History

At the beginning of the 20th century a small group of followers of Jesus Christ formed a church in Akron under the Free Methodist banner because Free Methodists were known for relevant Christianity and open arms and hearts for all people. Over the years the church had periods of ebb and flow, periods of deep commitment and growth, and other times when it struggled to survive. Just about the time of the church’s 75th anniversary, a new birth of vision energized the church for a great work. The group of people had dwindled to under 100, and they were desperate to see God do something new in them and through them. They purchased 8 acres of land, and relocated their facilities, building their own “home” for the first time in their history. Charles and Brenda Young were the young pastors at the helm of this strategic move.

An alive spirituality began to characterize the congregation, and growth was both numerical and spiritual. In 1997, Charles Young became superintendent of the Ohio Conference of Free Methodist Churches, and Brenda Young became senior pastor. The church is now known for it’s community outreach, for excellence in ministry (selected as one of the 300 best churches of any kind in the United States in 2001), for church planting (3 churches in the last years), for reaching the poor and disadvantaged through ministries started here such as JESUS SAID and HAND, and for helping literally thousands find the Father, a Family, and a Fulfilling Future. The church is a growing family, ministering to over 600 weekly. A building program to resource the community with a life development center complete with gymnasium is in the congregation’s sights. The IMAGINE Capital Funds Campaign seeks to fulfill the dreams God had for this ministry and community from the beginning.