Michele has worked with some wonderful ministries over the past 20 plus years spanning from Illinois to California. With a potpourri of job descriptions and a diversity of age groups, she has been empowered by this experience and training and feels compelled to give that away to others. Her passion for developing leaders is what brought her to Ohio in 2006.
In November of 2018, Michele began a new season of ministry as lead pastor at Rockside Church in Independence, OH. Michele has a vision to see Rockside Church continue to grow and to further fulfill Rockside's vision of taking the unchanging love of Christ to an ever-changing world fueled by PRAYER, PARTNERSHIPS WITH MISSIONARIES, and BUILDING DISCIPLES.
She is an Ordained Minister with the Assemblies of God and has been serving in full time ministry since 1999. She is also a certified Leadership Coach with the John Maxwell team and continues to have a passion to teach, train and develop leaders of all ages.
Michele is married to Charles Thompson and they have twin daughters, Acelynn and Adrianna. Charles is a Clinical Registered Nurse at the University Hospital in Cleveland and has served there for over 13 years. His heart to care for people shows not only in his personal career but also in his heart to serve the church however he can.
Gary was raised in the Methodist Church where he was saved as a pre-teen. While attending college at Muskingum University he became involved in the Jesus Movement and then helped with campus ministry. After serving in the Army during the Viet Nam War he obtained a master's degree in chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and then spent thirty years as a bi-vocational pastor and research chemist.
Later he obtained a Doctor of Ministry degree from Christian International University. Gary has been married to his wife Barbara for fifty years. They have four married children, fourteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Gary enjoys hiking, backpacking, fishing, and vintage cars. In addition to serving as a Staff Pastor at Rockside Church he is active in several local and international ministries.
Jordan serves as a Staff Pastor overseeing Worship, Young Adults, and Social Media. Prior to joining the staff at Rockside Church, Jordan served as a Worship and Youth leader at Harvest Ridge Church in North Ridgeville, Ohio. In addition, he has worked with Greater Cleveland Youth for Christ in various youth leadership capacities.
He has completed level one certification with Ohio School of Ministry and has been credentialed with the Assemblies of God since 2017.
In his free time Jordan enjoys drone flying, being a landlord and any restaurant offering free bread.
He along with his wife Leah and two boys Caleb and Jayce live in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio.
Cathy has served in a wide range of church leadership positions in the Cleveland area for decades. She was a founding member of two Christian non-profit organizations and is a graduate of Christ for the Nations. She retired from 35 years of public service with the Cuyahoga County Public Library where she last served as the Branch Services Director.
She is the Director of Missions and Community Outreach at Rockside Church. Currently she oversees the church's relationships with over 60 missionaries or organizations, chairing our missions committee and connecting with city leaders on behalf of Rockside Church.
Cathy is a Graduate of University of Mount Union with a Bachelor's Degree in English and Philosophy and earned a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from Case Western Reserve University. In addition, she is also a certified Relational Wisdom Instructor.
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Vaso brings years of church ministry experience and has been part of Rockside Church leadership team from the church's beginning in 2002. Vaso has served in various roles over the years filling in as needed.
She is presently serving as Admin Support and coordinating the Children's Ministry. Her ministry experience mixed with her exposure to the business neighbors through her employment in the Rockside Road business corridor makes Vaso a great representative and networker for Rockside Church and beyond.
Leah is currently serving as our First Impressions and Assistant Kids Director. Her background consists of many years serving in Kids, Youth, and Worship Ministry.
Leah has completed level one certification with Ohio school of Ministry and has been credentialed with the Assemblies of God since 2017.
She is an Enneagram enthusiast, makeup connoisseur, and a three time reigning OYM Summer Camp Champ.
Her and her husband Jordan have been married since 2014 and live in Old Brooklyn with their two boys, Caleb James and Jayce Nicholas.
Rachel brings with her several years of experience in youth ministry, worship, and missions work across three continents. She is passionate about carrying the heart of missions into every sphere of life both at home and overseas. Rachel attended Agora Bible College, has been licensed with the Assemblies of God since 2019, and is currently working toward ordination. In her free time, you can usually find her exploring nature or curled up with a good book.
Vicki has over 35 years of experience in the corporate world from working in various administrative and accounting positions for small companies to Fortune 500 companies.
She and her husband, Steven have six children and 2 grandchildren. She enjoys music, guitar, golf, gardening, reading and life-long learning. She is a member of Rockside Church, IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals) and a former Sweet Adeline.
Vicki is currently serving as administrative assistant at Rockside Church and also facilitates the Christian Business Women's Connection (CBWC) at IWU in Independence.