Leadership

Pastors Chris & Jeannette Willis met while they were both attending Central Bible College in Missouri, and man, are we glad they did! Though they have served in Massachusetts and various other capacities in Connecticut, the Lord has blessed us greatly to have these 2 giants in the faith serving as our Lead Pastors at Cornerstone for over 10 years. They have 3 children: Shalyn, Ashlyn, & Russell. Shalyn is a graduate from Northpoint College, while Ashlyn is a senior at Oral Roberts University. Russell is in high school at Faith Prep and an active member of our FORGE student ministry. Jeannette favorite dish is chicken cutlets w/ roma tomatos, basil, & honey mustard. She enjoys walks on the beach with her "CUTE MAN," as well as walks with the fam pretty much anywhere. She enjoys basketball, volleyball and playing games, especially "Party Bowl"! She loves trucks, cool blinkers, and the ocean is her favorite place. PC loves to eat tacos, deviled eggs (despite their name), as well as dairy-free/gluten-free chocolate cream pie (yes, that does exist). He also loves cross country drives (like, LONG ones), family trips to the beach, and working on house projects. He enjoys listening to preaching podcasts, reading Christian fiction with Russ, as well as hanging out at the house with family, when there's nothing to do & nowhere to go, just company to enjoy. Lastly, he really enjoys the game Risk and wants you to know, "I'm pretty awesome at it". 

Email: pastorchris@cornerstonect.org

Email: jeannettelyn@cornerstonect.org

Pastor Grant grew up in Minnesota before serving in the U.S. Navy. While in the Navy, he was saved and called to attend Northpoint Bible College (then Zion) to prepare for ministry. It was there that he met the lovely would-be Mrs. Ethel Grant, and they were married in 1964. They have been in ministry for over 50 years together (praise God). They've pastored 4 churches together, have led multiple ministries together, and have 4 daughters and 12 grandchildren. When asked their favorite meals, Pastor Grant went with pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes w/ mushroom gravy, and veggies, whereas Mrs. Grant would take a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Pastor Grant enjoys Hallmark movies, outside games, and would spend his ideal Saturday driving down to the ocean. Mrs. Grant's favorite movie is the Sound of Music, and also enjoys watching Wheel of Fortune, but she, too, enjoys the beach, as well as playing games, walking, and spending time with friends & family. The Grants bring such invaluable experience, wisdom, knowledge of the Word of God, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit to our team, and we are forever grateful for their presence and impact on this church and their hearts for the lost.
 

Email: pastorgrant@cornerstonect.org

AJ & Heather Johnson are the Student Pastors at Cornerstone, and have been a part of our staff since January 2021. Heather is a graduate of Liberty University with a Bachelor’s in Youth Ministry and a Minor in Women’s Ministry. AJ is a graduate of the University of North Texas with Bachelors degrees in Spanish & Communication Studies. The Johnsons met while working at Crossroads Summer Camp, a ministry they both interned for after college, the same camp that the Forge now attends each summer. Heather & AJ have massive hearts for the next generation. They’re imperfect. They’re unpolished. But they strive to be authentic, genuine, intentional, do things with excellence, and speak the truth in love to a generation in desperate need of it. It would be their honor to be given the opportunity to serve your students.

Email: aj@cornerstonect.org

Email: heather@cornerstonect.org

Shawn and Jaclyn Mattison are the Children's Pastors at Cornerstone Church. Shawn has been a police officer for over 20 years and owns his own property maintenance company. Jaclyn has been in education for over 20 years and has held positions in public and private schools both in the classroom and in administration. She is a professor for Liberty University and has been in ministry for over a decade. Shawn and Jaclyn have 7 children (yes, you read that correctly!). They love having a big family and are blessed to have them so involved in ministry with them. Shawn loves to golf and hunt, although his time for those things are currently limited. Jaclyn loves to spend time on the beach, no matter the season, loves all things fall (except anything remotely spooky) and is a big Hallmark movie fan. Shawn and Jaclyn firmly believe that children ARE the church and that God can do BIG things in and through them, despite their age. They are passionate about coming alongside parents to help them navigate the difficulties we all face in parenting. Shawn and Jaclyn are dedicated to providing a fun and safe environment where kids can learn that they are loved by God, can have a personal relationship with Him and can do great things for Him.

