$1.8M gift propelled purchase of Eastwood YMCA

Church to turn branch in Niles into life center

By JORDAN COHEN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

HOWLAND — A donation of $1.8 million from a member of Believers’ Christian Fellowship was the key to the purchase by the church of the former Eastwood Branch of the YMCA in Niles.

The Rev. Joseph A. Cameneti Sr., director and senior pastor of the Howland church, disclosed the amount of the donation and said all of it will be used for converting the Youngstown-Warren Road property into a family-life center.

The Vindicator reported Wednesday that the church paid $391,000 to purchase the facility, which had been vacant since the YMCA board of trustees closed it Oct. 1, 2008.

“It was a great deal to buy and then restore the building, because to duplicate it would have cost us $3.5 million,” Cameneti said.

Cameneti, who is well-known as Pastor Joe from his weekly television broadcasts, said the donor, who asked to remain anonymous, gave specific instructions to use the entire contribution for the center.

“We’re going to use the balance [of $1.4 million] to totally restore the building, and I believe we’ll have to raise additional funds because of what we would like to add on,” Cameneti said. The pastor said he anticipates an additional 10,000-square-foot room with a large caf and a 400-seat auditorium.

Cameneti said he wants to put in a “video campus” at the center that will televise his sermons live as he delivers them from his church on Schenley Avenue Northeast.

“Most people don’t want to drive more than 10 minutes to church, so this will make it easier for those who live in Niles,” Cameneti said.

He said, however, that he plans to have a campus pastor at the center, and “everything will be like a normal church.”

Cameneti said the first projects will be to replace the roof and fill in the swimming-pool area. The church has purchased the building’s exercise equipment, though the pastor said the center will not operate “a full-blown gym.”

“This is a community center for our church, and we started with that concept,” Cameneti said.

He added that his “newer vision” for Believers’ Christian Fellowship is to launch five campuses by 2020 in such areas as Hermitage, Pa., Boardman and East Palestine.

“I would like to have those campuses in the four counties where people see my broadcasts,” the pastor said.