Meet Our Senior Pastor

Min. Cornel Dunmore

Cornel Dunmore is the visionary, founder and senior pastor, Catch of the Day DC Church. He is responsible for organizing and managing the day to day operations of the ministry. He is the third child of the late Dorothy and Charles Dunmore. He is a native Washingtonian, reared in the Washington Highlands neighborhood located in Ward 8 and is a proud 1978 graduate of Ballou Senior High School, home of the award winning Majestic Marching Knights Band and the “2017 Turkey Bowl” football champions.

For 45 years, Cornel served in many leadership capacities including Sunday School Teacher (ten year); First Director of Vacation Bible School (ten years); Founder and First Director, Sword of the Spirit Fellowship Club, children and youth ministry (ten years); First Director of Evangelism and Outreach Ministry  (seven years), Visionary, Founder and Senior Pastor, Catch of the Day DC Church (seven years).

Cornel is the Visionary, Founder and CEO, Catch of the Day Worldwide Evangelistic Ministries (CODWEM). The organization was founded September 7, 2003 and will celebrate 20 years on 9-7-2023. The Lord gave Cornel the name and vision to create a flagship School of Evangelism (SOE) curriculum based on fishing. CODWEM founding board of directors include Rev. Cornel Dunmore; Rev. Karen Bell, Board Chair; Rev. Charles Bell (Home in glory); Rev. Dr. Ronald Quarles; and Sis. Sharon Wester, who served as the executive assistant to the CEO.

Catch of the Day DC SOE offers a unique curriculum to learn how to evangelize. Through a visual presentation, fishing analogies, practicums and strategic evangelism training, students master techniques to fish for  men, women, boys and girls. The SOE is a unique and proven flagship curriculum. The SOE has been taught in 12 churches, 10 pastors and over 248 evangelizers in the United States, Kenya and Zambia. Cornel has established 10 chapters of CODWEM and mentors 4 pastors in Kenya and Zambia.  

Cornel was licensed to preach the gospel by  Revival Temple Full Gospel Church (The Late Bishop Milton L. Carter, Pastor), 2431 Shannon Place, SE Washington, DC and he is a past faithful member of Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church (Pastor Grainger Browning, Jr. and Co-Pastor JoAnn Browning), 7707 Allentown Road, Fort Washington, MD.

On August 1, 2015, while in Philadelphia, PA, the LORD spoke to Cornel to pastor and shepherd his people. He instructed him to CATCH, CLEAN, CONNECT AND COMMISSION disciples for Christ. On April 10, 2016, Cornel, along with 8 charter members legally launched Catch of the Day DC Church at THEARC at 1901 Mississippi Avenue, SE, Washington, DC with over 80 guests in attendance.

On September 17, 2016, Cornel appeared before an ordination council led by Rev. Dr. Ronald Quarles and passed his oral examination with unanimous consent. On November 12, 2016, Cornel was officially installed as Senior Pastor of Catch of the Day DC Church. 

Cornel is a graduate of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), where he earned a B.S. in Printing Management, 1990 and an A.A.S. in Printing Technology, 1984. He was hired by UDC Printing Department immediately after graduation as a laboratory technician. Cornel is proud to have installed the first desktop publishing laboratory at UDC. He later transferred from the Printing Department to the Graphics Department and assisted with the layout and design of over 120 publications. He became so knowledgeable using Apple original MacIntosh computers, UDC hired him as an Adjunct Professor teaching layout and design using Adobe and Microsoft products.

In 2007, Cornel self-published two publications: a pamphlet entitled, Senseless Dollars,” a letter to young adults to encourage them to save and protect their financial assets, and lastly a book entitled,The Ultimate Debt Escape Plan,” a graphicly illustrated step by step book on credit and debt management. Cornel has a deep passion for young adults spiritual well being.

Cornel’s career took flight when he accepted the new responsibilities as a  Communications Representative position with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), where he was primarily responsible for the layout and design of the “IAM Journal, a 32 page 600,000 membership color magazine. On March 31, 2016, after nearly 20 dedicated and super rewarding years, he retired from the Communications Department to pursue full-time ministry with the blessings of Director Frank Larkin and  International President Robert Martinez.

Cornel is married to Felicia Quarles-Dunmore and they have two excellent sons. Braxton is a Morehouse graduate earning a B.A. in history, 2013. Royce is a New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts Film School graduate, 2013, where he earned a B.A. in film & television.

When he is not engaged in ministry, Cornel enjoys attending theaters, movies, museums and traveling abroad. On September 10, 2022, Cornel and Felicia celebrated 34 years of marriage.

Do you need to talk?

Call or text me:  301-801-3603
Email your concerns: cornel.dunmore@catch1today.org
Follow me on Facebook: cldunmore and @catch1today
Follow me on Twitter:  @cldunmore and @catch1today

To schedule an speaking engagement,
please
call Church Administrator
Shervita Roberts
(202) 894-0234. Or email:

shervita.roberts@catch1today.org

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