Cornelius United Methodist History:
This living church which was the dream of a handful of Christians began with faith in God, willing hands to labor, little money and great self-sacrifice. The welcome message written by Rev. Thomas Hilson who served Cornelius Methodist Church 1957 to 1967 reflected the spirit of this congregation and this spirit still stands today: “You are welcome whoever you are that worships here; in whatsoever household of faith you were born; whatever creed you now profess. If you come to this sanctuary to seek the God in whom you believe, you are welcome.”
Rev. Jason Lee was a Canadian Methodist Episcopalian missionary and pioneer in the Pacific Northwest. He was born on a farm near Stanstead, Quebec. Jason Lee was converted during a Wesleyan Methodist revival in 1826. After a group of Nez Perce and Bitterroot Salish men journeyed to St. Louis in 1831, requesting the Book of Heaven, Lee and his nephew Daniel Lee volunteered to serve as missionaries for them.
When Jason Lee came to the Oregon Territory in 1834 there were no churches of any kind but from the time of his arrival to the present day there has never been a time when the Methodist Church has not been actively at work. He came to answer the call of the Indians of the “White men’s Book of Heaven.” Among the indigenous tribes were many whites gathered in settlements so Lee enlarged the planned mission to provide service to all in the region. This was the beginning of the Methodist Church in Oregon.
In 1871 Rev Joseph Hoberg organized a Sunday school in Cornelius, meeting in a log school house on the banks of the Tualatin River. This Sunday school led to the organization of a worshiping congregation who, in 1881, built and dedicated the church building that stands today.
