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Guest Feature: Turn Around Church by Lynn Whitely

Living Hope Church: A Turn Around Church

By Guest Writer Lynn Whitely

In the heart of West Unity, Ohio, lies Living Hope church. 1051 West Jackson Street is where it is found, but this story doesn’t start there. It starts just a few blocks away with Pastor David Mathis.

Between the ages of 55 and 65, Pastor David, with the help of Pastor Eric Perry, began taking pastoral classes in Spring Arbor. He eventually earned an Elders degree.

Former superintendent Pastor Thomas Ramundo, recognized David’s drive for the Lord and how much he wanted to help the lost. He said that David requested to be appointed to a church that was small and struggling. Living Hope fit that criteria perfectly.

Our story begins at 603 West Jackson Street in West Unity, where the first service was held in December of 1953. The primary objective of Living Hope was not only to meet the needs of its members, but to reach out to the community with friendship, care and love.

David Mathis was eight years old when he was stricken with polio and placed in an iron lung. He made a promise to God that if he lived he would go wherever God wanted him to go and be whatever God wanted him to be.

When Pastor David first arrived at Living Hope, it had approximately 27 members. The Michigan Conference had planned to close the church not only for low membership, but the building itself was falling apart. Instead of being discouraged, Pastor David reached out to the members. He lived 65 miles away but still always made time to visit members and their families to encourage them in the Lord.

the building and in 2012, a new building was built.

Today, Living Hope is home to more than 100 members. Members say Living Hope is a home, a family. Members say that Pastor David is a wonderful leader. Dorothy Mathis, Pastor David’s wife, says she is proud of her husband and, although being a pastor’s wife is not what she thought she wanted, she loves it.

In 2019, Living Hope was awarded Conference Turn Around Church. Bruce Phodes, the current superintendent says that Living Hope is a wonderful example of what God can do when God’s people come together.

The name, Living Hope, comes from 1 Peter 1:3, “In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

The name fits it well as Living Hope is very much alive and overflowing with hope. Find out more here: www. livinghopewu.org.

Once a month Pastor David brings top Southern gospel artists such as Mark Bishop, Hope’s Journey, Christian Davis and so many more, for free concerts to the public. He has taken Living Hope all over the world through live sermons on social media.

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