About Cornerstone Baptist Church

Pastor Bo Wagner

Pastor (and youth pastor) Bo Wagner was saved in September of 1979, and began preaching as a 12 year old boy in 1982.  He earned his Associates Degree in communications technology from Cleveland Community College in 1989. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree with highest honors in 1997, and then earned his Masters and Doctorate with highest honors from the Carolina Bible College in 2001 and 2003.  He founded Cornerstone Baptist Church in 1997. He is a newspaper columnist for multiple papers in five states, including the Sunday edition of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He has been married to Dana since 1994, with whom he has three children, Caleb, Karis, and Aléthia.

Assistant Pastor Brandon Tolley

Assistant Pastor Brandon Tolley and his wife, Rebekah, joined our staff in September 2021. Brandon was saved in April 2010 and graduated from Gardner Webb University in 2018. He and Rebekah were married at Cornerstone Baptist Church in September 2018 and are expecting their first child in 2022.

Dana Wagner

Pastoral Secretary Dana Wagner is the daughter of Evangelist and Mrs. Don Sessions.  She was saved in 1988, and graduated with a secretarial degree from Hyles-Anderson College.  She is the primary church pianist, the wife of the pastor, and the mother of Caleb, Karis, and Alethia.

Chip Nuhrah

Treasurer, Chip Nuhrah, was saved in 1996 and graduated from Gardner Webb University with a B.S. in Business Administration in 1991. He is the Public Information and Communications Officer for the City of Shelby. He and his wife Stephanie have also served as our teen Sunday School teachers since 2000.

Paul Cash

Head of Security and Director of the CBC Homeless Ministry, Paul Cash.  Paul has put a team of security personnel together to help keep us safe during services.   Paul Cash has thirty-four years of law enforcement experience with eight of those years working in prisons and jails. He is a nationally known instructor and has spent the last twenty-two years traveling through-out the United States conducting law enforcement and emergency training.  He holds a masters degree and doctorate degree in Christian education and he is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He owns his own business Paul Cash Safety Force. He also heads up the ministry at our church where we reach out the homeless in our community to feed them a warm meal and preach the gospel of Christ to them.

Lova Mull

Lova works part-time in the office as a church secretary. She has been a part of Cornerstone Baptist Church for over 25 years, where she and her husband raised their children and now their grandchildren.

John and Angie Buff

Patch the Pirate directors, church custodian, John and Angie Buff.  They work very hard to make sure the church is clean for each service and the grounds are keep in shape.  Angie has worked with children in the Cleveland County School System for almost 20 years.  They have been faithful members our our church and have served quietly alongside the Pastor to make sure the children are having fun and learning at the same time.

