Cornerstone (Assembly of God Church) Church in Bristow is moving forward with plans to build a new church campus on a 50-acre parcel of land near the Bristow exit of the Turner turnpike.
A plant from the Cornerstone Church in Bowie, Maryland, the Bristow branch plans to utilize the rest of the land for commercial development, including a major brand Hotel, with whom they are in negotiations, and nearby restaurants.
The Church will occupy between 8 to 10 acres and the proposed hotel will occupy approximately 2 acres. Any money made from the development will be used to fund Cornerstone’s worldwide outreach.
Pastor Mark Evans, of the Bristow campus, said the Church was originally on a tract of land that was discovered to be the location of a refinery, thus making it a Superfund site. The property is now cordoned off with warnings of contamination and is being remediated. He said that four children near the old church property developed lead poisoning, and that his own children suffered symptoms ranging from headaches to breathing problems.
“We lost 11 acres when we had to move, our desire has always been to find a short-term location plan and a long-term plan.”
Pastor Evans said the church loves the current downtown location, and they are able to do needed outreach, stating that during the pandemic they gave out food from 30 semi-trailers but, unfortunately, there is a lack of space and a lack of parking. “We have multiple services because we can’t put everybody in the building at the same time because of fire codes.”
He stated that the church looked for an immediate relocation plan, as well as a long-term relocation plan in 2013 when the EPA said they had to move.
“I drove my truck on that land (proposed site) with my leadership team and we prayed over the land, right about where that exit sign is. We prayed out there that God would give us that land.”
Pastor Evans said the person who then owned the property had owned the land for forty years and turned down numerous offers. The pastor told the gentleman that the church only needed 10 or 11 acres, however the owner did not want to split up the tract. “He said, ‘I will make you a deal, if you put down a thousand dollar deposit, I will hold the land until you are ready to purchase.’
The Church gave the owner a thousand dollars in 2014, and the owner held the property in escrow for five years until Cornerstone could purchase it. “Obviously we have more land out there than we needed. That’s why we have been working with the City and the Country to develop, and asking, what does the city need? That is why all those conversations with Mayor Rick Pinson started, and with Jarrod Whitehouse, our County Commissioner. We wanted to do something that would benefit the whole community.”
The Sapulpa Herald spoke to Mayor Rick Pinson about the proposed project. “That is a seed that Mark (Evans) planted when I was first elected in 2019, and we have run with it ever since creating a development out there. It’s going to be good for the city, it’s going to be good for the County, and it’s going to be good for the State.”
The mayor mentioned the OTA plan to build an interchange at Bristow with service roads on both sides of the turnpike. “With this development of the Turnpike, it’s definitely a big economic boost for this area.
“The Church here in Maryland owns the land, we are developing the land to bless people everywhere, not only in Creek County, but also around the world. The intent of buying that land several years ago was to expand that reach,” said Pastor Mark Lehmann, Lead Pastor of Cornerstone Church in Bowie, Maryland. Cornerstone campuses provide funds to feed 5,000 children a day in India and around the world. Cornerstone also participates in the Convoy of Hope.
Pastor Lehmann’s parting comment was: “It has really been a God thing, the whole process…. I felt compelled by God to take that church (Cornerstone Bristow) under our wing, in a real crisis time in their lives….This is amazing, I am pretty excited.”
