Cathedral of Hope (Dallas) - History

History

• 1970 – On July 30, 1970, a group of 12 people gathered at a home at 4612 Victor Street in Dallas to discuss establishing a Metropolitan Community Church. In May 1971, the Rev. Richard Vincent is elected the first pastor of MCC-Dallas. The group would worship in homes for the first year and a half, using a coffee table as an altar.
• 1972 – December 17, 1972, MCC-Dallas moves into its first church home at 3834 Ross Avenue. The building had been originally build as a small private hospital in the 1920s. In 1974, the Rev. James Harris was elected as the church’s second pastor.
• 1976 – On October 4, 1976, MCC-Dallas purchases a former Church of Christ building on 2701 Regan. In November 1977, the Rev. Don Eastman was elected as the church’s third pastor. The membership had grown to almost 400.
• 1990 – The Rev. Michael Piazza is elected senior pastor in November 1987. Membership grows to 600. In late 1990, MCC-Dallas becomes the Cathedral of Hope to reflect a new broader mission to reach out LGBT people in small towns everywhere with a message of hope. The church begins its “Pink-Period” quest to build a larger church to accommodate a growing congregation.
• 1992 – December 1992, the Cathedral of Hope completes its new church home. The Christmas Eve service was broadcast around the world on CNN. The congregation approached 1,000 members. During 1993 the Cathedral grows by a record 300 members.
• 1995 – July 1995, the Cathedral of Hope commissions renowned architect, Philip Johnson to design a new cathedral campus.
• 1998 the membership grows to over 2,300 and the Cathedral serves a rapidly-growing congregation of more than 3,000. In 1999, CoH-TV begins hosting live Internet worship services via the Cathedral’s webpage.
• 2000 – In the year 2000 the Cathedral of Hope begins the “Century of Compassion” by donating more than one million dollars in direct assistance and volunteer community support annually. On July 30, 2000 the John Thomas Bell Wall – a National AIDS Memorial is dedicated. August 6, 2000 nearly 100 people attend the inaugural worship service at Cathedral of Hope – Oklahoma City.
• 2002 – On Sunday evening, July 28, 2002 the newly completed 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) Congregational Life Center is dedicated. Featuring new classrooms for children and youth, renovated office space for Hope Counseling Center and expanded office space for Cathedral staff. The close of 2002 sees a local and national membership of nearly 4,000.
• 2003 - Terri Frey accuses Michael Piazza of financial impropriety, prompting the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches to open an investigation against him. Believing the investigators had overstepped their bounds, the church's board called for a vote to disaffiliate from the denomination, which passed with 88 percent support, effectively ending the UFMCC investigation.
• 2005 – On February 6, 2005, the Rev. Jo Hudson is elected senior pastor. The Cathedral of Hope celebrates 35 years of ministry, service, and activism by beginning a capital campaign to build the next phase of Philip Johnson’s campus design: an Interfaith Peace Chapel and give birth to a new non-profit organization Hope for Peace & Justice. The Rev. Michael Piazza becomes Dean of the Cathedral and President of Hope for Peace & Justice.
• 2006 – In October 2006, the Cathedral of Hope was granted standing by the North Texas Association of the United Church of Christ as a member congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), becoming the fourth largest congregation in the denomination.
• 2009 – In late 2009, the Cathedral of Hope began construction of the Interfaith Peace Chapel. Construction completed Nov. 2010.
• 2010 – In July, the Cathedral of Hope celebrated its 40th anniversary.