Email: jaclyn@cornerstonect.org

Jonah DeJarnette is the Technical and Creative Arts Director at Cornerstone Church. Jonah has a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering Technology, and though he has been on staff only a few years, he was a volunteer at Cornerstone for several years prior to coming on staff. Jonah loves all aspects of technology, and recently picked up nature and bird photography, which is one of his favorite things to do. He also really loves golf, and loves learning about niche editing and graphic design techniques. Beyond his technical abilities, Jonah believes strongly that worship extends beyond the platform, and from mixing sound, running livestream, or running media are all not only essential to the sharing of the gospel, but are all opportunities to worship the Lord while serving. He also has a passion for youth, and he serves on the adult leadership team for Forge, where he also shares his love for technology, teaching others to grow in their gifts in photography, videography, and graphic design.

Email: jonah@cornerstonect.org

Sue has served as our Office Admin for the past several years, and man, are we blessed to have her. If you’ve called the church at any time during those years, she’s probably been the first voice you’ve heard. She takes care of all of our office's administrative needs, and also is the leader of our Anchored Women's Ministry. She’s lively, fun, energetic, and loves to connect with, empower, and build up women through building relationships & studying God’s Word. Sue is married to her husband, Bob. They have two children and 4 grandchildren. She & Bob “love love love” to travel and have a dream to drive across the U.S. at some point. They also have a lofty goal to one day climb Mount Washington. She’s pretty much down for all impromptu travel, especially if it’s to New Hampshire to visit Rob & Heidi (their son & daughter-in-law). They’ve recently discovered a new love for paddle-boarding! She enjoys home-reno shows and funniest home videos, but would rather play a game. She likes online trivia and is always up for a board game, especially Scrabble. Her favorite foods are ham & scalloped potatoes, as well as Hungarian food, Hibachi, and chocolate covered gummy bears! Her ideal Saturday would be spent with her grandsons: Bentley, Logan, Grayson, and Elijah sleeping over, making them their fav: Nutella pancakes & bacon, then going for a hike or any other fun activity we can come up with! 

Email: admin@cornerstonect.org

Carlene Kopchak serves Cornerstone as our Bookkeeper/Treasurer making sure Cornerstone is a faithful steward of the resources with which God has entrusted us. She retired from the corporate world after working many years in the accounting departments of small to mid-sized companies and was only “supposed” to be on our team for a short period of time. God had other plans, showing her that she was called to this position to use her given talents & abilities for His purpose, so for over 10 years she has remained on our team. She and her husband, Andy, have been married for over 50 years, and have a son, a daughter, 4 grandchildren and 1 great child. Andy also serves as a member of our board & takes care of many of our building's maintenance needs. Carlene leads our Jubilee Ministry in which she seeks to engage & serve the 50-and-up crowd of our congregation. She also leads our L.A.N.D. ministry, which is a ministry that reaches out to our local community to assist with specific needs. Carlene enjoys reading, watching movies and LOVES anything chocolate. She grew up in a house on Long Island Sound and continues to feel drawn to the water for quiet walks on the beach. 

Email: carlene@cornerstonect.org

Ashlyn serves as the Social Media Coordinator, where she manages event advertising, content promotion, and sharing the life of our church community across all social platforms. Ashlyn graduated in May 2024 from Oral Roberts University with a degree in Business, focusing on Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Finance. Alongside her role here, she works as a billing specialist at a behavioral health counseling center and run a small business that helps people access the right supplements for their optimal health. I’m blessed with an older sister, a younger brother, and two amazing parents. In her free time, Ashlyn enjoys riding horses, cooking, and engaging in the health and wellness industry. Ashlyn's passion for social media ministry lies in its ability to reach those who may never step through our church doors. Her goal is to cultivate a sense of community within our church members and creatively spread the gospel to people we may never meet face to face.

Email: ashlyn@cornerstonect.org

As you can see above, Dee wears multiple hats for our church. She keeps the church clean on a regular basis. She also heads up our coffee ministry, which we can't engage in during this time, but she misses it dearly! Her desire is to cultivate fellowship for our church as well as an opportunity to meet new people who begin attending our church. She has an amazing coffee crew of volunteers who help out weekly when that ministry's up & running. As an aside to that ministry, alongside her team of volunteers, Dee often takes care of food catering needs for church social functions, as well as any "in-house" wedding coordination that takes place at or with Cornerstone. Dee also enjoys being a part of the Anchored Women's Ministry. Her daughter, Allie, was formerly a Kidz volunteer, and we're sure you've met her husband, "Big Joe," who heads up our ushers & security teams. Dee enjoys cooking meals (which Big Joe will tell you are hard to beat!), and LOVES to entertain guests in her home. One of her favorite scriptures that she tries to embody in her role at the church & her daily life is Colossians 3:23, which says: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."