Akron's United Baptist Church Celebrates 100 Years as House Resolution Honors It

AKRON, Ohio —

United Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio, celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 25, closing out a yearlong centennial under the theme “Celebrating a Century of God's Faithfulness,” according to the church's anniversary page. Three days earlier, a resolution honoring the congregation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The resolution, H. Res. 1638, was introduced Oct. 22 by Rep. Emilia Sykes of Ohio and referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. It honors the church's “100 years of historic contributions to the Akron and surrounding communities” and encourages it to keep serving the city for another century.

According to the resolution, the church was formed in September 1926 when Gladstone Baptist and Springfield Baptist combined their memberships. That October, a committee weighed three names, Shadygrove, Mariah and United, and chose United at the suggestion of member Evelyn Spencer. R.S. Tatum was the first pastor and served almost 10 years.

Kevin G. Rushing, called as pastor in 2010, leads the church today, according to the resolution and the church's website. The church meets at 1007 S. Hawkins Ave. and uses the motto “Saving Souls and Salvaging Lives.”

The resolution lists the church's work beyond Sunday worship. Its Gus Johnson Community Center, opened in January 2000, houses early childhood and adult day programs and the Royal Christian Academy, a Christian primary school. The church gives Thanksgiving dinner gift cards to more than 150 families each year and has awarded more than $40,000 in scholarships to students.

The church's centennial calendar included worship celebrations, community outreach and an anniversary banquet, according to its website. Its October newsletter, titled “Faith for the Future,” marked the final month of the celebration.