I was the kind of person whose voice would crack and I'd get all sweaty if I was asked to lead a prayer in front of a small group of people.”Cori Lewis, Pastor at Cullman Church of Christ
CULLMAN – Cullman is home to a variety of churches, and part of what makes each church unique is its congregation, especially its pastor. Pastor Cori Lewis, of Cullman Church of Christ, is young, and his heart is on fire for the love of God. He works diligently to bring others to God every day.
Lewis has been married to his wife Jennifer for seven years. They both grew up near Pensacola, Florida where they lived most of their lives. They have two children, 3-year-old Noah, and baby Ava. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and Masters degree in Ministry. He has preached at Cullman Church of Christ for the past two years and before that he served at a church in North Central Florida for five years.
“Although I grew up in a Christian home and have always loved God, I had no desire to pursue a career in ministry because of my fear of public speaking,” he chuckled. “I was the kind of person whose voice would crack and I’d get all sweaty if I was asked to lead a prayer in front of a small group of people.”
“But when I went off to college, I felt like God wanted me to do something with my life for His kingdom. I thought at first that I was going to follow in the expected path for my family and pursue a degree in business. But after doing some soul-searching, I soon figured out that running a business or making lots of money would not bring me true satisfaction,” he straightened up in his chair.
“I faced my fears head-on and signed up for speech class immediately. I decided I would not say no to anything anyone had asked me to do in terms of leadership opportunities, and it wasn’t long before I felt a very strong calling to devote my life to congregational ministry and I was preaching at a local church,” he smiled.
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Posted by Cullman Church of Christ on Thursday, July 23, 2015
Though Lewis may be young, he has dedicated his life to serving the Lord and helping others find God. Preaching can be a tough, yet an extremely rewarding calling. Each pastor has their strengths and weaknesses. Lewis is no different.
“I think my greatest challenge in ministry, and for many preachers, is resisting the temptation to become a people pleaser,” he explained. “Everyone has their own interpretation of the Bible and their own perception of what they think a preacher should be like. But if I am going to be the man that God has called me to be, I have to resist the temptation to ‘fit the mold’ that people want me to fit into.”
“At the end of the day,” he continued, “I may not preach the sermon that everyone wants to hear or live up to everyone’s individual expectations of me. But what really matters is whether or not I please God. He is the one that I am truly working for.”
Even though he and his wife are originally from Florida, they have happily made Cullman their home. Lewis loves his church and has been a great fit for its members.
“The Church of Christ movement has always been about unity. We’re not perfect at it, but ultimately that is our goal,” he explained. “We live in a world today where there are so many religious movements that focus on how they are different from or better than other religious groups. In contrast to this, what we really want is for all people to unite at the cross of Christ and let His teaching be the only thing that we strive to promote.”
“Cullman Church of Christ is a diverse group of people,” he smiled warmly. “The diversity of our membership is seen in our ages, our economic make-up, as well as our religious backgrounds. But none of these differences are as important as the core belief that unites us all; that Jesus is Lord. If you believe this, there is a place for you at our church.”
Lewis welcomes visitors and will gladly talk to anyone who may be searching for the Lord.
Cullman Church of Christ is located at 4345 Al Highway 157, Cullman, AL 35058. For more information call 256-734-2172 or e-mail churchoffice@cullmanchurchofchrist.org. Visit their website at cullmanchurchofchrist.org and like them on Facebook at facebook.com/cullmanchurchofchrist.
