Cornerstone Community Church will honor Pastor Scott and Michealle Hoag on Sunday, Sept. 13, celebrating 25 years of ministry and leadership at the Manteca church.
The Hoags arrived in Manteca in September 2001, beginning a chapter of ministry that would span a quarter-century and touch generations of families at Cornerstone and throughout the community.
Scott Hoag had sensed a calling to ministry from the time he was 15 years old. After high school, he attended Christ for the Nations Bible College and later Bethany Bible College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in church leadership. He became licensed to preach with the Assemblies of God in 1991.
Before coming to Manteca, Scott and Michealle served in ministry in Lancaster where they worked with children and families.
A Manteca Bulletin profile published during Hoag's early years at Cornerstone described a growing church with an emphasis on reaching families and children. At the time, Hoag spoke enthusiastically about the congregation and the opportunity to serve in Manteca.
Twenty-five years later, that ministry has grown to include generations of people who have called Cornerstone home.
As Senior Pastor, Scott has led the congregation through years of growth and change while continuing to place an emphasis on biblical teaching, community, service and reaching people beyond the walls of the church.
Michealle has served in significant leadership roles of her own. She is Cornerstone's Women's Ministry Director and Director of the church's Creative Arts Studio and Community Theater. Through those ministries, she has helped create opportunities for women, children, families and members of the greater community to build relationships, discover their gifts and become involved in the life of the church.
Together, Scott and Michealle have shared much more than Sunday mornings with the Cornerstone congregation.
Over 25 years, they have celebrated weddings, births, child dedications, baptisms and graduations. They have prayed with families through illness and loss, encouraged people during difficult seasons and celebrated milestones alongside those they have come to know as family.
Their years at Cornerstone have also allowed them to see one generation give way to the next. Children who were part of the church when the Hoags first arrived are now adults, and some are raising their own families at Cornerstone.
During the Hoags' tenure, the church has continued to expand ministries for children, students and adults while maintaining a commitment to local outreach, missions and practical service to the Manteca community.
For the Hoags, however, the story of the past 25 years is ultimately a story about people.
It can be seen in families who found a church home, individuals who grew in their faith, children who became adults in the congregation, volunteers who discovered a place to serve and countless relationships built over more than two decades of ministry.
Cornerstone Community Church will recognize Scott and Michealle during its Sunday services on Sept. 13. The anniversary celebration will provide an opportunity for the congregation to reflect on the past 25 years and express its appreciation for the Hoags' continued leadership and service.
After a quarter-century at Cornerstone, Scott and Michealle continue to serve the same church and community they came to call home in 2001, with a ministry built on faith, relationships and a lasting commitment to people.
For more information about Cornerstone Community Church or the Sept. 13 celebration, contact the Cornerstone Community Church office at (209) 825-1220.
