Peoples Community CME Church

In the latter part of 1947, the late Rev. A.W. Womack, pastor of Phillips Temple CME Church of Dayton, Ohio, saw the need as well as the opportunity to establish another “Colored Methodist [Episcopal] Church” in Dayton. Rev. Womack went about making the necessary contacts and going through many channels to purchase the church at 2130 Howell Avenue, which came to be known as Peoples Community CME Church. The building had severe damage from a fire prior to the purchase and many repairs were required before services could begin.

The name Peoples Community was chosen because this was a new church in a newly integrated neighborhood and its purpose being to serve the community. On or about the second Sunday in September 1947, Peoples Community Church opened its doors for the first worship service under the guidance of the late Rev. R.P. Stringer, who served until the church was accepted at the 1948 Annual Conference. At that Annual Conference, the late Rev. M.R. Reed was assigned as the first official pastor of Peoples Community Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1954, the phrase Colored Methodist Episcopal was changed to Christian Methodist Episcopal.

In June 1969, Peoples Community paid off the mortgage on Howell Avenue and made plans to purchase another church. In 1974, the Annual Conference assigned Rev. David Williams Sr. to Peoples Community. With God’s guiding hand, the determination of the members, and the leadership of Rev. Williams, the church was able to move to 2525 N. Gettysburg Avenue on December 22, 1974, the current home of Peoples Community CME Church. Under the leadership of Rev. Chester Ricks, the congregation rallied together and was able to pay off the mortgage on N. Gettysburg in July 1993.

We salute those “undaunted pioneers, who with all the fervor they could muster, persevered in spite of the hardships, heartaches, and all the vicissitudes of life…those who at that time were able to withstand the storm and build a foundation…”