What We Believe
We believe that Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Wooster is called by God to help our church family and the un-churched in our community to develop a closer relationship with God through the teachings and example of Jesus Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We seek to accomplish this calling by providing:
- Meaningful worship opportunities and weekly celebration of communion
- A planned program of Christian education
- Service to the community
- The support of a church family
- Opportunities to develop and express our individual talents and gifts
Central Christian Church is affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. Like most Christians, Disciples of Christ affirm:
- Jesus Christ is the son of the Living God
- All persons are God’s children
Beliefs and practices usually associated with Disciples include:
- Open Communion. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is celebrated in weekly worship. It is open to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
- Freedom of belief. Disciples are called together around one essential of faith: belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Persons are free to follow their consciences guided by the Bible, the Holy Spirit, study and prayer, and are expected to extend that freedom to others.
- Baptism by immersion. In baptism, the old self-centered life is set aside and a new life of trust in God begins. Although Disciples practice baptism by immersion, other baptism traditions are honored.
- Belief in the oneness of the church. All Christians are called to be one in Christ and to seek opportunities for common witness and service.
- The ministry of believers. Both ministers and lay persons lead in worship, service, and spiritual growth.
Each Disciples church functions independently without a hierarchical denominational structure. But we do cooperate with and covenant with churches in the Ohio Region and with the General Church, whose offices are located in Indianapolis, IN.
Learn More
For more information on the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), please visit www.disciples.org. An extensive history and description of our movement can be found there.
History Of Central Christian Church, Wooster
We have a firm belief that in order to know where we’re going, we need to know and respect where we have come from. Central Christian Church has a rich and interesting history since 1835. Although our church has changed and will continue to change with the times, there are certain principles we were founded upon that will always remain. Enjoy as you read more about our history…
Prepared by Dr. Robert Tuck for the 1980 pictorial directory, updated in 1996 by Dr. Win Logan and in 2003 by Rev. Kevin Phipps, with ongoing updates kept up by the church’s technology team.
The introductory work of preaching and teaching in preparation for the establishment of a Church of Christ in Wooster began in 1834. The actual organization of the church was on July 26, 1835. The following statement of the organization as found in the old records of the church reads:
At a meeting on Lord’s Day, July 26, 1835, the persons whose names appear below extended to each other the hand of Christian fellowship, and organized themselves into a worshiping assembly under the following pledge: We, the disciples of Jesus Christ, living in and near Wooster, being desirous of attending to all the ordinances of the Lord’s house, do unite ourselves together in a congregated capacity, taking our guide or discipline the New Testament of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And we propose, as soon as practical to appoint bishops and deacons, whose duty it shall be to take charge of the temporal and spiritual interests of the congregation, according to the Holy Scriptures. And in order to protect ourselves from imposition, we further agree not to receive any person claiming to be a Christian who is not known to us, or who does not present a letter of recommendation from some congregation. To the above we have authorized our several names to be affixed: Wm. F. Pool; Peter Willis and Elizabeth, his wife; Frederick Kauke and Elizabeth, his wife; Samuel Zimmerman and Mary, his wife; George K. Zimmerman; Griffith L. Jones; Elizabeth Scott; Eleanor Jones; Mary McCurdy; Elizabeth Hickman; Rebecca Hull; Sophia Zimmerman; Kimball Porter and Susannah, his wife.
From the time of the organization until May 1847 there is no definite record of the congregation. It is presumed that this little band met from house to house for communion, Bible study, and for preaching when a preacher was available. The records show that this group, under their own leadership, grew from 21 to 100 in the first twelve years of existence.
The first ‘called pastor’ (1844-47) was Bro. J. Harrison Jones, an outstanding pulpit orator and singer. At times, meetings were held in the court house, in a brick school house in the southern part of town, in a Grant Street copper shop, and in a large room in the J.S. Lake Building on West Liberty Street. In 1847, the church occupied its first ‘church owned’ building located at S. Walnut and South Streets.
With an enrollment of 30 and an attendance of 18, a Bible School was organized on March 21, 1857. Another historic event took place on May 12, 1852 when the Ohio Christian Missionary Society was organized in Wooster, a forerunner of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Ohio.
