BECAUSE WE CARE WE SHARE!
THE VOICE 2.0
“This beautiful temple on a prominent corner in Dayton Ohio.”-1912 1|Page
FROM THE EDITOR This is a very exciting issue. We celebrate the 104th Anniversary of the laying of the original cornerstone of Euclid Ave UB church. The cover photo is from the cover of The Religious Telescope, a national newspaper of the United Brethren Denomination. Bishop Milton wright was an editor from 1869 to 1876. They put the church on the cover 2 times, in 1911, when the cornerstone was laid and 1912, when it was dedicated. As always, if you would like to contribute something the deadlines are listed in each issue. All are welcomed – Andrea Foy
Schedule Deadlines
Issue Release Date
Jul 30th
Aug 15th
Sep 30th
Oct 15th
Nov 30th
Dec15th
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www.mtenonbaptist.org 937.222.0867 SERVICES Sunday 8:30 a.m. - Sunday School 10:00 a.m. - Morning Service 9:30 a.m. – Cherub Nation 4:00 p.m. – 1st & 3rd Sun; BTU Monday 11:00 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. – In The Word MOTTO Our motto is "Because We Care, We Share". We share our love, resources, and faith with all. We are a Christian family and invite all to become children of God in the fullest way by receiving the teachings and gift of salvation. MISSION
Wednesday 9:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. - Prayer Meetings 11:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. - Bible Study Saturday 11:00 a.m. - Bible Study
Our Mission is to maintain the general design of the Church as outlined in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. To extol and magnify Christ and His teachings: To promote the spiritual and moral welfare of its members. To advance the Christian faith and religion: To enforce good order: To aid the needy and suffering within the sphere of its influence both within the congregation and community.
MINISTRIES ADMINISTRATION CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MISSION & EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP STEWARDSHIP SHEPHERDING WORSHIP YOUTH YOUNG ADULT 3|Page
AGENDA OF CORNERSTONE CELEBRATION SUNDAY MAY 24TH
1:00-2:30 P.M.
M.C. – SISTER ANDREA FOY (PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR FOR HISTORICAL MINISTRY)
Introductions of Historical Ministry Committee PASTOR CORY J. PRUITT WELCOME BROTHER JOHNNIE FREEMAN (CHAIRMAN)
SPECIAL GUEST INTRODUCTION 1st PSALMIST – SISTER LOIS FOY (Chair - Written History)
A STORY OF TWO CHURCHES – SISTER VIRGINIA HAWK (Co –Chair)
2nd PSALMIST – SISTER RHONDA MUNDY (Committee Member)
LIGHT REFRESHMENTS VIEWING OF ARTIFACTS AND EXHIBITS CHURCH OVERVIEW BEGINs IN FOYER AT 1:45
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“I WAS PRESENT” How Bishop Milton Wright spoke to us. – By Andrea Foy Summer 2014: Pastor Cory Pruitt and Sister Faye Johnson asked Brother Johnnie Freeman and Sister Virginia Hawk to co-chair a Historical Ministry to find out more about our beautiful church. An announcement was made and answered by the members listed later in the Voice 2.0. As soon as we got together, we knew we were on to something big. The church had other historical committees and our congregations history was well preserved. We had not however, considered that our church, located just outside the Historic Wright-Dunbar District, had any tie to it’s rich history. All that changed when a copy of Bishop Milton Wright’s Diaries, published by Wright State University was given to Brother Johnnie. Below are some of the more pertinent entries Bishop made himself. •
Sunday, May, 28th 1911 – “Corner Stone of Liberal UB Church laid at corner of Third and Euclid, at 3:00. I WAS PRESENT.” (p. 732) (emphasis added by editor)
•
Sunday, August 25th, 1912 “Prof A.W. Drury invited me to come up and look at Euclid Avenue Church.” (p. 754)
•
Saturday, October 5th, 1912 – “Prof AW Drury called. He invited me to their communion tomorrow. Would like to show me their church, Euclid Ave.” (p. 756)
Once we saw the first entry that said, “I was present,” we knew we were onto something big!
HOW WE GOT HERE FIRST U.M. CHURCH CONNECTION TO 3RD & EUCLID Article Reprint from January Beacon Newsletter by Johnnie Freeman
The historical ministry knows that we would not be here if it had not been for those holy saints of God who work tirelessly in various ministries of the church. We also know that the church history (West 3rd Street) runs deeper than Mt. Enon Baptist Church. As we (Centiles) were grafted into God’s family (Jews) our family has a connection to the United Brethren who have resided in this church for almost 57 years. First United Methodist Church (1516 Salem Avenue Dayton Ohio), Courtesy of Johnnie Freeman
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Our historical ministry had an opportunity to visit a church which has a connection to our Euclid Avenue congregation. Through our research we discovered a discussion of a chapel honoring the membership of a past great church. The new house of worship at 1516 Salem Avenue was dedicated January 31, 1954. First Evangelical United Brethren had its highest membership of 1,463 in 1930. However, in 1961 that dropped to 1,224 and that number was gradually declining. The First Church decided that they needed to combine with another church and united with downtown Euclid Avenue Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1962. The 3rd & Euclid Avenue church membership was also declining and in 1968 they sold the church to Mt. Enon Baptist Church. The proceeds of this sale helped to pay off the debt of the new Salem Avenue building. In its 91-year life, in addition to carrying on its own vital program, Euclid Avenue Church gave substantial leadership and assistance to the founding and development of several other churches. Euclid Avenue was blessed with some of the most influential members in the denomination and was the home church for many seminary professors and general officers of the church. The congregation always had a deep missionary spirit. The 91-year ministry of the Euclid Avenue Church is commemorated in the Euclid Memorial Chapel in First Church (picture above). Above picture: Courtesy of Brother James Ditto The following information was recorded from The First Church booklet written by Clyde Bielstein.
