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END OF AN ERA
Celebration service recalls history and mission of church in Struthers.
Struthers Baptist Taber- nacle has closed its doors after 79 years of ministry.
Tears and memories were shared at a celebration service, the final service, and fellowship held Nov. 29.
It was founded in 1930 and the building was constructed at 305 Elm St. in 1938.
The ironic part is that throughout its history, Struthers Tabernacle has been instrumental in helping to start new churches in the Mahoning Valley.
Pastor George Helewa, who has been at the church about a year and half, said he understood various churches could trace their roots to Tabernacle, including Poland Village Baptist Church, Grace Baptist Church, Berea Baptist Church and Old North Church of Canfield.
Tabernacle is member of Ohio Association of Regular Baptists.
Cathy Colangelo, a lifetime member, said the church had continued that work as part of Baptist Church Planters.
Most recently, some members had worked to plant a church in Tracy, Calif.
Pastor Helewa said that Don Shade from the church went to Tracy specifically to help start a church. “That always was part of the mission,” Pastor Helewa said. “The church felt it was God’s intention for us ... to share his word.”
Colangelo also said the church had been instrumental in building a church in the Central Africa Republic. “We have supported missionaries throughout the years,” she said.
Pastor Helewa also noted that the church supported missionaries in the United States and England, Japan and Africa. “Two-thirds of what came in went out to missionaries,” he said.
Colangelo said the church, which has had membership of some 400 and attendance of more, closed with a dozen members.
As treasurer, she said it was no longer feasible to continue. “We were spending more on the building than ministry,” she said.
Pastor Helewa said, “It’s a matter of stewardship. Our church has come to a place where physically we could not maintain our building, nor were we poised for growth. After almost 80 years , we felt the Lord was calling us to steward our resources in a way that assured we were fulfilling the great commission, not maintaining a building. We view this not as a failure of ministry, but a fulfillment. This is a bittersweet moment; no one likes to see a church close, yet at the same time we have been able to bless other congregations with our resources.”
Pastor Helewa said Tabernacle was donating various educational materials such as Sunday-school information to area churches and other donations will go to a church in Kenya.
Pastor Helewa also noted that the ministry of Struthers Baptist Tabernacle won’t die just because the doors have closed. The legacy of the church “will carry on in the lives of those who have been impacted by its ministry.”
He pointed out that the church started the first Youth for Christ Rallies in 1945 in the Mahoning Valley. “That was big for years,” he said. “Back in the day, Tabernacle was the ‘happening’ church.”
Pastor Helewa said, “God put me here to see the church through this transition.” Coincidentally, Tabernacle’s first full-time pastor was Andrew Marsteller, now deceased, who was the grandfather of Krysten Helewa, wife of Pastor George Helewa.