ALBANY, OREGON – A mark of any biblically faithful church is a desire to replicate itself and its mission to share God’s word throughout the world. For the last 12 years, I have been a member of Grace Immanuel Bible Church in Jupiter, Florida – a church that lives out this mission in spades. At now well over 100 years old, GIBC has had its part in planting many daughter churches. Though understandably many of these churches are in Florida or other nearby states, you can imagine my delight in finding one over 3,000 miles away in my home state of Oregon: Cornerstone Bible Church of Albany.

During my summer 2026 trip back home, I took the opportunity to visit this growing congregation. Upon reaching their campus, I felt instantly at peace – mainly because their church building is nestled in the heart of farm country with breathtaking mountain vistas in the distance being the last thing you see before stepping inside. Having grown up in rural Oregon myself, this was a welcome respite from the busy and bustling streets that fill my life today.

I was greeted warmly as I entered and after finding a seat and getting my bearings a bit, I set out to connect with the GIBC alumni currently in leadership at Cornerstone. At the moment, this includes graduates of The Expositor’s Seminary (a GIBC ministry) Jake Liedkie and Joshua Wragg. Jake, the Lead Pastor, led the original effort to plant the church, which was founded on June 21, 2015. Jake left GIBC to begin his church planting work before my time there, and he was also away at the time of my visit to Cornerstone – so unfortunately, as of yet, I have not had the chance to meet him, but his reputation for faithfulness to the Lord and His word definitely precede him, and it is evident that the flock at Cornerstone is under excellent care.

I did, however, have a chance to reconnect with Associate Pastor Joshua Wragg, who I had met in Florida years ago. Josh is the nephew of my own pastor, Jerry Wragg, and he shared a little of the church’s history with me. During its beginnings in 2015, the congregation met in a community center before eventually relocating to their rural campus. As the congregation continues to grow, Josh shared that there are plans in the works to transition to an even larger facility. However, the building not withstanding, the mission of Cornerstone is one without compromise – to establish a church committed to expository preaching, sound doctrine, and Christ-centered worship.

As services began, I felt as if I was experiencing the perfect blend of the church I grew up in – Calvary Baptist of Prineville – and my present church, GIBC. The worship was a mix of both contemporary songs and classic hymns. One thing I was particularly encouraged by during the worship time was seeing the teenagers – especially the teenage boys – joining in on the singing. Having worked with thousands of teenagers by this point in my life, I know how challenging it can be to get them to participate in worship – even when they are believers – so this is one aspect of my time at Cornerstone that I will never forget.

And then came the sermon! Anyone who has ever sat under the expository preaching of GIBC and other faithful churches knows that rich biblical teaching is like food for the soul. Sometimes it can even be more like food for the starving soul if you have not spent much time under faithful preaching or have just been neglecting your own personal studies. Knowing the impact GIBC has had on the Cornerstone leadership, I was expecting the same robust teaching during my visit, and I was not disappointed. Pastor Josh delivered a convicting message from Psalm 66. The theme of the message was “Praise the Lord for His Wonderful Deeds” and Josh shared an outline that included these four main points:

1. Praise God for His Victory (v. 1-4)
2. Praise God for His Reign (v. 5-7)
3. Praise God for His dealings (v. 8-15)
4. Praise God for His deliverance (v. 16-20)

The message was amazing and as with any sermon I have heard at GIBC, I found myself flipping through my Bible, looking up commentary on my phone, and taking page upon page of notes before it was all over. To say my soul left that sermon refreshed is an understatement!

Before leaving for the day, I connected with Pastor Josh one more time. During our conversation, he happened to mention something that had been shared in a sermon at GIBC only that morning. Since GIBC is over 3,000 miles away with a 3-hour time difference, I asked Josh if he still kept up with the sermons of his home church. He said, “Absolutely! There is a three-hour time difference. That’s how I start every Sunday at 6:00 am.” That is something that always encourages me about the men who lead at and/or have been trained at GIBC and the Expositor’s Seminary. The Bible is the thrill of their hearts! They don’t just teach it – they are excited to teach it and to live out what it says. And when they themselves are not in the pulpit, they are always eager to sit under the teaching of other faithful men – even when they have to get up early to do it. Cornerstone Bible Church is also a place with pastors of such conviction, and I am very grateful I had the opportunity to visit.

Should the Lord ever call me back to live in Oregon and the Willamette Valley, I have found my new church home without question: Cornerstone Bible Church of Albany. For now though, I am grateful for even the few hours I got to spend there. My experience reiterated a point for me that must be clear to every believer. Whether at the beach or in the city, whether in jungle or on the mountain top, whether in the factory or in farm country – the Lord will bring Himself glory through the faithful preaching of His word. This being true, the task of every believer is also clear:

“Make a joyful noise to God,

    all the earth!

Sing the glory of His name;

    make His praise glorious” (Psalm 66:1-2).

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References

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