Saturday, November 12, 2016
By LINDA M. LINONIS
WARREN
As Second Baptist Church celebrates its 100th anniversary this weekend, members will honor the legacy of the past, revitalize the present and look to the promise of the future.
Recently, the Rev. Todd Johnson, pastor, and members Callie Brown, a 60-year member, and Deacon Joe Jackson, a 41-year member, discussed activities at the church.
Brown said when she thinks of Second Baptist, it’s the “teaching and preaching of each pastor” that comes to mind. “I think of all that they have taught us and what we’ve shared together,” she said. “We’ve learned the holy teaching and how to put it into practice – using that theology in our lives.”
Deacon Jackson said he also has appreciated “the teaching ministry” of the church through the years. “I feel that I’ve been taught well and feel comfortable taking a position. I know what I need to do and how to fill my role in the church.”
The Rev. Mr. Johnson said the church began as a part of his life when he was young and he accompanied his grandmother to services. “I was influenced a great deal here,” he said. “I learned how God could direct lives and about the church role,” he said.
As part of the deacons, Deacon Jackson said the nine members visit shut-ins of the church on a monthly basis. “We try to offer words of encouragement. It’s a way to keep them connected to the church,” he said.
On the first Sunday of the month, the church conducts what it calls the Lord’s Supper, communion and shut-ins. “They keep connected to worship life,” Deacon Jackson said. He served as lead deacon for some 25 years.
The Brotherhood, which attracts 15 to 20 participants, also meets for breakfast once a month for fellowship. The group also raises funds that it uses for benevolence projects. A men’s choir sings on the third Sunday of each month.
Brown said the deaconesses work parallel to the deacons in community service. The women of the church visit nursing homes and deliver poinsettias to members for Christmas. The group also serves funeral dinners. When there is a death in a family, the group also visits. There also was a mission ministry, which is now part of the deaconesses.
The congregation collects hats, gloves and coats for nearby Jefferson School students, and last year for Mother’s Day, it offered a disposable diaper and wipes distribution to help new mothers.
A trunk or treat event at Halloween, a community outreach, attracted some 300 participants. Mr. Johnson said a Gospel skate on Halloween night also is very popular and usually has an attendance of up to 300.
The church also sponsors a vacation Bible school. There also is a preschool and day-care program, which began in the 1960s.
A Men’s and Women’s Day takes place annually when one man and one woman are singled out to be recognized. The pastor’s anniversary also is observed; Pastor George Johnson of Agape Assembly, Mr. Johnson’s father, and the Rev. Jeff Stanford of Beulah Baptist Church in Youngstown were featured.
A children’s ministry is for toddlers to 12-year-olds, and they participate in religious classes. Teens are involved in a Bible study; they also lead worship and music on certain Sundays.
“We’re trying to bridge the gap between generations,” Mr. Johnson said of the activities. He added that Second Baptist encompasses participations by five generations. “It’s a blessing to me,” he said. “It’s so beautiful to see children in church – they are the future.”
Christian education classes are an integral part of Second Baptist, Brown said, noting there are about 100 participants in the School of Religion. Brown said the Rev. Dr. Frank Hearns, the longest-serving pastor of 23 years, began the classes about 25 years ago. Mr. Johnson said class topics change and include such topics as the life of Jesus and healthy relationships. “The classes are a way for people to learn the Word and get strength. They then can go out into the community and share the message,” Mr. Johnson said.
The church has about 3 acres of property that includes a baseball field and basketball court. Because of its proximity to Highland Terrace Apartments, Mr. Johnson said the church works in cooperation with Sandy Keller, housing coordinator at Highland, and Don Emerson, executive director of Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority, on some projects including back-to-school distribution.
Also on the property is a garden with memorial benches. “It’s a garden of hope,” Mr. Johnson said of the area that is a tribute to those who have died. “It’s a peaceful place to sit and reflect.”
Across the parking lot from the church is the chapel that was moved from its previous location on Walnut Street in the 1970s. “We outgrew the chapel,” Brown said, adding the congregation wanted to preserve it. It has its original stained-glass windows.
In the church, there also are unique stained-glass windows that depict events in Christ’s life and other religious ideas. Among them is a Call to Discipleship and Fellowship, which shows Christ with races of the world and hands of diverse people finding a common bond in the Bible.
“I’m a link in the chain. ... I’m standing on the shoulders of previous generations and what they accomplished,” Mr. Johnson said.
“I felt the will of God to minister here – at a historic church. I believe if the church is not strong, the community won’t be, either. We are committed here,” he said of the church where five generations are represented.