'We wanted Limaville to be our home.' Church buys former village community center
LEXINGTON TWP. – After 10 years as a tenant, Turning Point Baptist Church is the official owner of the former Limaville Community Center.
The church submitted the sealed, winning bid of $45,000, which was unanimously approved by the Lexington Township Board of Trustees.
The Rev. Ron Lanham, founding pastor, signed the purchase agreement on Tuesday.
More: Dissolved village municipal building for sale, church renting building wants to stay
In 2018, Limaville residents voted to dissolve the tiny village established in 1830 and merge into Lexington Township north of Alliance.
Lanham, a native of Atwater, is thrilled the ministry he started in 2002 has a permanent home.
"That has been the goal from the beginning," he said. "We wanted Limaville to be our home. It was definitely a part of the bigger vision."
Lanham said the church originally bought five acres near the Community Center with the intention of building a new facility.
"When the village merged with Lexington Township, it opened the door," he said.
Lexington Township sell former Limaville Community Center
Township Trustee Dan Moore said the building at 60 Wahl St. hasn't been a hardship for the township, adding he's happy the congregation was able to purchase it. Moore said the church and the former village had a deal in place in which the church assumed the responsibility for maintenance.
"It hasn't been a burden; it's a joy to see the church take it over," he said. "They've been using it for God's work. It's going to people who are going to take of it. That warms my heart."
Noting that there are plans to upgrade the building, the acreage will now be developed in ways that will benefit the wider community, the pastor said.
"We're looking at using that as a means by which to reach out to the community, for the community to have access," Lanham said. "Our future goal is a family life center, a softball field and a pavilion. In Limaville, they really don't have access to a nice park, so this is a place that's not going to be exclusively the church's."
Lanham has been in ministry since since 1979, starting as a youth pastor at LifePoint (formerly Atwater) Baptist Church and school, where he also served as a basketball coach and athletic director under the Rev. George Crawford.
Prior to Turning Point, Lanham planted and pastored a church in Ravenna for 18 years. After a brief sabbatical, he returned to Lexington Township in 2002 where he thought he had found a building but it was condemned. He credits former village Mayor Troy Hanson for helping him to secure the community center.
About Turning Point Baptist Church
Today, Turning Point Baptist has 100 members who come from Portage, Stark, Summit and Trumball counties.
"The name is definitely a part of who we are," he said. "People are looking every day for turning points in their lives. This is a place for anyone and everyone who says, 'I want make changes in my life, and I want to start with God.'"
Lanham describes Turning Point as a "Bible-based, independent church" that supports 20 missionaries and follows God's leading. Lanham said he seeks divine guidance through prayer and the Scripture, which he conveys to the church leadership, and then to wider congregation.
"We're a T.E.A.M." he said. "Together Everyone Achieves More. It's exciting. There's never a dull moment."
Lanham added that there are spiritual lessons to be gleaned from the 10 years it took to acquire the building.
"The lesson? We need to be patient and let God lead in what we do." To learn more, visit www.turningpointbc.org.
Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Turning Point Baptist Church buys former Limaville Community Center
