Jan. 28 banquet to honor the Rev. Ralph Burton

He served as the pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church for almost 40 years.
STRUTHERS -- The Rev. Ralph Burton, longtime pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church, 67 McClure St., has retired.
He will be honored during a banquet planned for 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at St. Lucy Hall, 404 Tenney Ave., Campbell. Tickets are $30 and are being sold in advance. Tickets are available at Goldie's Flower Shop on Belmont Avenue and Super Suber's Goodyear on South Avenue, Boardman. For more information, call Phyllis Burton White at (330) 743-8315 or Virginia Fannings at (330) 755-9675.
The Rev. Mr. Burton was pastor at the church since January 1967 and served longer than any other pastor at Pilgrim. Under his tutelage, he saw the building of a new church edifice and parsonage, tithing was instituted and five choirs were added. He also was involved in the organization of a bus ministry, scholarship fund, church library and Web site.
Other involvement
Mr. Burton was vice president of the Ohio State Baptist Convention under the leadership of President James Stallworth. He was general secretary of the Ohio Baptist State Convention and treasurer of the United Missionary Baptist State Convention under the leadership of President Leonard T. King.
He also served as director of the American Baptist College extension in Youngstown and is a member of the National Baptist Convention USA. In the Eastern Ohio Baptist Association, he served as vice moderator for eight years and moderator for 12 years.
Mr. Burton served as president of McGuffey Heights Neighborhood Council and president of the board of trustees of the McGuffey Centre during the building of the new facility on Jacobs Road. He was a committee member on the Struthers School Board, and a member of the Baptist Ministers Council and Eastern Mental Health Board of Youngstown.
Mr. Burton headed the construction of the Eastern Ohio, Northern West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania Baptist Association Headquarters on McGuffey Road.
He has three children, Phyllis Burton White and Ralph S. Burton, both of Campbell, and Terri Bush of Struthers, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is married to the former Evelyn Weeden; his first wife, Eva, is deceased.
The Rev. Leroy Vaughn, associate minister, will be in charge until a new pastor is named by the search committee.