UD Ep35: The Importance of Unity

Returning to the podcast is Pastor Mike McCarrick.

Pastor McCarrick has been involved in ministry for as long as he can remember. Mike was raised in New Jersey in a Christian home. He developed a genuine love for Jesus and began serving the Lord at a young age. He grew up as a pastor’s kid, watching his home church of Cornerstone Calvary Chapel grow from a small gathering in his family’s living room to a thriving ministry in Howell, New Jersey.

In the teen years, Mike’s passion and commitment to Jesus grew, as did his love for worship music. He began leading worship regularly in his school and church, and in 2004, at age 18, he became the full time worship leader at Cornerstone. He took a brief break to complete an intense four month discipleship and Bible training program in Montana in 2005. He returned to New Jersey to lead the youth ministry and continue leading worship, and in 2008 he was officially ordained. The Lord had transformed Mike’s dream of playing professional baseball into a desire to devote his life to serving the Lord in ministry.

Mike married his high school sweetheart, Lauren, in 2007. Two years later, they answered a call to the mission field and served with a discipleship ministry in both The Bahamas and Brazil for a year, bringing their first baby, Hannah, along for the adventure. During that time, they felt a strong calling from God that they would be returning to New Jersey where Mike would one day pastor Cornerstone, the church that his father, Chris McCarrick, had founded in their living room in 1994.

Mike and Lauren moved back to New Jersey in 2010. They served in ministry at Cornerstone as the Lord grew their family, and they now have four beautiful, energetic children. Mike fulfilled the role of assistant and worship pastor under his dad for ten years. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Mike took on the role of lead pastor at Cornerstone Calvary Chapel, now Cornerstone Church. The Lord grew his passion for teaching God’s word, and God continues to strengthen Mike with joy and wisdom as he faithfully serves the family of God.