Pastor Gary Hamrick has been in full-time ministry since 1987 when he first served as a youth pastor to high school teens. Then in 1991, he began pastoring Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA when all 18 charter members asked him to become the first pastor of this new, start-up church. Today, Cornerstone is the church home to several thousand weekly worshipers, and it is Pastor Gary’s desire to equip them through the teaching of God’s Word, relating the truth of the Bible to everyday life in practical, relevant, and often humorous ways.

Gary received Christ as his personal Lord and Savior when he was in high school and soon thereafter wrestled with a “call” into the ministry. He initially denied that calling and instead pursued a communications degree at American University with aspirations of becoming a broadcast journalist. However, after his sophomore year in college, he surrendered to that calling on his life, changed schools, completed a Bachelor of Biblical Studies, and was ordained by Pastor Chuck Smith and the Calvary Chapel Association.

Pastor Gary has been married to Terri since 1987 and they have three grown children (who also serve in ministry) and five grandchildren. Terri volunteers as the Director of Women’s Ministry leading weekly Bible studies and prayer meetings with the women of Cornerstone.

Pastoring in the shadow of the Nation’s Capital has allowed Pastor Gary on different occasions to meet and pray with Cabinet Secretaries, Supreme Court Justices, members of Congress, and the Israeli Ambassador. Pastor Gary is on the Advisory Board for The Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. He also serves as the Chief Chaplain for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (the largest Sheriff’s Office in Virginia with 600 sworn deputies and 200 civilian personnel). His radio broadcast “Cornerstone Connection” can be heard weekdays across the country in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

Pastor Gary is an avid news “junkie” and enjoys fishing, camping, playing sports, woodworking, umpiring high school baseball, and especially spending time with his family.