  1. We believe that the 66 books of the Bible, and only the 66 books of the Bible, have been given by inspiration of God, and are perfect in every way.  We believe that since the time God gave the original writings, He has supernaturally preserved them without error, and that for the English speaking people, He has done so in the King James Version of the Bible – II Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 24:35; Psalm 119:89; Matthew 4:4; Psalm 19:7
  2. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God the Son, conceived and born of the Virgin Mary by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost.  We believe that He lived a sinless life, and that He voluntarily gave up His life for us on Calvary in order to pay for all of our sins.  We believe that He rose again bodily the third day, that He ascended back into Heaven, where He is even now at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.  We believe in His literal return to receive us again unto Himself, and that His return could come at any moment. – Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 15:20; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1-2; John 14:1-3; I Thessalonians 4:15-18
  3. We believe that all men are born sinners, and that they are incapable of any works that can change that fact.  We believe, however, that God draws all men unto Himself, and that He gives them the ability to freely accept or freely reject His offer of salvation.  – Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:8-9; Isaiah 64:6; John 12:32; Romans 10:13
  4. We believe that Baptism is by immersion only, and that it is only for believers.  We believe that it is an outward symbol of an inward change, and that it is the first step of obedience for a new Christian – Matthew 3:16; Acts 8:36-38; I Peter 3:21; Matthew 28:18-20
  5. We believe that the local church has been purchased by the blood of Christ, and that it is His vehicle for doing His work on earth.  As such, we believe that it is more important than any Bible college, mission board, or para-church organization – Acts 20:28; Matthew 16:18; Hebrews 10:25; Eph. 5:25-27
  6. We believe that God created human sexuality to be enjoyed only between a man and his wife.  We believe that all forms of fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pre-marital sex, transvestitism, sex changes, pornography, and any other form of sexual gratification outside of the bonds of marriage  (which can only be between a man and a woman) is a sin. – Hebrews 13:4; Leviticus 18:22; Genesis 19; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 1; I Thessalonians 4:3; Psalm 101:3; Deuteronomy 22:5
  7. We believe that abortion is the taking of an innocent life, and that Christians should not have abortions, and should not vote for people who support abortion.  We also believe that Christians should have no part in violence against abortion clinics, or abortion providers.  We believe that in order to win the battle against abortion, it is necessary to win the hearts and minds of all involved. – Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41-44; Psalm 82:3-4; Exodus 20:13
  8. We believe that when a person is truly saved, He is forever saved.  We believe that a Christian will live like a Christian, and that if he begins to stray, the chastening hand of God will be on his life, even unto the point of death.  We believe that a Christian’s security is not based on anything he does or does not do, but is based solely on what Christ has done, and continues to do. – John 5:24; Eph 4:30; I Corinthians 6:19-20; Hebrews 12:6-11; I Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; II Timothy 1:12
  9. We believe that Hell is a literal place of fire and conscious torment for the lost, and that it will only get worse when it is cast into the lake of fire.  We believe that it was prepared for the devil and his angels, and as such, will be unbearable for the mere spirits of man.  We believe that Heaven is a literal place of bliss for the saved, and that the greatest of its joys will be to see Christ, the Lamb of God – Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:15-20; Matthew 25:30; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 21:1-23

Dear Friend,

Each one of us has an appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27). When death comes, your eternity is just beginning! The Bible is clear that every person will spend a real, conscious, forever in either Heaven (Revelation 21-22) or Hell (Luke 16:19-31). There is no other alternative given in scripture. God loves you so much that He has made a way for you to go to Heaven, and He left the decision up to you. Here are the things you need to know concerning salvation:

  1. Every person is a sinner by birth (Romans 5:12) and by choice (Romans 3:23). Sin is violating the expectations of God, and also failing to live up to His perfection. Because of our sin, we have earned eternal separation from God.
  2. Our good works cannot help us be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). Isaiah 64:6 declares that even when we try our very best to do good, that “our righteousnesses are as filthy rags!”
  3. Jesus is the ONLY way of salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12). No one else, not Muhammad, not Buddha, NO-ONE but Jesus can remove your sins!
  4. You must repent (Luke 13:3-5; Romans 2:4). To repent means to turn from one thing to another. To be saved, you must willingly turn away from your old life of sin, and turn to a new life in Christ. You must turn from you being the lord of your life to Christ being in charge (Romans 10:9).
  5. You must believe that He died on the cross to pay for your sins, and is now risen from the dead (Romans 10:9). The resurrection of Christ is the most well documented fact in human history, and it is the proof that he is the Son of God (Romans 1:4).
  6. You must ask him to save you (Romans 10:13)

If you would like to be saved, please pray this prayer from your heart to God, and mean every word of it:
“Dear God, I know I am a sinner by birth and by choice. I ask you to please forgive me. I know that you died on the cross to save me from my sins, and I thank you. I know that you rose from the dead, and that you are even now calling me to yourself. I willingly turn from my old life of sin to a new life in you. I give you complete authority over my life. Please save me now from my sin. Thank you Lord, amen.”

If you have just prayed that prayer and meant it, on the authority of God’s Word (John 6:37) you are saved. We would love to hear from you if you have done this today, and will do everything we can to help you in your new walk with Christ.

Pastor Bo Wagner