FROM SUMMIT STREET TO EUCLID AVENUE To accommodate the needs and activities of this strong and growing congregation, preparations were made for securing a new and adequate house of worship. Money was accumulated, a site was purchased at the northwest corner of Third Street and Euclid Avenue, and construction was begun. At last, on May 26, 1912, this great new building was dedicated by Bishop W.M. Weekley. The effort cost the congregation $75,000. The hard working building committee included A.W. Drury, W.F. Fackler, W.H. Cassel, Frank R. Wright, S.D. Faust, and P.E. Little. The architect was Charles Herby. The name of the church was then changed to Euclid Avenue. Update: April, 2015. After several visits by Johnnie Freeman, Virginia Hawk and Rhonda Mundy we were able to find pictures dating back to the late 1800s. This was only possible due to the willingness of the church facilities coordinator Max Fuller. As we sorted through a century of photos and lost memories we were humble that God had allowed us this privilege. We found in the procession of the various boxes pictures of ground breaking, Summit Street Church interior, bishops of the church, exterior pictures of our current edifice when occupied in early 1900s. And the treasure we found was evidence from the church directories that Orville & Katherine attended this church location from 1910 until1913. We are in the process of getting all these pictures together to be showcased in our museum. 6|Page
HISTORICAL MARKER maintenance/upkeep of the marker after it’s installed. What does the Historical Society do? The Ohio Historical Society confirms the historical significant of the subject, ensures the marker text is historically accurate, and collaborates with the local sponsor to finalize the text as it will appear on the marker. How you can assist? (ABOVE) Historical Marker of Wayman Chapel A.M.E. Church; Dayton OH (remarkable Ohio)
Reprint from January Beacon Newsletter
We are excited about the rich history of our church. So, in September our ministry submitted an application for consideration for a marker. The Ohio Historical Society sent us a reply in October that we could start the process of applying for the historical marker.
If you know of any organizations/group who may want to assist in this, send an email to Andrea Foy (a1f99@yahoo.com) or contact her at (937)2484765. No contribution is too small and will be taxdeductible. You can also go to GoFundMe.com and search Mt Enon to contribute online.
What does that mean for Mt. Enon? Our church will be added to the Historical Marker Tour and be recognized of having historical significant. This in return will increase the notoriety of our church in the Historical Wright/Dunbar district. When the marker is installed we will be one of only two churches in Montgomery County (Ohio) who have one (Wayman). How does the marker program work?
Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin presents at a marker dedication. Picture from Ohio Historical Marker website.
A local sponsor submits an application for a marker to the Ohio Historical Society. The sponsor is responsible for the cost of marker production, marker installation, and ongoing
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Wright Family Foundation In December, 2014, we contacted Ms. Amanda Wright Lane (great grand-niece of Wright Brothers) to inform her of what we had discovered and to tell her about the marker. In April 2015, the Wright Family Foundation sent the church a gift of $1000.00 for the marker! The Wright Family Foundation will be listed on the marker as a sponsor!
The city of Dayton recently launched its Landmark Plaque Program. We have applied for it too. National recognition is our next goal! Reprinted from a Dayton Daily News article by Erica Harrah
Picture: Courtesy of www.washingtontimes.com
“The idea for the program came to fruition in 2014 at the suggestion of the City’s Landmark Commission, Plan Board and Dayton Commissioner Matt Joseph. Rachel Bankowitz, of Dayton Planning and Community Development, said that Joseph felt that there were many buildings and sites that people walk or drive by every day not knowing that they carry some level of architectural and/or historical significance. The idea of the program is to call attention to those buildings individually designated by the city of Dayton as historic landmarks. Buildings that receive this designation would carry some level of architectural and/or historical significance, but not be located in historic districts.”
