HISTORY OF COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - 1910 TO 1980
Prepared by John B. Center, deceased 1991
Published November 1984
DEDICATION
This short history of Community United Methodist Church is lovingly and gratefully dedicated to the memory of Morris E. Gustin, a superb salesman for Christ and the up-building of His Kingdom in our own midst. His zeal and dedication to his task, notwithstanding his severe physical handicaps and unrelenting pain that would have defeated a lesser person, was responsible, more than any other, for the dream, leadership, and implementation of actions that led to the community fellowship and facilities that we are privileged to share.
PREFACE
"The Author to Theophilus; many writers have undertaken to draw up an account of the events that have happened among us, following the traditions handed down to us by original eyewitnesses and servants of the Gospel. And so I in my own turn, your Excellency, as one who has gone over the whole course of these events in detail, have decided to write a connected narrative for you, so as to give you authentic knowledge about the matters of which you have been informed." Luke 1:1-4. New English Bible Translation.
The writer of history must select from a host of recorded and oral data what he considers to be the most significant events of the subject he is undertaking to describe. This has been my conscientious objective. If, however, I have failed to document any event that some would consider more important than those I record. I offer my humble and profound apologies. I would very much like to expand and enlarge on the narrative of our Church's beginning on Town Street but all who had a part in this struggling endeavor have long since died, leaving a void that can never be filled.
I am deeply indebted to Mary Gustin, the late Arlie Brand, and to his wife Gorda, for much of the historical detail about the early beginnings of our Church, limited as it is. I am also grateful for the gifts by many members of Community United Methodist Church for their rich additions of photographs, slides, movies and taped recordings of the early days in the building of our present facility. I am deeply indebted to Mrs. Juanita True for assistance in locating manuscripts, documents and records; to Mrs. Mary Adair for typing the first draft; to Mr. Donald Kear and James Edwards for corrections to the draft; to my daughter Dawn for editing the draft; and to Betty Kiger of Roberts Office Services for final typing.
Beginnings
The Community United Methodist Church had its beginning about 1910 when Mrs. 0. D. Cotton started a Sunday School in her home on Town Street, near north Irving and Springfield Streets, Dayton, Ohio. The Sunday School was nondenominational, although several teachers from Grace Methodist Church helped with the teaching. The name of the Sunday School at that time was Faith Hall. Because of the lack of space in the Cotton residence for the growing numbers attending Sunday School, the group was compelled to rent a building at Irving and Springfield Streets in 1912. The name of the mission was changed to People' Church. With the move to larger quarters, the ministry was increased to include preaching as well as Sunday School, and the new building served as a community center. Much of the preaching in the new location was provided by Dr. Harry E. Palmer, a well known physician and a member of Grace Methodist. and his wife, Joanna. Like Faith Hall, the People's Church was also nondenominational, although many of its leaders continued to come from Grace Methodist.
The People's Church building was formerly an old saloon, and, for a time, it was rented. In 1918 prominent Daytonians -- Mrs. Harrie G. Carnell, George B. Smith, John H. Patterson, and Dr. Frank Garland -- purchased the building, and later added a gymnasium. Sometime later, the Dayton Community Chest, supporting the community activity of the mission church, budgeted $1300 a year to pay for a resident member and a gymnasium leader. This support continued for a number of years until the group later moved to Sperling and Woodley Road. In addition to the gymnasium activities held in the People's Church, there were sewing and domestic science classes held for the people of the community.
In 1921, through the personal efforts of Pastor E. E. Harris of United Theological (Bonebrake) Seminary, and his wife, a church was officially established, although not connected with any denomination. At that time there was a membership of only eleven adults, since most of those attending Sunday School had been children. However, Pastor and Mrs. Harris, through intensive evangelistic work in the community, were able to add some fifty or sixty new members at the Easter Sunday services in 1922.