Community

Just prior to this, Morris was seriously injured in an auto accident.. While he returned to a joyous homecoming celebration, Morris never regained full mobility and the ability to return to work. We then added seminary students for visitation.  They were not Morris.  We later added a Director of Christian education. In July of 1967 Morris died.  The church sensed deeply the loss of a father figure.

In 1969 the church became a part of Urban People, Inc., whose task and desire was to promote the building of low cost housing.  Today Community has responsibility for Pinewood Gardens, an 88 unit facility in the village of Trotwood.

While new housing was tapering off, there still was need for more schoolrooms.  A proposal was made to the Trustees to rent space to the local schools.  They found a number of reasons not to, but when the matter was taken to the Official Board there was a reversal of the action of the Trustees.  So twice in a decade more community-minded minds prevailed, and we served a community need.

Several persons from our congregation, over the years, have gone into ministry.  Charles Young went to seminary, and then to Alaska as a pastor.  Don Kear served several years as the lay pastor of Wrightview. Lester Litton went into ministry as an Associate member of the conference, and served rural churches in Ohio until retirement Beverly Dawson, a trained teacher, was moved to become a Wycliffe Translator in 1971.  She has been working in Guyana as a translator since that time with a partner, Fran Tracy. Ray Caldwell in recent years has worked with Athletes in Action.  The church has generously supported these folks with their prayers and gifts.

Because attendance was declining, the church moved to one worship service in the summer of 1969, on a trial basis.  Attendance at church school was beginning to drop at Community, like many other churches.  With revenues shrinking, the Christian education worker was terminated, and we went to seminary students as associates, primarily as an economic measure.

Phil Scott came as pastor in 1969. It was a time of re-assessment for the church.  The building indebtedness was paid off in 1971.  The large sanctuary on the original master plan seemed unneeded.  Desire was expressed for an adequate kitchen and fellowship hall.  (Food service had been make-shift since 1963).  A building fund was started.  The office was moved from the annex to the main building at this time.

In 1976, Pastor Roy Osborn, a former Navy chaplain now in the Reserves, came to Community.  A study committee appointed shortly after his arrival looked at building needs and whether to sell or repair the present parsonage.  Their recommendations were to set a housing allowance, to sell the parsonage and to escrow the funds.  The church went to one service year round. The annex building was sold to be removed from the premises. Plans were made for a ground level Fellowship Hall which was completed in 1979. Pastor Osborn taught stewardship and set the church on a sound financial footing.  The Smith Trust, the first substantial endowment was received.