New church hopes to spark a recovery

The church is 'here to make a difference,' the pastor says.
WARREN -- The pastor of a newly built church on the edge of the 38 acres of vacant land where the Westlawn housing complex once stood is confident the neighborhood will experience a rebirth.
"I'm a firm believer that Westlawn will come back. Westlawn will thrive, and we'll see a better community on the southwest side of Warren," said the Rev. George H. Johnson Sr., pastor of Agape Assembly Church, 426 Nevada Ave.
The Westlawn community, built during World War II as temporary housing for Ravenna Arsenal workers, was demolished in the late 1990s after it became a blighted crime-ridden area.
The new $500,000 church building, which opened 13 months ago, consists of a chandeliered sanctuary that seats 380 people, a fellowship hall, a kitchen and three Sunday school classrooms.
Many of the construction materials were donated, and the fundraising and much of the construction was done by the parishioners -- a majority of whom live on the city's southwest side. The church, which was founded in 1983, had previously been housed in the former West Junior High School.
"The Lord led us to this area," the Rev. Mr. Johnson said. "We came to this area to do what we can to help the city, to help the people, and also to change people's lives."
Anchor
"If we all work together and follow God's vision and God's plan, this area will be one of the best in the city of Warren," Mr. Johnson said. "We are the anchor for this community. We're here to make a difference."
The independent, non-denominational church has ambitious plans to add an adjacent outdoor recreation area, including a picnic area, a playground, two basketball courts and a baseball field to keep neighborhood youngsters constructively occupied.
Also planned is a new sanctuary seating 1,000 people, with the current sanctuary to become a recreation hall after the new one opens.
A computer lab with Internet access will open next month in fellowship hall, with after school tutoring and homework help for youngsters and adult computer classes emphasizing computer literacy and resume preparation.
The church sponsors a group known as Christians in Deliverance for people recovering from substance abuse and other addictions, as well as a Young Women of Virtue self-esteem building program for ages 8 to 19. It also sponsors food and clothing giveaways for needy people.
Mr. Johnson said he'd like to see a new school built on school-board-owned land at nearby Western Reserve Middle School, with new housing on the former Westlawn site.
Beneficial growth
If schools aren't in the area's future, Mr. Johnson said an industrial park should be considered.
"If it's going to bring jobs for the people of the community, then that might be a good idea, but it's got to benefit the people who are here," he said.
From the pastor's perspective, the area is already starting to turn around, and the change is gradual, but steady.
"Attitudes have gotten better. People's lives are changing because of this facility, because we bring people in, and we teach them the responsibilities and accountability to one another and also to God," he said of the church.
He concluded: "We have people coming in every week from the area who want to make a change in their lives."