Ohio Church Annually Leading Community in National Day of Prayer Event

A northern Ohio church whose founding pastor became the Assemblies of God’s first female general secretary is carrying on Donna Barrett’s legacy of community involvement.

For two decades, 22-year-old Rockside Church has spearheaded National Day of Prayer observances around Independence, a city of 7,500 just south of Cleveland.

In addition to Rockside arranging several prayer points around the city, the church organizes a prayer-related mayor’s luncheon at the Civic Center that attracts more than 100 persons. The day concludes with a late-afternoon prayer service in the town square for police officers and firefighters.

Lead Pastor Michele R. Thompson recently became chaplain for the city’s police department. She sometimes leads prayer before city council meetings and twice a year prays at events sponsored by Cornerstone of Hope, a bereavement-based counseling center with operations locally and in two other Ohio cities.

“There’s a good relationship between leadership of the city and the church,” says Thompson, 49, in her first senior pastorate after 12 years as a staff pastor at Cross Community Church in Elyria. “They can call on us for anything and know we’ll be there.“

Despite being an average size church in the Assemblies of God, Rockside has a reputation as a civic-minded church that seeks to build relationships across the city, says the chairperson of the search committee that selected Thompson.

“Michele has that same commitment to prayer and loving people where they’re at,” says Catherine M. Monnin, 72, who is also Rockside’s missions director. “A lot of businesses and nonprofit organizations are based here and Donna reached out to them from the beginning. That’s part of our vision.

“Donna did that and Michele (who came six months after Barrett’s departure) built on that. She’s stepped in with her own style and expression of who she is and who God made her to be. Donna was a very strategic leader and collaborative in building coalitions. Michele’s passion is helping people discover, develop, and deploy their giftings for the kingdom.”

Aside from the National Day of Prayer, Rockside prepares care packages for 80-plus foster children at Easter and sponsors booths at the town’s Fourth of July celebration, its “Fall Festival” in September, and “Light the Night” festivities in October. The congregation also stages several vacation Bible schools every summer in various locations and leads monthly Bible studies at an assisted living home.

Mayor Gregory P. Kurtz—the longest-serving mayor in town history—is thankful to Rockside for starting the tradition of gathering the community for the National Day of Prayer. Kurtz says the event touches residents, safety forces, schools, city administrators, and business districts, and continues to grow because of the church’s commitment to all aspects of the community.

This excellent relationship goes back to Barrett. The mayor says she embraced the community and created special bonds, which Thompson has continued to foster.

“Michele is very gracious and accommodating when asked to provide an invocation at one of our special events or community gatherings, such as the annual Remembrance Ceremony for those who have lost loved ones,” Kurtz says. “She has also extended her presence at our council meetings to offer a prayer for council members, city administration, and residents. We could not be more grateful for her participation and community partnership.”

Planted by Barrett out of Bethel Temple (now Bethel Christian), in Parma, Rockside’s vision goes beyond its city. The congregation has always been a strong believer in missions and supports more than 50 missionaries, Thompson says.

“We’ve had three pillars from the beginning: prayer, missions, and discipleship,” says Thompson, whose husband (Charles) and daughter (Adrianna) are active in various church ministries. “The most important thing is for people to experience the power and presence of Jesus in their lives. Our goal is not only for individuals to know Jesus, but to also have a passion for making Him known.”

Currently the lead pastor is most excited about steps Rockside is taking to become a stronger disciple-making community. After the leadership prayed about someone who could help develop this emphasis, Scott and Christine Mitchell migrated to Independence from Virginia in the fall of 2022 and became volunteer staff members.

A CPA with a master’s in business management and now a life coach Scott and his wife are leading members through a curriculum titled Follow, written by two AG pastors.

“We said, ‘God, we need some mature people to lead this,’” Thompson recalls. “The Mitchells are former missionaries who have a heart for missions and discipleship. They have gone through coaching training and want to help churches develop.”

In addition to being pleased that 25 members are involved in becoming active disciple-makers, Thompson says cooperating with various churches on the National Day of Prayer and other events has helped strengthen her ministry.

“It’s really helped me to know that this church is not my church,” Thompson says. “I am the steward—the one who God has assigned for a season. This is His church. To understand this helps me be a better pastor.”