Biography
Hey there, I’m Mike Cooper, but you can just call me Pastor Mike.
I serve as the associate pastor at Greater Rain Community Church, and let me tell you, the road that led me here is paved with a lot of bumps, twists, and turns—all for His glory.
Born in the quaint town of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, I didn’t exactly have the smoothest start. My parents called it quits when I was still a kiddo. And let me tell you, that moment didn’t just shake my family tree, it uprooted it. Church wasn’t part of my upbringing, and the little I knew about God didn’t seem to apply to the chaos that followed.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
That’s when Mom turned to the bottle. Life spiraled from bad to worse. My saving grace? My grandparents—devoted followers of Christ. These folks were the real deal. My grandpa was a prayer warrior, the sort of man who held conversations with God like He was an old friend. I won’t lie, my parents’ divorce was like an earthquake that shattered my world into a million pieces.
Despite sporadic church visits, usually when my God-loving grandparents would show up, I never fully surrendered to God. By my teenage years, I’d seen it all: drugs, fights, and even guns pulled out in broad daylight. Chaos was my constant companion. Fast forward to my 16th birthday, a night marred by alcohol and bad decisions. I was hanging out of a car window in Ohio, retching my guts out. I was lost, blinded by the allure of a destructive lifestyle.
Enter the woman who would become my wife in our senior year of high school. We had two amazing sons, but even this semblance of stability couldn’t last. Our home fractured, torn apart by betrayal. I hit rock bottom, contemplating the unthinkable—ending it all. But God had other plans. My two-year-old son knocked on the door from the inside just as I was about to step out, gun in hand. His tiny knock was like a divine intervention.
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)
Zooming ahead to April 14, 1996, at 9:30 p.m., drenched in the stench of alcohol, I surrendered all my hurts and brokenness to Jesus. I didn’t even know the proper words to say, but He knew what was in my heart. That night, my life took a 180-degree turn. No more booze, no more drugs—just an unbreakable bond with my Savior. He didn’t stop at just saving me; He called me into ministry. It’s been a rollercoaster ride since 1996, but every dip and turn has been worth it because God is steadfast.
Now, I’m blessed to share my life with Becky, my rock and better half, who stands by my side in ministry and in love. Together, we’ve expanded our family, adding four more wonderful kids and a flock of grandkids.
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalm 34:8)
God’s goodness doesn’t have an expiration date, and I’m living proof. So, that’s me, Pastor Mike, and I can’t wait to see where this awe-inspiring journey takes me next..
Vision/Purpose
Becky and mine’s vision is expansive and rooted in the transformative power of faith. We yearn to see the Lord’s house filled where there are countless souls saved, delivered from addictions, healed, and set free from demonic attachments/influences.
We envision both physical and mental miraculous healings manifesting among us. Our desire is for a glory-filled revival to ignite within our church, then spread like wildfire throughout our community, into neighboring counties, throughout the states, and all over the world. We want to witness people being baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire.
As for specific ministries, we are eager to launch a biker ministry and we hope to see the nursing home ministry restarted in the near future. We want to see GRCC initiate jail and street ministries and we hope to be an integral part of restarting our food pantry as well, (incorporating a clothes closet to help those in need of clothes as well). Visiting hospitals and tending to the sick, hurting, and needy are also things we want to continue to increase doing.
Community engagement is vital; we are looking to organize activities that not only involve the community but also draw more people to the Lord. (Enhancing our men’s and women’s ministries through more outings is another goal close to our hearts.) Looking ahead, we envision our church overflowing to the point that we would need to hold multiple services. A church bus will definitely be on the horizon, especially as not only the adults but the youth group continues to grow and expand.
In the future, we hope to build/move into a much larger church building with multiple facilities as we anticipate the multitude of souls that God will send our way.
This is truly our vision—filled with faith, hope, and love as we believe God will equip us with all that is needed to see these things become reality.
