Youngstown church celebrates 150 years, preparing for holiday services
This holiday season, one Youngstown church is cementing its legacy as the city’s longest African American Baptist congregation.
Gwen Montgomery served on the committee that organized the Third Baptist Church’s 150-year anniversary banquet on Oct. 18 at the Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown.
The Third Baptist Church was first organized by Rev. Pleasant Tucker in 1874.
For 150 years, families and community members have continued to gather for Sunday services at the historic church, located at 1177 Parkhill Drive in Youngstown.
Montgomery and her husband raised their children in Youngstown and attended the Third Baptist Church.
Around 200 people attended the celebration banquet, featuring guest speaker Reverend Marvin McMinkle from Cleveland.
“We’d started planning back in January, and everything went to our liking. We did have some people come from out of town, and we were very pleased with it,” Montgomery said.
According to Montgomery, the committee honored Genny Mason, one of the oldest members of the congregation. Montgomery said the committee honored her with a plaque in recognition of how long she’s attended service at Third Baptist Church.
“There were several people on the committee, and we met for several Sundays at the church in order to plan it, to make sure that everybody was included. Some people could not get there, but we we did recognize the oldest members of the church that are still with us,” she said. “
Members of the congregation gathered at 11 a.m. Oct. 20 for Sunday service at Third Baptist Church to hear from one of her children, Rev. Charles Montgomery, who grew up at Third Baptist but now works at Vineyard Columbus as a pastor.
“Surprisingly, we had leftover food from Stambaugh, so they gave it to us and we brought it to our refrigerator here. We had a potluck dinner at the church that Sunday, and a special speaker on Sunday, and it happened to someone who grew up here in third Baptist Church, which was really nice, and that happened to be my son who gave us the message,” Montgomery said.
In 2021, leaders of the Third Baptist Church renamed a portion of Parkhill Drive to Rev. Morris W. Lee Avenue.
Rev. Lee made history as a local leader of the Civil Rights Movement who served as pastor of the Third Baptist Church from 1960 to 2019.
Every holiday season, Third Baptist Church hosts a Cherished Members Dinner on the second Sunday of December.
“We ask everyone to come who’s at church that Sunday, and those who we know are unable to come, we do take their dinners to them,” Montgomery said.
Services start at 11 a.m. at Third Baptist Church, located at 1177 Parkhill Drive in Youngstown.
For more information, call (330) 743-0640.
