locations twice in the first four years, first to an old insurance office at the Byrne Hill Plaza, and then to a remodeled warehouse on Airport Highway. At the age of 26, Pastor Michael Pitts was now preaching to over 1,000 weekly members.[4] In 1995, Pastor Pitts moved the Church to its present location on Reynolds Road in Maumee, just outside Toledo. The church had spent months remodeling what had been a department store into a 2,500-seat sanctuary. The multifaceted church building also features state-of-the-art children's facilities for the more than 400 children to attend services each week.[5] As of 2005 it became the largest church in Northwest Ohio, with 4,000 members.[3] It was the first racially integrated church in the region.[6] In 1998, Cornerstone Church purchased WDMN, an AM radio station in Toledo, and sold it in 2012 after a successful decade of playing wholesome Gospel and contemporary Christian music.[7]

Rather than attending seminary or theological college, Pastor Pitts is unconventionally self-taught from tapes, CDs, books, and other materials. In an interview response that questioned his qualifications, he answered "I went through the tapes one by one, with texts, which I managed to track down, at hand. I read Augustine and the Eastern church fathers that way. And I am still teaching myself, today. What I love about travel is the chance to read. I carry my “Bible bag” with me on the plane. While others are watching movies or sleeping, I am devouring the latest in theological studies or preparing sermons.”[8]

Pastor Pitts was consecrated as a bishop by the International Communion of Charismatic Churches in October 2009 for his oversight of the Cornerstone Global Network, an expanding network of more than 120 Churches around the globe.[1] He has published more than a dozen books.[1]

Bishop Pitts has had three mentors during his time in ministry. The first was Lester Sumrall, who died in 1996. The next was Carlton Pearson, who Bishop Pitts parted ways with after Pearson started preaching a “doctrine of inclusivity.”[9] His current mentor is Bishop T.D. Jakes, the founder and senior pastor of The Potter's House Church, Dallas.[1][3]

In 2015, Bishop Pitts commenced monthly revival services in San Jose, California,[10] believing that the nation is experiencing a cyclical revisitation of the issues the nation faced in the 1960s, and this location was the geographic source of the drug and sexual revolution that help lead to a Christian revival. There, as elsewhere, Bishop draws large crowds and ministers to souls who have a hunger for God.[8]

Speaking on racial integration at Cornerstone Church, Bishop Pitts stated, "It's not a white church with black attendees, nor a black church with white attendees. Nor is it any other combination where one demographic dominates. It's a space where worshipers of any color feel not only welcomed, but celebrated. Here, everyone is in equal ownership of the vision. As a whole, the Church has been attracting a racially diverse community since its founding. I think it's important for every person to see someone who looks like them being used by God, and it's important for every person to see someone who doesn't look like them to be used by God. When I see someone who looks like me, then I can identify and know that God has something for me, but if I only see people like me, then I think that's who God uses, people who look like me. So I need to see someone different as well, so I know that God uses other people.”[11]

Pitts has preached at the annual Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance conference several times. This event aims to bring together churches from across the region with differing styles and congregations. The event is held in May each year.[12]

Pitts has regularly preached around the globe, regularly in Mexico and across the continent of Africa. This includes annual meetings in South Africa, where the Cornerstone Global Network has a strong presence, Zimbabwe, and Ghana.[13]

Michael Pitts at WOWJAM 2014

Pitts is the founder of the "Heal The World" organization, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. The name for the organization comes from his reading of a scripture in the Bible, Revelation 22:2. Its services range from covering the cost of soup kitchen Thanksgiving meals,[14] to collecting Bibles for US soldiers,[15] to partnering with Mercy Ministries,[16] to hosting the African Children's Choir,[17] supporting Dr Patricia Bailey-Jones who ministers with Master's Touch Ministry Global,[18] and leading a prison ministry that has reached thousands of men at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.

His approach to charity is "wholly pragmatic", finding good non profits locally and abroad, and backing their solid work, rather than reinventing the wheel and creating his own charitable organizations. This approach to the humanitarian sector allows for increased effectiveness, where a greater percentage of donations reach their end goal, rather than being spent on overhead.[8]

Over the past 20 years, Pitts 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.[19][20] Over 10,000 people have attended these WOWJAMS over the years.

Pitts has traveled extensively for his philanthropic efforts in areas effected by natural disasters and in Africa. In 2010 a team travelled to Haiti in response to the devastating earthquake with the goal of assisting in rebuilding houses. Heal The World also funds the Cornerstone Academy, an award-winning school in the village of Odokono N'kwanta, Ghana, and built the well that provides fresh water to the region.[21]

In December 2015 Pitts released the album Heal The World. This album was designed to promote a good message, into a world that seems to only promote its hurt and dysfunction. Bringing together many ministry friends for the project, the album contains songs co-written by Pitts that stretches several genres. Included on the project were six-time Grammy winner Israel Houghton, Sheryl Brady, The Katinas, Lucia Parker, Linda Green (of Peaches & Herb), Bryan Popin, and several others.[22]

As a result of meeting with the Mayor of Toledo Paula Hicks-Hudson in early 2016, Pitts learned that several city pools had remained closed throughout the three summers prior due to lack of city funding. This conversation coincided with the release of the city's annual budget for 2016, and confirmation that six pools would remain closed without the support and sponsorship from benevolent third parties. As a result, in the Spring of 2016, Pitts pledged $52,000 to open Navarre Pool, on the East Side of Toledo, on behalf of Cornerstone Church. The pool is blocks from the Eastwood Campus, in East Toledo.[23] In addition to opening the pool, Cornerstone provided the funding to open Savage Park Splash Pad in the inner city of Toledo. Both the pool and splash pad were opened with the intention of running Summer programs and activities, as well as adding additional sites to the Summer Meal Program partnership.[24]

• Help! I Think God Is Trying To Kill Me ISBN 978-0883687741
• Don't Curse Your Crisis ISBN 978-1930027367
• Boundary Shifters ISBN 978-0972671859
• Living On The Edge ISBN 978-0963358325
• Christian Words and Concepts ISBN 978-1930027206
• Breaking The Assignment Of Spiritual Assassins ISBN 978-0963358318
• Power Shifters ISBN 978-0972671842
• Breaking Ungodly Soul Ties ISBN 978-0972671804
• Heal The World[33]
• Fault Lines[34]