Around the world and back again: Tuscarawas County native returns home to pastor local church
By Jennifer Kneuss
April 30, 2012
1159
When Tom Cunningham graduated from Dover High School in 1980 and headed off to Otterbein College on a theater scholarship, he had absolutely no clue as to what was in store for his life. A career on the stage was not to be, yet Cunningham has been before audiences across five continents – Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. As he noted, God had other plans. Now, Cunningham is the pastor at The Potters House in New Philadelphia, and the church is celebrating its one-year anniversary.
Time at Otterbein had melded with a stint in the Air Force, and along the way the former self described party guy met up with a preacher, Bill Thompson, of the Twin Cities area, who reached out to the struggling young man. Cunninghams life changed with a new relationship with God, and he met his wife, Marjean Watson. In 1989, Cunningham became an ordained minister.
I was ordained with our national fellowship of Christian Fellowship Ministries Worldwide, and I was living in Alaska at the time, in the Air Force. I came to Akron for my first church, which was in the inner city. Then I went back to Anchorage, Alaska, and from there I went overseas to Malaysia to preach at a pastors conference in Kuala Lumpur, which is the capital city. Then I got fired up for overseas missions work. I then pastored a church in Everett, Wash. I had gone and preached a pastors conference in Zambia, and was absolutely bitten (with the country). I would never, ever recover. Less than a year later, I was off to missions work in Zambia through the Fellowship.
The time in Africa was memorable in many ways.
I spent four years in Livingston, Zambia, the home of Victoria Falls. That is where David Livingston first entered and spoke to the Lozi tribe. Livingstons first convert was a Lozi chief from that tribe, right where we were. I actually led the chiefs great-great-grandson to Jesus in his palace in Mwandi.
Cunningham has plenty of stories of his familys life in Zambia, and noted the traditional Lozi greeting. When you greet a Lozi, you bend a bit at the waist, cup your hands in front of you and clap quickly twice, then, holding your right wrist with your left hand, you reach out and shake their right hand, then quickly cup your hands over your heart and say, enshaw.
Eventually, Cunningham pastored a church in Arizona for eight years, but felt a tug at his heart.
Ive always had it in my heart to come back to Tuscarawas County. This is where I grew up; Ive always loved this area. My wife grew up here, too, graduating from Indian Valley North. We used to reminisce about returning to our hometown to pastor. We wanted to come back here, and knew it was just a matter of time. When we knew the Arizona church was stabilized, I thought, Im turning 50. If I dont do this now, I might not ever.
In February 2011, the Cunningham family came home to Tuscarawas County. The building at 335 Union Avenue, at the blinking yellow light in New Philadelphia was available, and the inaugural service was held the first Sunday in May. The New Philadelphia church is one of 1,800 with Christian Fellowship Ministries Worldwide.
We are very evangelistic, and are averaging 45 people a service, for three services a week, noted the pastor.
On Sunday, May 6, Cunningham and his congregation are welcoming another Tuscarawas County native home during the churchs one-year anniversary celebration.
Micah Reiser, a Dover High School grad, is a professional musician and worship pastor in Leesburg, Va. He is coming on May 6 to provide special music for our 10:30 a.m. service, and will be giving a concert at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments and fellowship will follow the concert. We welcome anyone and everyone to join us in celebration.
More information is available at www.pottershouseohio.com or 330-999-1888.
