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...continued
The old frame building on Ohio Street and
Sterling Avenue was torn down and a new building erected on the same
site. Then came the depression years of the late 1920’s
and the early 1930’s. The congregation was still in debt. They
were struggling under a mortgage and interest payments were difficult
to meet. However the unfailing faith and true loyalty of the members
carried them through the hard times. All financial obligations were
eventually met and today the church stands free of debt and is
self-supporting. It is a beautiful red-brick building with parsonage
included. It is valued at $85,000.
In the early history of the
church, the pastors were appointed by the Annual Conference for one
year. Several of the early pastors served a second or a third year but
these were not successive years. About 1911, beginning with Rev. E. C. West, the maximum
continuous service was set at three years by action of the Conference.
Since about 1940, however, there has been no restriction on the number
of successive years a minister may serve one church.
The
ministers of Ruth A. M. E. Zion Church since its beginning in
1888 are listed below in the order of their pastorate: | P.R. Anderson | R. R. Bell | | Aaron House | J. D. Meade | | H. L. Jones | S. H. Bradley | | T. H. Slater | B. L. Hogan | | E. F. Flemon | J. B. McCoomer | | J. B. Skinner | B. H. Henningham | | J. E. Little | J. B. Lightford | | H. S. Hicks | Mary E. Taylor | | C. W. Simmons | T. J. Tipp | | J. S. Cooper | Rev. Mr. Anderson | | S. H. Simmons | L. R. Bennet | | C. H. Harding | I. B. Lavigne | | A. D. Crockett | E. M. Taylor | | J. E. Ealy | N. I. Meeks | | E. C. West | D. P. Thomas |
The earliest members
of record are: Washington Coleman, Evelyn Pelly,
Maria Chinn, Mrs. Addie Johnson, George Burke, Harriet Brown, Mary
Houston, Mrs. Mary Smith, and Eliza Huffman. |
There were
three families of highly respected colored people who were members of
the First Methodist Church of Sharon in the 1880’s and 1890’s who later
attended Ruth A. M. E. Zion Church; these were Hiram
Wheeler and family, William
Hill and family, and
John and Sarah
Houston. Edward and
Flora Hill were active in the young peoples department of
First Methodist Church and Flora sang in the choir for a while. Both of
these young people died while in their senior year in high school,
Richard on May 23, 1889 and Flora on August 31, 1890.
The death of Mrs. Eliza Flemon on March 31,
1959, marked the end of a long and faithful career of service to her
church. She was the oldest member of the congregation and had a
continuous membership since 1893 when her husband, Rev. E. F. Flemon, came to
Sharon as minister. Always very active in the work of the church she
served as superintendent of the Sunday School, was church clerk for
about forty years, was a member of the choir for sixty years and past
president of the Ever Ready Club of the church. Mrs. Flemon was known as the
mother of Ruth A. M. H. Zion Church. Other members of the congregation
having a long record of continuous membership are Thomas Dillard, Robert Haines, Mrs. Harry
Clayborn, Mrs. Edna Cooper, Mrs. Carrie Johnson, Mrs. Norman Houston,
and Mrs. Grace James.
The trustees as of October 1,
1959, are: | Dr. D. P. Thomas | Ex-Officio Chairman | | Clarence Mitchel | Chairman | | Jessie Dobie | Vice-Chairman | | Edward Johnson | Secretary | | Lewis Cooper | Treasurer | | Thomas Dillard | | Franklin Wilson, Jr | | John Dunavant | | Rubin Brockman |
The
church enrollment is 300 [1959]. The Sunday School with an enrollment
of 60 has reached the stage where additional room is required to handle
the graded classes properly. To meet this need the officials are
considering an educational center to be erected on an adjoining
property which they own.
On
January 22, 1959, the church was damaged to the extent of about $2,000
caused by the Shenango River overflowing its banks and flooding the
area of the city where the church is located.
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