New Bethel pastor to be honored at ceremony

The Rev. Lonnie K.A. Simon is pastor emeritus of New Bethel Baptist Church in Youngstown. He will be honored with the Rev. Elizabeth Powell Heritage Award during the Emancipation Proclamation and Installation Service at 10 a.m. Saturday at New Bethel, where his son, the Rev. Kenneth Simon, is now pastor.

Early years: The Rev. Lonnie K.A. Simon was born in 1925 East Mulga, Ala., and came north with his family in 1928, settling in southwestern Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school in 1943, the Rev. Mr. Simon joined the Navy and was honorably discharged in 1946. Mr. Simon came to Youngstown, where he worked at U.S. Steel and met and married his wife, the former Florence Ware. Mr. Simon worked in the steel mill for nine years, then worked in the Postal Service from 1955 to 1965.

Calling to ministry: Mr. Simon’s life took a major turn in 1950, when Elizabeth Powell predicted that he would one day be a preacher. In 1951, he enrolled in Youngstown College, majoring in philosophy and religion. His first pastorship was Elizabeth Baptist Church, where he served from 1954-to 1959. He left to attend Central Bible College in Cleveland. While pastor at Elizabeth Baptist Church, Mr. Simon ordained the Rev. Ms. Powell, the woman who had inspired him to the ministry. Mr. Simon served briefly at a church in Canton and then came to New Bethel Baptist Church in 1962, where he preached for 33 years.

Social activist: Mr. Simon also has practiced social activism for Civil Rights throughout much of his life. In 1965, he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Montgomery, Ala. In 1967, he received a grant to attend the Urban Training Center in Chicago for a 10-week training course in 1967. There the minister came to truly understand the racism that many confront daily and resolved to take action in order to effect change. He has remained committed to nonviolent protest for Civil Rights.

Community involvement: Mr. Simon served on the Youngstown Board of Education from 1972 to 1975. He is an alumni of the area’s first Leadership Mahoning Valley Program. He has been widely recognized for his service to humanity, including his induction into the Ohio Senior Hall of Fame. He has been featured in the 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1998 editions of Who’s Who in Black America.

A writer: In 1995, Mr. Simon was inducted into the International Society of Poets. He is the author of the anthologies (poetry and wise sayings) “Songs of Simon” and “Simon Says It Again.” Two other works in progress include “Sermons By Simon” and his autobiography, “Acts of Simon.”

About the award: The late Rev. Elizabeth Powell, founder and pastor of the World Fellowship Interdenominational Church, was the first woman to obtain Baptist ministerial credentials in the Valley. In the 1950, she answered a calling to the ministry. She attended the Bible Theological Institute of Youngstown and the Youngstown Baptist Ministers Institute. She was ordained in 1956. She organized the Southside Prayer Band that ministered to area women and their families. She was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame for her advocacy of social justice causes. She championed human-rights initiatives via the NAACP and organized labor groups. She died in 2007. Other award recipients have been the H.H. Pincham Family for community service and Joel Imler for bravery.