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MEET YOUR HISTORICAL MINISTRY Left to right: Tom Davis, Dianna Jones, Pat Matthews, Virginia Hawk (and grandbaby) Johnnie Freeman Andrea Foy, Lois Foy, Joyce Clay Saunders. Charleszetta Anderson. Not pictured: Rhonda Mundy, James Ditto, Rev Jesse Chairman – Johnnie Freeman Johnnie Freeman is the proud father of two boys and two girls. He currently is the State Outreach Coordinator for the Natural Resources Conservation Service a division of the USDA. He's has a BS degree in Agronomy from University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a Master in Criminal Justice from Tiffin University in Tiffin Ohio. Johnnie has been involved in various community activities and organizations here and in various states. He has assisted the church in various ministries, he currently serves his church as chairman of the historical ministry. Johnnie was recently featured in The Dayton Weekly as a Man of Influence! Co-Chair - Virginia Hawk Associate of Applied Science with a major in Accounting. Graduated Cum Laude with 3.5 from Jordan College in 1989. H & R Block Certification - 1996. I currently volunteer my time with my church, Mt. Enon MBC on various projects. I currently am the co-chair on The Historical Ministry and The Community Garden Coordinator for the Vision 2 Victory summer day camp. Enjoys being a stay at home grandmother for the past 14 years. She enjoys shopping, traveling, DIY projects, and spending time with her best-friend, mentor and fiancÊe.
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Andrea Foy – PR/Video Chair A Speaker, Author and Leadership Coach, Andrea has a MS in Management/Leadership and BA in Communications from Wright State University. A former Flight Attendant, Model, Modeling Instructor, Andrea worked for American Express and as a contractor at Wright Patterson AFB. She currently serves her church in the IT Ministry, Coffee Ministry, as a Facebook and website administrator. Andrea was recently featured in The Dayton Weekly as a Woman of Power.www.andreafoy.com. Diana Lynn Jones – Committee Member A Lt. Col., 22 years Army Reserve, Desert Storm (Retired); Registered Dietitian for 45 years. Bio. In the book “The Black Army Officer” by Clyde McQueen. Graduate of Prairie View A&M University and Freedman Hospital/Howard University. Married 40 years, 2 daughters, 1 granddaughter, 1 son in law. Serves Mt. Enon MBC Ministries: Historical, Deacon/Trustee Spouses, Wellness, and Greeters. MINISTRIES: Also services on The Voice and Coffee ministries Lois E. Foy – Chair, Written History Lois Foy has a BA in Secondary Education from the University of Dayton and a MA in Humanities from WSU. She is a Family Historian and has a book in the works. In addition to the History Ministry, she heads the Coffee Ministry at Mt Enon. Lois also sings with Dayton’s Philharmonic Chorus. She appeared with the chorus at New York’s Carnegie Hall. She also sings with the Wright State Chorus and as a soloist. Patricia Matthews - Historian Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Graduate of Central State University and University of Dayton, with degrees in Education, Supervision and Administration. Public School teacher for forty years plus Trained Mediator of Dayton, presently employed by Paralleled Education Division. Member of Mt. Enon Baptist Church ,Past Youth Director, choir member, Annabelle Howard Circle, Historical Committee, wife, mother of 3, grandmother of 6, and great grandmother of 2. Member of many community organizations, and civic groups Rhonda Mundy – Committee Member Serves Mt. Enon Baptist Church as a Sunday School Teacher, Cardio Fitness Instructor (Wellness Ministry), Singles' Ministry Coordinator and member of the Mass Choir; Received BS in Civil Engineering from Tennessee State University-Nashville, TN; Employed with City of Dayton Department of Public Works, Bureau of Traffic Engineering; Obtained MA in Christian Ministries from United Theological Seminary-Dayton, OH; Also a member of Dayton Chapter Gospel Music Workshop of America, Eta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Toastmasters. I love to read, write, teach, sing and travel.
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Joyce Clay-Saunders – Chair Artifacts 1987 brought about the historic appointment of Joyce Clay Sanders as the first black female Postmaster for the Xenia Ohio Post Office. In 1993, Joyce became the Manager of Postal Operations for the Cincinnati District. The first black female to ever hold the position. Joyce retired from the postal service in 2004. Now active in her church, Mt. Enon Missionary Baptist Church, Dayton, Ohio, working part-time at the Trotwood Ohio library, continuing her education at Sinclair Community College and Wright State University, pursuing her hobbies: weightlifting, Zumba, line dancing, swimming, tennis, racquetball, reading, sewing and crochet. James T. Ditto Jr. -Photographer James Ditto has a B.A. Degree in Business Administration. A retired Project Manager from Reynolds & Reynolds. He is currently the President of the Dunbar High School Alumni Association. People and places we need to thank for helping us in our historical journey
Mr. Kendrik Stratton, Jr. painted our baptism mural when he was a firefighter at the fire station across the street. He signed it on May 3rd of this year! We are thankful to have him as part of our history.
• Indiana United Brethren Historical Society • Dayton Historical Society • Mont. Co. Hist. Society • Dayton Public Library • Wright Family Foundation • Wright-Dunbar Dist. • City of Dayton • Wright State University • United Theological Seminary • First UB Church (Salem Ave)
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In the next issue of
THE VOICE 2.0 HAPPY 90 Anniversary of Mt Enon’s congregation Our church building is 104 years old! Our congregation of people is 90 years old! In July we will look at the people of Mt Enon.
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