12/07/2025
Please read the following message shared by Pastor Willard at the end of today’s service. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the message not being available for viewing. Below Pastor Willard’s announcement, you will find a follow-up from Gabriel Willard, the chair of our deacon board.
From the Desk of Pastor Michael Willard
Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
October 26, 2025
Dear Church Family and Ministry Friends,
I am writing to share something deeply personal and important — a decision that has come after much prayer, reflection, and seeking the Lord’s will.
After nearly a decade of serving here at Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church, Stephanie and I believe that God is calling us into a new season of ministry. With that leading, I will be stepping down as pastor of Cornerstone, with my final Sunday of service scheduled for December 28, 2025.
This has not been an easy decision. When we first arrived in July of 2016, it was with the full intention of spending the rest of our lives here, serving this community and this congregation. We have poured our hearts into this church, and we have grown deeply — both in faith and in love for the people God has placed in our path.
However, as Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Over the past months, God has made it clear that He is leading us into a new season of service — one that will allow us to minister to soldiers and their families through the calling of Army chaplaincy.
This is not a departure from ministry, but an extension of it — a continuation of the same mission we have always embraced: to take the gospel to those who need hope, healing, and truth. With God’s help, my prayer is to be accepted into the Army Chaplain Corps and to receive orders to relocate sometime in the coming months. We would deeply appreciate your prayers as we follow where God leads.
Serving as your pastor has been one of the greatest honors of my life. You have prayed with me, served beside me, and allowed me the privilege of walking with you through seasons of both joy and hardship. Stephanie and I will always be profoundly grateful for the love, support, and grace this church has shown our family.
We are confident that the same God who has led us here will continue to lead Cornerstone with His perfect wisdom and peace. He is faithful, and His plans are always good.
As I shared in my recent message from Hebrews 12:1–2, the call for every believer is to “run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Seasons may change, but our Savior does not. Our focus remains the same — to keep our eyes fixed on Him.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your pastor, and for allowing us to share life, love, and ministry together. We love you and will always carry Cornerstone in our hearts and prayers.
With deep gratitude and affection,
In Christ,
Pastor Michael Willard
Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Church family, as you’ve just heard, Pastor has shared that the Lord is leading him and his family into a new area of ministry. While this is certainly bittersweet for all of us, we want to begin by expressing our deep gratitude for Pastor and his family’s faithful service, their love for this church, and the years of ministry we have been blessed to share together. We truly thank God for how He has used Pastor and his family in our lives.
Pastor Ronnie and the deacon board want you to know that we are committed to leading our church family through this transition with prayer, clarity, and unity. This was not a sudden or uninformed decision, and Pastor Willard has walked with us through this process. We fully support him and his family as they follow God’s direction, and we trust the Lord to guide our church as well.
Over the next several weeks, our Sunday schedule will continue exactly as we have been meeting. On Wednesdays, we will transition from the small group format to a dedicated time of prayer—specifically focused on seeking God’s will and direction for our church. Pastor will continue to serve through the end of December, and we encourage you to take time to express your love and appreciation to him and his family.
We also want you to know that the church leadership has already been praying and meeting together regarding the next steps for our ministry. In January, we will hold a special church family meeting where we’ll share more information, answer questions, and outline the direction ahead. We desire this to be a season marked by unity, patience, and a shared confidence that Christ is the head of His church.
In the meantime, we would ask you to do three things:
Pray for Pastor Willard and his family as they prepare for this new chapter God has placed before them.
Pray for our church family—that the Lord will strengthen our unity, our faith, and our love for one another.
Pray for wisdom for our church leadership as we seek God’s will in the days ahead.
So, Church family, let’s look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith during this changing season. We love you, we are here for you, and we are trusting God together.
Let’s close in a word of prayer.
