Cornwall Church
Encyclopedia
Cornwall Church is an Evangelical
Christian
megachurch
in Bellingham, Washington
affiliated with the Church of God Movement
, with an average weekly attendance exceeding 2,500.
in 1881) as a home-based church
in Bellingham established by Simon Decker, a pioneer
and early follower of the movement. In 1920 the church obtained a location on Broadway Street in Bellingham. The church survived the Great Depression
solely on donations from rich members, as all tithe
s (then an average of $3.00) went directly to the pastor's salary. By 1934 the church had a congregation of 40.
In 1946, Charles Ford became pastor. Under his mantra, "It is better to have a hundred people working than to do the work of a hundred," the church's attendance reached 100. Ford obtained four city lot
s on Meridian Street (adjacent to Cornwall City Park, named after California
n pioneer Pierre Barlow Cornwall) with the hope of one day building an official sanctuary. Ford served till 1967, taking a ten-year sabbatical from 1950–1960.
In 1967, Ford was succeeded by Charles Milliman. Under Milliman's pastorship, the first official church building was constructed on Meridian, and the congregation was given the name "Cornwall Park Church of God". However, attendance did not grow until 1985, when 29-year-old Ken Long succeeded to the pastorship of Cornwall. Under his direction, Cornwall appealed to the collegiate community of Bellingham (from Western Washington University
) and began several outreach programs. With attendance averaging at 350, services were moved to the adjacent Boys & Girls Club. When Long left for First Church of God in Vero Beach, Florida
in late 1992, his youth pastor
Bob Marvel became interim pastor
. Soon thereafter, in 1993, Marvel was chosen as senior pastor.
After Marvel's accession, Cornwall experienced rapid growth. In February 2002 Cornwall moved to its current location on Northwest Drive in Bellingham to accommodate its expanding congregation, at which point "Park" and "Church of God" were dropped from its name.
outreach program founded by Cornwall Church in 2000 that provides food and clothing for the homeless
and poor
of Whatcom County, Washington. Based on the concept of the "salt of the earth
," the program holds weekly outdoor church services and provides aid in overcoming drug and alcohol addictions
.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
in Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
affiliated with the Church of God Movement
Church of God (Anderson)
The Church of God is a holiness Christian body with roots in Wesleyan pietism and also in the restorationist traditions. Founded in 1881 by Daniel Sidney Warner, the church claims 1,170,143 adherents...
, with an average weekly attendance exceeding 2,500.
History
The church that would become Cornwall began around 1900 (shortly after the foundation of the Church of God MovementChurch of God (Anderson)
The Church of God is a holiness Christian body with roots in Wesleyan pietism and also in the restorationist traditions. Founded in 1881 by Daniel Sidney Warner, the church claims 1,170,143 adherents...
in 1881) as a home-based church
House church
House church, or "home church", is used to describe an independent assembly of Christians who gather in a home. Sometimes this occurs because the group is small, and a home is the most appropriate place to gather, as in the beginning phase of the British New Church Movement...
in Bellingham established by Simon Decker, a pioneer
American pioneer
American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
and early follower of the movement. In 1920 the church obtained a location on Broadway Street in Bellingham. The church survived the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
solely on donations from rich members, as all tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s (then an average of $3.00) went directly to the pastor's salary. By 1934 the church had a congregation of 40.
In 1946, Charles Ford became pastor. Under his mantra, "It is better to have a hundred people working than to do the work of a hundred," the church's attendance reached 100. Ford obtained four city lot
Lot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
s on Meridian Street (adjacent to Cornwall City Park, named after California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n pioneer Pierre Barlow Cornwall) with the hope of one day building an official sanctuary. Ford served till 1967, taking a ten-year sabbatical from 1950–1960.
In 1967, Ford was succeeded by Charles Milliman. Under Milliman's pastorship, the first official church building was constructed on Meridian, and the congregation was given the name "Cornwall Park Church of God". However, attendance did not grow until 1985, when 29-year-old Ken Long succeeded to the pastorship of Cornwall. Under his direction, Cornwall appealed to the collegiate community of Bellingham (from Western Washington University
Western Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...
) and began several outreach programs. With attendance averaging at 350, services were moved to the adjacent Boys & Girls Club. When Long left for First Church of God in Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
in late 1992, his youth pastor
Youth ministry
Youth ministry, also commonly referred to as Youth group, is an age-specific religious ministry and is the way in which a faith group, or other religious organization involves and engages with the young people who attend its place of worship, or live in its community...
Bob Marvel became interim pastor
Interim
Interim is an album by British rock band The Fall, compiled from live and studio material and released in 2004. It features the first officially released versions of "Clasp Hands", "Blindness" and "What About Us?" — all of which were later included on the band's next studio album Fall Heads Roll —...
. Soon thereafter, in 1993, Marvel was chosen as senior pastor.
After Marvel's accession, Cornwall experienced rapid growth. In February 2002 Cornwall moved to its current location on Northwest Drive in Bellingham to accommodate its expanding congregation, at which point "Park" and "Church of God" were dropped from its name.
Salt on the Street
"Salt on the Street" is a weekly evangelisticEvangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
outreach program founded by Cornwall Church in 2000 that provides food and clothing for the homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
and poor
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
of Whatcom County, Washington. Based on the concept of the "salt of the earth
Salt and Light
Salt and light are metaphors used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, one of the main teachings of Jesus on morality and discipleship. These metaphors in Matthew 5:13-16 immediately follow the Beatitudes and refer to expectations from the disciples....
," the program holds weekly outdoor church services and provides aid in overcoming drug and alcohol addictions
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
.