CELEBRATION CHURCH at Columbia was established in 1973 as Long Reach
Church of God. The church began as a prayer meeting in the home of Bob and
Doris Davis in the Longfellow neighborhood of Columbia, Maryland. After a few
years of building relationships and laying a foundation of ministry, the church found
a home at the Stonehouse in the newly developed Long Reach Village Center. The
congregation filled the Stonehouse over the span of a decade (1974–1985).
In 1985, after many challenges, the church moved into a newly built facility at
6080 Foreland Garth. Long Reach Church of God became the first church in
Columbia proper (territory/villages governed by the Columbia Association) to
own its own building. This was a significant milestone, as all other churches in the
villages of Columbia were housed in interfaith centers.
The ministry grew on all fronts at Foreland Garth under the leadership of the
church’s establishmentarian, Pastor Bob Davis. In addition to ministries that served
the church and community, 1992 marked the launch of the Long Reach Church of
God Christian Academy.
In 2003, after 30 years of fruitful servant leadership, Bishop Robert S. Davis, Sr.
passed the baton of pastoral leadership to his son, Rev. Robert S. Davis, Jr. Pastor
Robbie was committed to building on the firm foundation set by his parents and
the faithful Saints who had served the ministry since 1973.
As a son of Long Reach Church of God and the city of Columbia, Pastor Robbie
was filled with faith for the future. Under his leadership, the reach of the fellowship
expanded across the region. The name of the ministry was changed to Celebration
Church at Columbia in 2004, and the church continued to offer life-lifting ministries
that fostered growth and expansion.
In 2019, Pastor Robbie led the church in the acquisition of the Riverwood Drive
campus. This new location tripled the space for worship and ministry and provided
the technical infrastructure needed to support the virtual engagement required
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After 40 years of preaching and serving Long Reach Church of God/Celebration
Church, Bishop Robbie Davis is passing the pastoral baton of leadership to Rev. Dr.
Matthew A. Quainoo. November 9, 2025, will mark a new season of opportunity to
help people win in life on the foundation of a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ.
Pastor Matt enters this season of ministry with a clear calling to preach, pastor,
and serve. Dr. Matt is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and was the
youngest commencement speaker in the university’s history. He went on to graduate
from Princeton Theological Seminary and earned a PhD from Howard University
in 2002. He previously served as the youth pastor at Celebration Church, as Lead
Pastor of Solid Rock Community Church from 2019–2024, and has served as Executive
Pastor at Celebration Church for the past year.