Due to internal problems and the weakening of the number of Disciples, the church building was becoming badly in need of repair and was sold for $1,000 and the money was applied to the purchase of a lot in the 400 block of N. Buckeye Street. From 1885 to 1891 the group met in homes again, also meeting in 1888-9 in Miller’s Hall. Prominent in the leadership at that time was Mrs. Charlotte Reid, through whose personal influence and labor a new building was conceived as an imperative for growth and mission. In 1891, the building on Buckeye Street was dedicated without indebtedness.
With a determination to relocate to a larger facility the congregation bought a very strategically and prominently located property on N. Market Street, just back of the Buckeye Street property. In 1950 the church dedicated a new brick colonial sanctuary, attached to an impressive, well preserved and expanded brick house. The Buckeye property and an additional lot now serve as excellent parking space.
From 1923 to 1967 the church was capably served with the ministerial leadership of the Rev. Dr. Robert S. Tuck. The Rev. Dr. Paul E. Kerr served as pastor from January 1967 until May 1984. Pastor Jerry L. Murphy was called in July 1985 and served until 1998. Under the Rev. David Stout the church underwent a program of revitalization. Rev. Kevin Phipps was called to serve as the church’s twenty-fifth pastor in its 168-year history in July 2002 and he served the church through April 2016.
Central Christian installed its twenty-sixth pastor, Rev. Glen Schory, on October 13, 2019.
Staff
Rev. Winters comes to Central Christian Church from Greenfield Christian Church in Greenfield, Indiana. She served at Greenfield Christian for three years; at first as Interim Minister followed by two years as Settled Minister.
Rev. Winters is from Ohio, having settled here in 1975. She was married and has one son who lives in Columbus, Ohio, who has a teenage daughter. Rev. Winters was born in Pakistan into the thriving Christian Community that existed there at the time. She was born into the Catholic tradition and has five siblings. All were educated in Catholic convents and schools.
As a young adult Rev. Winters began her work life in the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. After a few years she met her future husband and moved to the U.S. with him. She worked for companies in Youngstown such as The DeBartolo Corporation as Legal Secretary and then for Attorneys Phau, Comstock and Springer in Youngstown. Soon she and her young family moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she obtained her B.Sc. in Marketing from The Ohio State University.
She began working for publishing companies based in Columbus and in Chicago as a Sales Representative for Central and Southern Ohio. She has spent 15 years working in sales management as well.
Over the years Rev. Winters’ entire family moved to Ohio from Pakistan. They are now spread across several states and remain closely connected. While Rev. Winters left the Catholic Church to study the Bible and attend seminary, her family still holds to the Catholic tradition.
She graduated from Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) in Indianapolis in 2010 and first served Central Christian Church in Marion, Ohio. Her second church was First Christian Church in Paulding, OH. After serving in Indiana, she is happy to be back in Ohio and feels blessed to be at Central Christian Church, Wooster.
Chloe Raber, our church accompanist and choir director, was born in Indiana, but has lived here in Wayne County for the past 15 years. Chloe’s parents and many family members also live in the local area. Chloe loves to visit the beach and says, “the warmer, the better”. She loves to make music, especially with other people. She also likes to read, listen to podcasts, and visit with friends and family. Chloe loves a variety of foods: rhubarb, sweet potatoes, rice and beans, cinnamon rolls, lasagna, pupusas, coconut, and sticky rice are some of her favorites. Baja West Coast Kitchen in Orrville is one of her favorite restaurants. Chloe loves the congregation’s energy at CCC. She says, “the congregation is engaged in the church and in the community, and I love the value they place on people and relationships”.
Our church secretary, Jan Douglas, was born in Alma, MI but has lived in the Wooster area most of her life. Jan and her husband John have two grown daughters, Kelly and Trista. Over the years Jan has taken many great vacations but could not narrow it down to just one favorite. In her free time Jan loves to read. The Maine Diner, in Maine :), is Jan’s favorite restaurant and she loves to eat fish. The thing Jan loves most about CCC is simply “the people”.
Ryan Mathys is the Technology and Communications Coordinator here at CCC. Ryan was born in Orrville, OH and other than a few years away at college has made his home here in Wayne County his whole life. Ryan his wife Tracy, their twins and ever rotating menagerie of pets makes an always exciting household. Ryan loves vacationing in Cape May, NJ and loves to eat pizza which he makes it a point to do when visiting the East Coast. Ryan loves the “tight knit community” we have here at CCC and “loves that we love to help others”.
