close

Connellsville area church moves to new location

By Frances Borsodi Zajac fzajac@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
1 / 3

The Rev. Don Smith, senior pastor, stands beside the newly installed sign for World Christian Outreach Ministries, the Connellsville area church that recently moved to 109 East End Road in Bullskin Township. The building formerly housed the East End United Methodist Church, which closed this year. Smith said, “I believe this was a divine intervention by God to open this facility to us.''

2 / 3

World Christian Outreach Ministries, formerly located in Connellsville Township, recently purchased the Bullskin Township building that had housed the East End United Methodist Church, which closed this year. Pictured in a symbolic transfer of the deed are (from left) the Rev. Bob Strader, pastor, and the Rev. Don Smith, senior pastor, of World Christian Outreach Ministries, and the Rev. Doug Johnson, pastor of East End United Methodist Church. The Rev. Robert Zilhaver, Connellsville District superintendent for the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, said that Johnson held the final worship service in June: "There were a lot of memories shared and hopes and prayers for those coming next.''

3 / 3

The Rev. Don Smith, senior pastor, stands inside the sanctuary for World Christian Outreach Ministries, the Connellsville area church that recently moved to 109 East End Road in Bullskin Township. “I believe this was a divine intervention by God to open this facility to us,’’ said Smith, referring to the building that formerly housed the East End United Methodist Church that closed this year.

World Christian Outreach Ministries is happy to be in its new home at 109 East End Road in Bullskin Township.

“I believe this was a divine intervention by God to open this facility to us,” said the Rev. Don Smith, senior pastor, who explained the congregation moved in September into the building that formerly housed the East End United Methodist Church, which closed this year.

Smith founded World Christian Outreach Ministries in 1984 at its former location on West Georgia Avenue in Connellsville Township, just a three-minute drive from its new home.

World Christian Outreach Ministries started in the building that had been used by the former Full Gospel Church, both non-denominational.

“It was my grandfather’s church — the Full Gospel Church,” explained Smith, who’s grandfather, the Rev. Stanton Hyatt, founded Full Gospel in 1948.

Full Gospel operated until Hyatt’s death in 1979. The West Georgia Avenue building remained without a church until five years later when World Christian Outreach Ministries began.

“I didn’t know if I wanted to pastor. I was an evangelist and traveled the world and the United States,” said Smith, who became an evangelist in 1968.

The name World Christian Outreach Ministries came from many sources.

Smith explained: “World — because I was traveling the world. Christian because it’s a Christian endeavor. Outreach because we wanted to reach out to the community. And Ministries because we minister to people at home and abroad.”

The West Georgia Avenue site served the church for 34 years but there was no parking lot, and the 60-member congregation needed more room.

“No. 1 — we had a parking problem. We needed a bigger facility for our sanctuary and more Sunday school rooms,” said Smith. “In the other facility, we were very limited and here we have room for growth.”

The new home is a red-brick structure, built in 1928, with a larger sanctuary and an office on the first floor while the basement level contains the Sunday school rooms as well as a fellowship hall and kitchen that the West Georgia Avenue site lacked. There is also an outside handicapped ramp for easier access to the building.

“When we looked at this,” said Smith, “we thought, ‘Wow! Everything is here that we needed and room for growth.”’

Smith said World Christian Outreach Ministries submitted a bid of $60,000 for the East End United Methodist Church, which held its last service in June.

“We had $22,000 in savings and someone in the church loaned us $38,000 to make it possible for us to purchase the building,” said Smith.

Officials, including the Rev. Doug Johnson, who had served as pastor of East End United Methodist Church, closed the deal Sept. 10.

“Our services started Sept. 16. We moved right in,” said Smith.

Gesturing to items that still need to find their place, Smith said, “It’s taking time — you can see. Every day is moving day.”

The church plans to pay back the loan and raise additional funds through the sale of property at 326 E. Fairview Ave. in Connellsville where it operated its weekly Leslie House program that serves youths ages 6 to 16. The Leslie House program has moved into the World Christian Outreach Ministries’ new home, growing from 15 to 31 members. The Fairview Avenue property includes a two-story building with two lots. Funds from the sale will also help with upkeep on the East End Road building.

Smith, who continues his work as an evangelist and is president of the Connellsville Area Clergy Association, serves World Christian Outreach with the Rev. Bob Strader, pastor.

On Sundays, World Christian Outreach Ministries offers 10 a.m. worship in the sanctuary and 6 p.m. food and fellowship in fellowship hall. The church has Bible study at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

The church also operates a youth group, women’s ministry and men’s ministry, each meeting once a month on a fluctuating schedule.

The church is working to create a website but Smith said people who are interested in ministries can call the church at 724-628-9285.

Meanwhile, the Rev. Robert Zilhaver, Connellsville District superintendent for the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, explained East End United Methodist Church closed as membership decreased.

“They were really happy that something faith-based was taking over,” said Zilhaver. “They had a wonderful final service with Pastor Doug Johnson leading. There were a lot of memories shared and hopes and prayers for those coming next.”

Zilhaver explained members of East End UMC are attending other United Methodist churches and that church records are being cared for by the Connellsville Cooperative Parish.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $4.79/week.

Subscribe Today