by Bea Peterson
Pastor Mike and Lois Benoit celebrated their 30th anniversary at Cornerstone Fellowship Church in North Hoosick on October 30. At this point they can’t imagine being anywhere else. They were married in Cornerstone Church in 1975 by Lois’ father Rev. Philip Garippa. He was pastor there for 15 years. [private]Pastor Mike is originally from the Albany area. Lois graduated from Berlin High School and lived in Cherry Plain while her father was the Berlin Elementary School Superintendent. They are not far from their roots. But that hasn’t always been the case. Pastor Mike was part of an up and coming Albany based rock group called the Adirondack. There are pictures of him on the Church website (www.cornerstone22.com) with long dark hair a beard and a mustache. At one point the band was working with one of Bruce Springsteen’s producers. Though the group was successful and Pastor Mike had all he could imagine, he felt unsettled and unfulfilled. When one of the band members left, Pastor Mike felt it was time for him to leave as well. Then tragedy struck the family and forced a move to Phoenix, AZ. There Pastor Mike found his call to God. The family was happy there and Pastor Mike declined requests that he come to Hoosick to Pastor the Cornerstone Church… until their last visit home. Lois said their eldest daughter fell and broke her arm, forcing the family to stay in Hoosick longer than they intended. “My sister said it was a sign we should stay,” she said.
And stay they did, immersing themselves in the community as well as in the Church.
Lois taught at Hoosick Falls Central School for 20 years. She taught music to all grade levels and even taught Special Education for one year. She was beloved by the theater department for her wonderful musical productions, being in on the first Nunsense production performed at the school. She was thrilled when she was able to recruit members of the football and boys soccer teams for her plays.
The couple also operated the Morning Star Day Care Center for years.
Pastor Mike has always believed the purpose of the Church is to spread the word of God and to help the Community. He is an outstanding example of what he preaches. If there is a parade or a community event, he is there. If someone is in an area hospital, he is there. When Hoosick Falls had a jail, he was there. Pastor Mike is President of the Hoosick Area Church Association (HACA). He was one of the founding members of HAPPY, the organization that devoted itself to creating a drug free community and received Federal assistance in the amount of almost a million dollars. He is chairman of the Pastoral Care at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. At the hospital he was recently recognized for two thousand hours of service. Pastor Mike is a member of the Medical Reserve Corps of Rensselaer and Bennington Counties and is a member of the Bennington Evangelical Pastors Association.
The congregation at their Church is less than 100, but Pastor Mike’s passion for music plays a big role in their Church. “Music is a good way to reach people,” he said. “And most of our service has music.” Music stands litter the front of the Church. A projector and screen display the words of the songs and everyone joins in. Lois said families from her school days and their children are part of their congregation. Their Church is non-denominational. Pastor Mike feels unity among Christians is critical today, and he constantly works, within the Church and the community, to create that unity.
So, 30 years ago the couple was drawn to this Church, this community. Pastor Mike admits he considered leaving several times in the first 15 years, but not any more. This is where he and Lois are meant to be. Their son Nathan and his wife Ericca have reopened the Nursery School, now called Cornerstone Child Care. It is a non-denominational Christian-based day care. Nathan also helps out with the music in the Church.
Their daughter Michal is a veterinarian in Virginia, and their daughter Alisha is an Occupational Therapist in Kingston, NY. The couple now has a grandson as well.
And, along with everything else, the Benoits continue to breed purebred golden retrievers.[/private]