The Ohio Independent Baptist, Fall 1997

HATS OFF to Rev. and Mrs. Gordon Roloff , who celebrated their SOth wedding anniversary on August 23. Roloff, pastor emeritus of Perry Baptist, Canton, was the founding pastor of the church, where he served 18 years. It's A "55th Street Miracle" by Rev. Leigh Adams, retired v ice president , Baptist Mid-Missions F :f. . • • • • • • • I . .. . . . . . . .... - - - Fai th Baptis t Community Center F ollowrng a long spell of cold , dreary da) s. not at all v., hat you would expect in August. the sun shone bri ghtly on Saturda,. Augus t 23. 1997. It seemed ')ymbolic. of v.. ha t v..as happening 1n one uf Cleveland' s inner city neighborhoods -an area of sp1r1tual darkness . On that sunny da) , Baptist M1d– r..1issions m1ss1onaries , "olunteer workers and inner-c.uy behe\ers gathered to express their appreciation to the Lord for the · ~11rac. le of 55th Street ,. The mi racle has been ~ome 30 )'ears 1 n the mak1 ng. beg inning from a n11n1stry started by rn1s ionar, Norma ulph arn ong 1nner– Cll) people The m1n1str} gre v.. into Faith Cornn1unit} Center 1n 1990. v., hen Bud and Nanc) Sidle Joined orn1a and leased a forn1er pos t office budding, v. luch they hoped to purchase . In 1995 the Learn expanded with the addillon of l.: \crett "Pop" and Barb Eash. In the rncantune , the door had c J05ed for pur cha e of the leased post offic.e bulld1 ng, but the l.ord led the n11\s1onary tea1n to a be1tc1 bu1ld1ng in a rnure desi rable locauon on level and ·~ r~as t 5-,h Str ee t- for $106,000. Pro eed1ng on rauh, the 1n1ss1onarie~ negotiated the purchase and s latted rc:n ovation l)o,ens of 1nd1 •1duals volu nteered to as~1s t v.11h rcrno, 1ng tr ash and tearing out old par1111ons aod fl or tiles eeds y, ere grt:al a roo f co1nplcte elec111cal reVI 11ing rra1n1ng t , o rt, ces and cl ssroorns, dr all, 1nte1101 and e ter 101 pa1nun, 1..:on plcte 1uchen , fu111acts, and s LUlll} s slen1 P1ese11t n11n1st11es 1e des a 1 ned to n1eet t oth spa, 11ual nd ph) s1 al ne ·d s o f 1nne1 It f 1n1hes '1 he) 1n ludc a t1ee II e I 0 1 n folio , 1ng 1he \ 1 l edne da) p, lung ser I e, used lotlung f I ne "d f 1n1ll s, nd und s hool r doL n o 1nr er CJl luld, n and dultb God has already burdened a young couple with the need of e tabl i hing Faith Bapti t Church on thi location. Assoc iate mis ionary Mr . Roxanne Reynold , R.N., will serve a program coordinator of Faith Wellne and Pregnancy Center, a clinic for general phys ica l needs a well as for a Crisis Pregnancy Center. Several doc tor ·, Bill & Roberta Davis, Sunday under the School teachers & food service directi on of Baptist Mid-Mi ss ion · Medi cal D1reccor Quentin Kenoyer, M.D., will staff the c lin1c; however. there remain · a need for vo lunteers to be trained to coun5e I with the Cri · 1• Pregnancy Center operati on. Those intere5 ted 1n thi s rn1n1 try 5hould contac t Roxanne Reynold~ at 440-775-780 . The Lord ha5 wonderfull y pro" 1dcd n1 uch of the$ I 76,000 needed for the building's purchase and reno auon. At the clo5e of the open hou~e celebrat1ng the "Miracle of 55Lh Stree t," $ I 0.000 wa~ gt'vc n by Bapllsl\ for Lif e, VI ho will a~s,~t v.. 1th equipn1ent and per\on nel tra1n1ng tor the Cr1!)1s Pregn"tncy Center The Oht o 'A.' ornen ~ ~1 ,,..,1onar, Un1011 hJ, g t \ en o \cr $11 ,000, Jnd ~cvcr"ll o ther O h to lad1e"> group!) hu\c g1\en \ Ub, tant1,1l gi ft An addi tional $54 ,00() ,~ needed to cun1plc tc the Wcl lnc~~ dnd PregnanL) 'enter Jnd L !ear ,cn1a1n1ng 1ndcbtcdne,, 1=01 thu~c lht. l .ord lt..ids, L<> ll tr 1but1on, (c lear!) 111.ukcd \\ tth " Pr uJC1.. l ("lc\t>l.1nJ") lllU) ht· ~e nt to Bapllsl ~11d ~ 1 ,.., ..,10 11 .., at J) . ( > lil ) 3080 11 , It•\ eland, C> l I 44 I 10-XO 11 All '-·o nt11hul1tln~ v. ill he pr, 111pll) ,1ck11llv~ lt·dgt~d h) Bapl1st i\ l td ~11~SHJn~. 1 1 0 1 1110 1 e 1nl o 1111utH>n on l..~uth Iiapll~t '""on1111un1t) cntc1 , plcd'>t '-·ont,l\. l l<e, . Ste,e Hutle1 , llap11~t ~l id ~ l ,~s lllll~ 1 0 1 th Au1e11can ;\d11H111s tr dto1 , dl · ()-82 )· 9 0 . .. &:I .... ~ ,,cc 3 x 20' banner, "Celebrating God's Faithfulness." Call Washington Heights Baptist, Dayton, at 937-434-4676. RUPP AGENCY, INC. Specializing in church p roperty & liability insurance. \i\'ith over 1.500 churches insured stateH·ide. Over 90 OARBC churclzes are currently participating in the Group Plan. Call for a f ree appraisal and no obligation, con1petitive quote. 1357 We l Lane A\enue Columbu , OH 43221 Call toll -free: 1- 00-2 2-9 _5 or 61 4-486-591 l Contac t Ben Rupp HELP REACH RU r ook Rd . le, elan OH ..1411 8 216-932-5029 A ministry of encouragement to leadership of the church worldwide • Biblical Counseling • Leadership Consultation • Organizational Consultation • Seminars & Conferences • Team Building • Ministry Development Workshops • Deacon/Pastor Devel opment • Cr1s1 s Response 1 he ln~t,tute of 81bhcal Leader:stup 334 Chapel Point Rd Lake Lure, NC 28746 Phone 704 6..,5·0054 FA 704 625 005 7