“Give double honor to spiritual leaders who handle their duties well. This is especially true if they work hard at teaching God’s Word.”

– 1st Timothy 5:17

Church Leadership

Pastor Stu King

“My goal while I was with you was to talk about only one thing. And that was Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.”

– 1st Corinthians 2:2

Born in Akron, I moved to Pittsburgh as a kid and became, of all things, a Steelers fan. The good news is that I saw the light and returned to my roots to attend and graduate from Ohio State with a business degree in marketing. From there, I set off on a career in Chicago and an M.B.A. in Finance from the business school at DePaul University.

I wasn’t raised in a Christian home or in the church, but came to faith in Jesus at the age of 27 after being led by the Holy Spirit to buy a Bible and then begin reading it for the very first time over the course of a few months. The day came when the Lord asked me, “Are you going to follow Me or keep living the life you’re living apart from Me?”  After that, everything changed because God had other plans for what He wanted me to be doing. It took a couple of years, but me and my wife, Deb, and our young family, were then led to return home to Pittsburgh, where I entered divinity school at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. After being ordained and serving as a pastor at a very large church for a number of years, I learned that wasn’t where the Lord wanted me to serve His kingdom. That’s when I was led to CCG as Senior Pastor 25 years ago in 1997.

The Bible verse from the Apostle Paul at the top of this page from 1st Corinthians sums up my calling – To start a whole new life, preaching and teaching the good news of salvation found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Deb and I have four grown children and two grandchildren. I also lead our adult Bible study on Tuesday evenings.

Beth Daugherty – Director of Christian Education

Hey, there! I can’t wait to meet you! As the Director of Christian Education, my role is to make sure that our children and teens are each provided with age-appropriate learning opportunities in a safe and loving environment. It’s exciting to see a church growing together in the Word of God!

A little bit of background…. Growing up, I attended Springfield Local Schools. I graduated from Grove City College in 1992 with a degree in French and Spanish and married soon after. I spent the next twelve years in Pennsylvania, serving in children’s ministry, both in the inner city of Philadelphia and in the coal region of Mount Carmel. God blessed our family with three children: Hannah, Benjamin, and Mary. We moved back to Ohio in 2004 and I found myself as a single mom just six years later. In 2018, I remarried, blending my family with my new husband’s family. Between Tim and I, we have seven adult children. We enjoy talking with other couples in similar situations at our monthly “blended & blessed” gatherings. 

When I am not at the church, I can usually be found working at my shop (My Sister’s Place, Hartville) or helping with my family’s business (Hartville Chocolate Factory). I enjoy meeting people, learning about new cultures, and spending time with my family. I especially enjoy spending time with kids and teaching them about Jesus. I have been doing just that for 35 years. Children are definitely a gift from the Lord!

Brian MacLean – Worship Leader

It was a cold and blustery early morning in March of 1981. The sun had not yet risen, and a light snow was blowing through the air. Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by the cries of a baby as Brian MacLean came into this cruel, dark world…

Hmmmmmm, maybe that’s too dramatic. Let’s start over. I was born and raised in Allentown, PA, and later moved to right outside of Hershey (and yes, the air does smell like chocolate). In 1996, I bought my first guitar from one of my friends and started a Christian rock band. Since then, I have been playing and singing anywhere I have been able to, sometimes as a solo artist and sometimes in different bands. After graduating high school, I attended college for music education. Although I never finished my degree, I was still able to use my experience to work at learning centers and music stores, teaching guitar and music. Years later, I attended school again and this time earned my certificate in audio engineering.

Through all that time, I still had a passion to lead worship and sing for the Lord, first as a worship leader in Mohnton, PA, and then at a church in Akron. In November of 2016, I saw an ad for the worship leader position at Celebration Church and joined the staff a few months later. Me and my wife, Michelle, have a son and daughter, and live in Akron.

Mary Fisher – Evangelism Ministry

I grew up in the faith and accepted Christ as a child. My husband Preston and I share a passion for children’s ministry and growing a family of our own as an epileptic. God has given me a testimony which has grown grace and compassion in me for all God’s children and sensitivity for any challenges they may have, big or small.  I love creating engaging lesson plans for the youngest amongst us and teaching of God’s unfailing love for them.