The Church of God in Bellingham had its origin around the turn of the Twentieth Century. It was part of a movement that had begun in 1880 by Daniel S. Warner. Warner had grown dissatisfied with the status quo of denominations he was in, primarily because of their reliance on traditions as opposed to reliance on the Bible. The divisions that were so prevalent in that day caused him to seek a more biblically pure movement that would allow anyone to take part, regardless of affiliation. The only prerequisite was for people to know and desire to live their lives for Jesus.

This movement quickly spread across the country and in the late 1890s came to Washington. Around 1900 a leader from the movement, Simon Decker, came to Bellingham to establish a church. In those early years the church met in homes, but by the 1920s had its first facility on Broadway Street. This early church was characterized by an evangelistic zeal and an emphasis on prayer.

The church survived considerable hardship during the Depression as many people had little income. People like Lloyd Watts and Melvin Johnson paid for the utility bills on their own to keep the church going. All of the offerings, usually about three dollars per week, went to the pastor for his salary. Yet through determination and a desire to follow God’s call, the church hung on and by 1934 had grown to 40 people.

The late 1940s brought a new pastor who introduced much positive change and a new vision to the church. Charles Ford pastored from 1946 until 1950, and then again from 1960 to 1967. Under his leadership the church made great strides forward, growing to around 100 people, with many new believers attending. Ford’s motto was, “It is better to have 100 people working than to do the work of 100.” He was a strong leader who was not afraid to make strong and controversial decisions.

In 1967, Charles Milliman was the pastor who saw the fulfillment of Ford’s dream to relocate onto the new church property. In 1969, work began on the new facility. The congregation spent many volunteer hours to build a new meeting space and classrooms that served our church until 2002.

The number of attendees then reached a plateau until 1985, when Ken Long assumed the role of pastor. Long instituted various outreach-training opportunities and saw many people come to know Jesus. He also started a new service in the Boys & Girls Club next door for people attracted by a more modern style. This service was a great success, as the church grew to average 350 on Sundays.

In December of 1992, Ken Long departed to lead another church. The youth pastor at that time, Bob Marvel, was chosen as interim pastor while the church looked to replace Long. After a few months of consideration, Bob was offered the position of permanent Senior Pastor.

In May of 1993, Bob Marvel accepted his new role on the condition that our church would pray as it never had before. Pastor Bob brought his own unique style to the preaching, music, and vision of Cornwall. Our church has kept the enthusiastic commitment to reach others. Many people have come to know Jesus personally, been helped along in their spiritual journey, and are now serving others.

Since 1993, Cornwall has grown to average over 2,000 people in weekly attendance and has seen other significant changes. In February of 2002 we moved into our current facility on Northwest Drive, allowing our church much more space and opportunities for growth.

Throughout our history, from the difficult era of the Depression to the amazing time of recent growth, God has proven faithful and been good to us in many ways.