Get to know the heart and soul of St. Paul's Community Church
ST. PAUL'S COMMUNITY CHURCH
A COMMUNITY OF FAITH, LOVE, HOPE & ACCEPTANCE
Located on the near west side of Cleveland, OH, we are surrounded by a diverse community of people from all walks of life. We are proud to be a part of this vibrant community, and we strive to make a positive impact on the lives of our members and our neighbors.
We believe that our faith calls us to serve our community in tangible ways. We offer a variety of programs and services that meet the needs of those who are most vulnerable among us.
Our Core Values
As a Congregation in the United Church of Christ:
We belong to Christ. We are a people of extravagant welcome. We seek a just and loving world. We are a people of covenant, a united and uniting church. We listen for the still-speaking God, who speaks through Sacred Scripture and who still speaks to us today.
" WE FELT WELCOME FROM THE VERY FIRST VISIT. THIS IS A SPECIAL GROUP PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY. "
St. Paul’s Community Outreach was founded in March 2005 by St. Paul’s Community Church, United Church of Christ (UCC) as a 501(c)(3) organization to continue and expand upon the church’s 50-year history of outreach and ministry on the near-west side of Cleveland. The Community Outreach Program functions independently of the church with its own board, budget, and executive director.
Our pastors, administrative staff, and leadership team are committed to supporting the vision and purpose of the church and ministries of those with whom the church shares covenant, individually and collectively.
The history of St. Paul’s Community Church dates back to 1834, when the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, Ohio was organized. It stood at the corner of W.45th and Franklin Blvd (where St. Paul’s is now) in a beautiful stone building (pictured).
In 1848 that church left the Presbyterians to become congregationalist, and ten years later joined the Cleveland Congregational Conference as First Congregational Church.
In 1954, First Congregational Church disbanded. Most of its members had moved to the suburbs. Its building at the corner of West 45th and Franklin Boulevard was sold to the newly-formed Inner City Protestant Parish (ICPP).
The ICPP was an experimental, ecumenical group ministry, modeled after the East Harlem Protestant Parish in New York City. The ICPP was concerned about the flight of Protestant churches from the inner-city to the suburbs.
St. Paul's was one of two original ICPP congregations. By 1961 there were six, supported by nine denominations and the Cleveland Church Federation. There was worship and weekly bible study; in addition, the ICPP included free medical and dental care, educational scholarships, a credit union, and summer vacation visits in suburban communities.
In 1958 a severe storm weakened the stonework of the stone building at W.45th and Franklin. The next year it was taken down. The church was able to raise $220,000 for a new building on the same site; the gym was added on later. Today, St. Paul’s is a center of community activity throughout the week.
