August 1, 2019
From: Nathan Shorb, Director of Youth and Operations
360-733-8860
North Bellingham Church Adopts Name Change
With a “reveal celebration” scheduled for Sunday afternoon, August 25th, Birchwood Presbyterian Church is announcing its new name of Cordata Presbyterian Church. The change is designed to give the congregation closer identity with its surrounding Cordata neighborhood and prevent confusion by newcomers in finding its location.
The original Birchwood church, founded in 1923, was first located in Bellingham’s Birchwood neighborhood until it outgrew its building there and had the opportunity in 1997 to establish a much larger facility in the new north Bellingham community of Cordata. During the past 22 years, the church has worked to be a vital center for Christian faith and care for the families in this area that has seen a dramatic jump in population.
“This idea of a name change was not without some controversy among our members especially those with long history at the church,” Pastor Greg Ellis explains, “but ultimately we realized localized identity was really important for us. ‘Cordata’ means ‘with heart’ in Latin, so the new name is certainly befitting the church.”
The Sunday public unveiling of its name will occur during the annual Neighborhood Block Party with free barbecue starting at noon that day in the church parking lot. The public are invited.
When constructing its expansive 43,00 square foot facility over two decades ago, church members envisioned providing a variety of family programs throughout the week, in addition to traditional Sunday worship and education hour. Its popular pre-school program, Birchwood Christian School, which will keep its name, is now in its 20th year of operation. Evergreen Christian School Spanish Immersion program for elementary children operates at the church, and there are adult English language classes held in conjunction with the Whatcom Literacy Council.
The church also hosts neighborhood children and youth for Sunday afternoon open gym times and provides meeting space for the Cordata Neighborhood Association and other community groups. In 2012 the church erected a children’s outdoor play facility which has been a big attraction for children living in surrounding homes.
The church’s imposing structure sits on a large 17.5 acres tract of land much of which is largely undeveloped. In recent years, through the efforts of two of its high school Eagle Scouts, extensive walking paths have been carved through the landscape. This walking network joins with the Cordata Trail System and the undeveloped park situated near the church at the lower end of Meadowbrook Court.
Besides wanting to be a place for families to grow deep roots in Christian faith, the church’s members have had a large impact on Bellingham service organizations including Whatcom Love In the Name of Christ, Interfaith Coalition Family Promise, Lydia Place, and the Lighthouse Mission. Internationally, church members have for years been partnering with a high mountain village development program in Guatemala called the Hope of the Pokomchi. It has also been an organizing host for Operation Christmas Child and a Feed My Starving Children county wide food packaging and shipping project.
The newly named Cordata Presbyterian Church retains its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church USA, a Christian denomination known recently for encouraging considerable latitude in doctrine and style for individual congregations. Historically, leaders in America’s Presbyterian parishes were instrumental in crafting the American constitution in ways similar to the church’s governance and in building some of our country’s prominent Christian Universities and seminaries.
“The Cordata Presbyterian Church will continue its active collaboration with the two other Presbyterian churches in town”, Pastor Ellis states, “with preaching exchanges and co-operative worship services for special occasions in the Christian calendar.” The church also partners closely with its regional organization, the Northwest Coast Presbytery based in Everett, Washington.