St. James AME Zion, Massillon's oldest Black church, celebrates paying off Family Life Center

MASSILLON − When a small church pays off a big debt, it's like David defeating Goliath, or the Walls of Jericho tumbling down.

At 10 a.m. Sunday, St. James African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the city's oldest Black congregation, at 209 Second St. SW, plans a mortgage-burning celebration for its Family Life Center at 111 Tremont St. SW.

The Rt. Rev. W. Darin Moore, presiding prelate of the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District, will be the keynote speaker.

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"It sure takes a load off not worrying about making that big payment," longtime member Carol Herring said. "The Lord blessed us and we were able to stay ahead of it."

The Rev. LeCounte P. Nedab II, senior pastor for seven years, said eliminating the six-figure debt on the 12,874-square-foot building will enable St. James to do even more in the community. The center currently houses a food pantry in partnership with Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

Sunday's service, he said, will be a testament to trusting in God.

"We're celebrating the liberation of debt, " Nedab said. "It's a liberation from everything they said we could not do. When you look at the span of Black Methodism, there's been a decline in the congregations, but I'm keying on liquidating debt. We're walking in freedom. The A.M.E. Zion church is known as 'The Freedom Church.'"

St. James purchased the Family Life Center in 2004 from architect John Harris for $654,957.50 They leased the building to Nova Behavioral Health Center, followed by a satellite office of the Greater Stark County Urban League, and, lastly, the Massillon Health Department from 2011 to 2023.

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"It's a financial load off our aging congregation," church historian Marva Dodson said. "We had some challenges, but we never missed a payment. We now have the ability to host community activities."

Like many churches, St. James struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nedab held online services, which they still offer, and offered "drive-thru" Communion. During the same time, they also had to undertake renovations to be in compliance with government mandates for handicap accessibility.

"We also had a number of member deaths, which should have crippled us," he said, "But God always sent us another ram."

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Founded as Oak Street A.M.E. Zion Church in 1884, the first services were held in Madison Hall above the Baltzy Drugstore on Erie Street S. In 1886, the church built its first edifice at 49 W. Oak St. on land donated by the Jarvis family of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church.

In 1888, when the church fell into disrepair and became damaged by floods, St. Timothy's offered the congregation temporary use of their Sunday school room for worship services. In 1923, they built a brick edifice at 224 Oak St.

The church was renamed St. James in the 1950s. In 1976, its second building was razed − the result of urban renewal. The congregation was invited to First United Methodist of Massillon, where it remained until the current church was completed in 1980 under the leadership of the Rev. Dennis Proctor for $288,800.

Fred Hannon, past chair of the church's Board of Stewards, said many past and current members deserve credit for Sunday's celebration, including the original committee of the late Ed Grier, Larry Able, Joe Jones and Henry Joiner.

"A lot of people made big contributions ... but there was a struggle. There were some lean, lean, lean ..." he said to laughter. "We had a lot of plans for it, including a daycare center, but it didn't work out. There was a lot of red tape, and we weren't equipped for that."

Nedab said Sunday's service will include a moment to remember deceased members.

"We tend to always put it on the pastor, but it was individuals and members of boards and clubs and kitchen committees selling fish dinners and chicken dinners to make sure this day would come," he said. "We will remember them."

The members and Nedab noted they received support from people outside the community, as well as from the A.M.E. Zion connectional church.

Nedab said it was important for St .James to retain the Family Life Center because of its location, adding that they've begun strategic planning for the building.

"The church cannot just function off of membership; you have a community, you have to be part of a community, first and foremost," he said. "Yes, this is a Black church, yes, we are in the middle of this interesting area but how can we engage and become a multicultural and multigenerational church? The same thing goes for this life center. We have to make it work for us. I guess the question is, do we want it to work, and the answer is yes, we do want it to work because the church should never die in our hands."

Plans already call for leasing office space, and offering a "dayhab" for children with autism.

"For years it was labeled as burden," Nedab said. "Now we're at a place where we have limitless possibilities."

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Massillon's St. James AME Zion Church pays off Family Life Center