Our History

There were people in Oklahoma City who wanted a church different from the others they had experienced in the past. For years, some of them had occasionally attended the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas. CoH-Dallas met this need for a new congregation in Oklahoma City. It all began with a small group bible study and a few big services at Christmas and Easter. Nearly 100 people attend the inaugural worship service at Cathedral of Hope Oklahoma City on August 6, 2000. Now, over 15 years later, we are still reclaiming a Christianity of extravagant grace, radical inclusion, and relentless compassion.

Cathedral of Hope History

• August 6, 2000 First regular Sunday service held at First Unitarian Church
• September 1, 2000 Rev. Kevin McLemore installed as 1st pastor
• September 2002 Rev. Tessie Mandeville comes as 2nd settled pastor
• July 2003 Church disaffiliates with the Metropolitan Community Churches
• February 2004 Rev. Bob Wilcox begins service as interim pastor
• May 15, 2005 Rev. Dr. Scott Jones installed as 3rd settled pastor
• October 30, 2005 Voted to affiliate with the United Church of Christ
• March 14, 2010 Began worshipping at Mayflower Congregational Church
• October 3, 2010 Rev. Dr. Joe Meinhart begins service as interim pastor
• June 17, 2012 Rev. Matthew Perkins is installed as 4th settled pastor.
• September 6, 2015 Relocated our worship services to Church of the Open Arms
• April 24, 2016 Rev. Kayla Bonewell installed as 5th settled pastor.