Covenant Presbyterian Church

Covenant Presbyterian Church has been part of the Issaquah community for nearly 50 years.   The church of Jesus Christ has spread throughout the centuries as the Holy Spirit has faithfully carried out His work. A small group of believers meeting in a home for Bible study and prayer has often led to the establishment of an organized church.  Covenant Presbyterian Church of Issaquah began in this way.

Dr. and Mrs. Homer Perkins and family moved to Preston from Seattle in the summer of 1957.  At this time there wasn’t a strong Reformed work on the east side of Lake Washington. The Perkins began a Bible Study in their home, and in the summer of 1958 Sunday School classes were added.

In the fall of 1959, classes were moved to the Issaquah Funeral Home, morning services were added, and the name of Covenant Presbyterian Church was given.  Rev. Joseph Greene, of Bellevue Christian School, served as pastor on Sunday mornings.

In January of 1960, services were moved to the I.O.O.F. Hall.  Dr. Perkins and Mr. Harrah, elders of the Evangelical Church of Seattle, took responsibility as acting elders of the newly formed church.  They communicated with Mr. Robert Scott, who was completing his work at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis.  Mr. Scott came for an interview, finished his work at Covenant, and moved to Issaquah, with his wife, Libby, and two small children.  They arrived in time for the Easter service in April of 1960.  Sunday evening services were added at that time.  About the same time, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cowan initiated a building fund with the proceeds from the sale of personal property.

Prayer accompanied the work of Covenant Presbyterian from its inception. Midweek meetings for prayer and Bible study were held in Dr. Perkins’s office. Soon, several were interested in more Bible study, and in the winter of 1961-1962 Rev. Scott began classes on Monday evenings in Mr. and Mrs. William Evan’s home.  This continued the following winter. Several neighbors also attended and became interested in the church. Some of the women felt the need for more prayer and began meeting in various homes during the school year.

Covenant Presbyterian moved to Gibson Hall and enjoyed the convenience of this new location. In August of 1962, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Blomberg and his family moved from Seattle to Mine Hill, a short distance from Gibson Hall.  They graciously opened their home for the adult Sunday School class.  This proved to be a blessing to all who participated.  Meeting around the Blomberg’s large table added to the good Christian fellowship. In February 1963, the congregation decided to rent Gibson Hall all day when necessary. This decision afforded informal evening services to continue, and the youth had a place to meet after the service. Soon after this, with the regular attendance and interest of a sufficient number, it was time to organize a church.

On February 24, 1963, 41 adults and children were received on confession of faith as charter members. Covenant Presbyterian was organized on April 7, 1963 with officers elected and committees appointed. There was something for everyone to do!

Mr. Paul Blomberg became clerk of the session and was directed to apply for admittance of the church to the local Presbytery.
Elder Harrah had moved to New Orleans with Boeing and Dr. Perkins had gone into American Sunday School Union work. Before they left the area, they put serious thought into finding a suitable place for the church to be located. After their departure, Pastor Scott and others continued the search.

At about this time, the attractive property of Mr. and Mrs. Leon G. Bailey on the Redmond Road north of Issaquah, one and one-eighth miles beyond Hwy 10, was located and considered favorably.  The Bailey’s, an older couple, wished to dispose of their three and one-half acres, including its several buildings. The cement block farm building was large enough for the main part of the chapel. Their brick home would be suitable for a manse and near it, and connected by a walk was a small building that could be converted into a study. A large open field and a substantial patch of blueberry bushes, once removed, would give space for parking and for erecting a church building when membership increased sufficiently.  A nice hollow with a lovely grove of evergreen trees would make a pleasant place for youth meetings in summer and for picnics for all.  The property seemed to meet many needs.

The members looked over the property, prayed about it, and decided to make the purchase. Money in the building fund was used as part of the down payment. Special contributions were received, and members and friends purchased bonds. A loan was secured from the bank and the transaction was completed with the Baileys in April 1963. Then began the work of remodeling and completing the chapel. Progress was slow, as church members and friends did much of the work when they had extra time to contribute. Many hours of work were willingly given. The building was sufficiently ready for the first service on Easter Sunday, April 25, 1965. Later, with the building fund and special contributions, the Education Building was added and dedicated on Easter Sunday, March 29, 1970.

Mr. Thomas Cowan, the eldest charter member passed away in May 1970.  He and his wife had always been in interested in the building fund, and thus a considerable amount was given as a memorial at that time.

Pastor Scott, completing five years of ministry, remained until 1965. For almost a year, the church was without a regular pastor. Various ministers and missionaries filled the pulpit, but the members cooperated and the work progressed reasonably well.

Rev. Carl T. Grayson from Memphis, Tennessee came to be the full-time pastor on March 20, 1966.  Pastor Grayson was eager to serve well. Besides his regular services, he taught a series of Bible lessons in homes, taught in an evening Bible school, and made five-minute daily radio broadcasts. He also did much to improve the church property. However, in September of 1970, Pastor Grayson submitted his resignation, wishing to accept the call to a pastorate back in Memphis.

Another pulpit committee was appointed and began work promptly. Rev. Charles Gwinn Jr., his wife, Anita and their daughter, Rebekah came in May of 1971. The Gwinn’s brought their southern hospitality with them. In those days, Issaquah was a bit of a wilder place. A story is told of the Gwinn’s coming out of their door one morning, near what is now the “Ark,” and being greeted by the growl of a cougar, not three feet above their heads – positioned on the roof! Nevertheless, they served faithfully until returning to the south in 1974.

At this time, Rev. Bill Swenson, his wife Letha, and their four children (Debbie, Joe, Tracy, and Chris) arrived from St. Louis.  Their 13-year tenure was the longest in church history and Rev. Swenson’s warm-heartedness encouraged many. Home groups formed and were a source of deep encouragement as families really became close. Letha Swenson modeled hospitality and encouraged the younger women in the care of their homes and families. In 1988, at the end of Bill’s pastorate, the church was made up of around 30 households.

The pulpit was vacant until 1990, at which time Rev. Craig Vick and his wife Kelly began their tenure with CPC, along with their two children, Nathan and Michelle.  Rev. Vick preached the Word with a big heart. He was also involved in a CPC male quartet. Kelly was excellent at working with the women to encourage their faith in Christ. In 1994, Rev. Vick went into the software industry and the pulpit was again vacant for two years.

Rev. Eric Irwin, his wife Lisa, and their children Luke, Hannah, and Abby arrived in June of 1996.  Eric has brought a deep love for God and high view of scripture to CPC. He also continually points us to walking “coram deo” (before the face of God). His dry sense of humor is a blessing to all, as he faithfully teaches us from God’s Word and tenderly leads us to walk closer to the Father. He is an avid reader and cyclist while maintaining close ties to his family and flock at CPC. Lisa is committed to fervent prayer on behalf of the families at CPC and is known for her warmth and generosity of spirit.

David Scott came onboard in July of 2001 as an Associate Pastor.  In 2007 he began the move to Faith Presbyterian in Tacoma in preparation for planting a church in Pierce County.  In October of 2007, Resurrection Presbyterian began meeting in the Puyallup area.

Jason Stellman came as Assistant Pastor in December 2004.  His wife, Alida, and their daughter Ainsley area welcome addition to our body. Jason’s love for outreach, evangelism, and his captivating preaching style have been instructive for many. Jason and Alida left to plant Exile Presbyterian Church in Woodinville in 2006.