Community

At that same time, lots adjacent to the church, including an older house, were purchased. The house was updated for church school and office use. In 1959 another adjacent house was bought for a parsonage. This was first occupied by the pastor who succeeded the Imhausens.

Bill and Mildred Reilly offered a difference from the Imhausens. With their training in the arts, they helped found the Dayton Opera Society. Bill was the polished pastor, who, it was hoped, would relate to all the new young professionals in the area.

The church and' church school facilities were still straining with the growth. So in 1962 efforts were made to expand. Two wings of the master plan were built by September 1963

The growing area did not have a kindergarten. The church talked of establishing one. Over some opposition from the Trustees, the Official Board agreed to do so, and ran a very successful program until public kindergarten was established for the township

When I first became aware of Community Church, Ted Shoemaker was pastor. Ted had a delightful sense of humor, and was congenial. I remember visiting Ted in the late 60*s and commenting on the strength of the church, and the hopes it might have for the future. He felt. though, that it had peaked.

Community then began to be affected by trends which were the results of movements and changes within its geographic area. Other Protestant churches came to the area. The rapid construction of single-family homes tapered off. Young people began to move to other areas. In 1968 an additional Air Force Base chapel was built in the Page Manor area, and churches were prohibited from canvassing Page Manor (from which we had drawn up to 14 of our membership.) In 1968 the EUB merger put four other "Methodist" churches in areas we had previously been drawing heavily from.