Local Churches Celebrate Significant Anniversaries In The Church’s Own Words

United Missionary Baptist Church – 25^th Anniversary

In July 1983, approximately 100 members of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church left the congregation in order to form a new church. That same month, several deacons held a prayer meeting in the home of Dea R.T. Jarrett in order to establish the new church and, thereafter, meetings were held in members’ homes and upstairs in the Joseph Food Store located at the corner of Dorr and Secor Road.
 

On Sunday, August 21, 1983, the first official service was held at the YWCA office on Jefferson Avenue.

An Organizing Council was established with Rev. Lewis H. Newsom, pastor of Calvary Baptist, as moderator and Rev. Edward Hill of True Love as secretary. Other members of the council were Rev. John McKissick, Deacons William Collier and Charles Catching of St. Paul MBC, Rev. I.J. Johnson, Rev. Glenton Davis, Bros, Oliver Hemphill and Joseph Gains.

The new church was named the New Mount Zion MBC and 150 members became charter members of the new church.

The church began worshipping at the Parkwood Seventh Day Adventist Church in September 1983. After a number of months of anticipation, Rev. Paul Broaddus, of the Zion Temple Baptist Church of Akron, OH, assumed the duties of pastor in August 1984.

The church was incorporated on September 17, 1984 as United Missionary Baptist Church.

This Sunday, United MBC members and its current pastor, Rev. Robert G. Bass, who has served as pastor for the past five years, celebrated the 25^th anniversary of the church. The proclamation of the word was delivered by the church’s first pastor, Rev. Broaddus, now of True Vine Baptist Church of Saginaw, MI.

Mt. Nebo Baptist Church – 78^th Anniversary

In November 1930, a group of soldiers met in the home of Bro. and Sis. Charles Johnson in order to organize a church. At that first meeting were Rev. Walter J. Johnson, Edna Johnson, Dora Simmons, Mary Goodlaw and Lela Mitchell along with Deacons Allen Humphrey and Jim Nail and Charles Johnson, W.W. Thomas and James Lathan.
 

Many members were subsequently added and they met regularly in different homes for prayer, mediation and spiritual guidance.

At a meeting in the home of Martha Davis, the hostess suggested the name of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church. The name was accepted.

The first location for Mt. Nebo – under the leadership of Rev. Johnson – was in the 500 block of Nebraska Avenue. From there the church moved to Ewing and Vance Streets and later to Belmont and Weiler. The church later purchased three buildings in the 700 block of Division Street that were restructured for a dwelling of worship.

Rev. Johnson remained as pastor for 16 years and was succeeded by Rev. Allen Lee Roach.

There were several building additions over the next years but in 1962, the city purchased the church properties. After looking at several sites, the congregation decided to purchase a building that had been a theatre at 831 North Detroit. The extensive remodeling was completed in May 1963 and in 1977, the members rejoiced in burning the mortgage on the church home and the parsonage on Sussex Place.

Rev. Cedric Brock became the pastor of Mt. Nebo in June 1993 and has served ever since. During his tenure, the church has added numerous ministries. Three lots have been purchased for more church parking, a new educational building has been completed and property has been donated.

On Sunday, Mt. Nebo’s members celebrated the church’s 78^th anniversary with the help of Macedonia Baptist Church and Pastor Clifford Mayes who preached The Word.
 

St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church – 90^th Anniversary

St. Paul Baptist Church started as a mission in the home of Mamie Porter on Howard Street. The Westly Davises, Robert Christian and Sally McElya families met for worship on July 1917. A year later, the growing congregation officially organized and gave the fledgling church the name St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church.

 
By this time the church was located on Hill Avenue and the first sermon was delivered by Rev. H.F. Fitzpatrick. By 1920, Rev. Robert Christian had assumed leadership and the church moved to Collingwood and Tesumseh. Rev. Green was the next minister and during his tenure the church moved to 654 Hamilton St.

Boy Scout Troop # 50 was organized at St. Paul in February 1921 – the first African-American Boy Scout Troop in Toledo.

In 1928, the congregation named one of its own to assume the pastorate – Rev. Joseph Smith.

During the 1940’s the sanctuary at 654 Hamilton was improved and the house at 650 was acquired for educational purposes. St. Paul moved to its present location of 1502 N. Detroit in January 1958 and burned the mortgage on that property in just five years.

In 1969 Rev. John McKissick became the pastor of St. Paul and the church made numerous strides under his guidance. A Watch Care Program was established; a Department of Evangelism was formed; a credit union was started. Physical facilities were improved with the additions of air conditioning, paneling, carpeting, glass entry doors, a church bus, a parking lot and a lounge. Pastor McKissick retired in 1985 and was succeeded by Rev. Irece T. Bradley who served until 1990.

Rev. Floyd D. Smith answered the call to serve as pastor in 1991 and served until 1998. Rev. James Glover served in an interim capacity until November 2003 when current pastor, Rev. James H. Willis was named to lead the congregation.

Under the guidance of Pastor Willis, St. Paul has added a Young Adult Ministry, a Praise Team and has completed a number of repairs and restoration projects. The congregation is growing steadily and many young members have been added.

This Sunday, St. Paul celebrated its 90^th anniversary – “Building Through the Years” – with the help of Rev. Kevin Bedford, pastor of the Historic Third Baptist Church, who delivered the proclamation, the invitation to discipleship and the benediction.

Warren African Methodist Episcopal Church – 160^th Anniversary 

The Warren African Methodist Episcopal Church was heralded as the first African-American Church in northwest Ohio in the Ohio Annual Conference Minutes of the AME Church in 1847. There were eight members and it was part of the Sandusky Circuit with Rev. G.H. Gillespie serving as pastor.

In 1852, when there were perhaps 300 African-Americans in Toledo, the annual conference decided that Toledo’s 22 members were enough to constitute its own mission. Rev. J.C. McLaren was appointed pastor. The next year, Toledo was placed back on the circuit where it remained for nine years.

In 1862, a black minister, Rev. Henry Young, arrived in Toledo from Kentucky via the underground railroad. He succeeded in raising funds with the help of Congressman James M. Ashley, to rent a frame building at the corner of Summit and Adams Streets – this would be the first black institution in Toledo.

Rev. Charles W. Warren of Pennsylvania was named pastor of the Toledo church in 1865. He passed away in 1874 but not before overseeing the building of a church at 17 North Erie Street. That church mortgage was finally paid in 1915 and subsequent improvements continued to be made on the property.

For 81 years, the congregation worshipped at 17 North Erie before the need for a larger building facility prompted Rev. Otis Haithcox to purchase a church at 749 Norwood Avenue from the Church of Christ congregation.

Rev. Lyman Liggins was assigned to Warren in 1968 and would become the longest-serving pastor. Under his leadership the church established the Warren Senior Citizens Program, a Mental Health Clinic, the Methadone Clinic and the Christian Volunteer Tutorial Program.

The church also completed two parking lots and renovated the lower level of the building.

Rev. Otis James Gordon, Jr. was assigned as pastor of Warren AME in 2003 after 11 years of service at Grace AME of Warren, OH.

Warren AME, in addition to being the oldest black institution in Toledo, is the oldest black church in northwest Ohio, the second oldest in Ohio and the third oldest black church west of the Alleghenies.

Warren AME Church celebrated its 160^th anniversary this past weekend with a grand reception – “Celebrating the Journey – Embracing the Future” – on Saturday and service on Sunday with the help of guest Rev. Marvin McMickle of Cleveland, OH.

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