Our History — Medina Community Church

Our Roots

A Church Born Out of Faithfulness

To understand Medina Community Church, it helps to go back further than 1981 — to a small group of men and women who gathered in 1835 to organize a church in the community of Weymouth, just outside Medina. That congregation, the First Congregational Society of Weymouth, would go on to become Weymouth Community Church, the oldest church in Medina County, still faithfully serving today.

"A rich history, a kingdom-minded people" — and from that people, Medina Community Church was sent.

For nearly a century and a half, Weymouth faithfully planted itself in the soil of Medina County — worshiping, serving, and making disciples. By 1981, out of that same conviction, the church looked outward toward the growing city of Medina and made a decision that would shape the next generation of Christian witness in the county: they would send a church plant.

Timeline

Forty-Five Years in Medina

May 1981

Seven Families, One Mission

Weymouth Community Church sent Pastor John Van Epp and six families to plant a new church in the city of Medina. They began gathering at Medina High School — a small congregation with a clear conviction that the city needed a church committed to the gospel. What started as seven families would grow into a congregation that has now served the Medina community for over four decades.

Early days of Medina Community Church at Medina High School, 1981

First services at Medina High School — 1981

The 1980s

A Home on South Broadway

In the years following the church plant, the congregation acquired a former Ohio Edison warehouse on South Broadway Street — the same address where Medina Community Church meets today at 416 S. Broadway. The building was renovated and transformed from an industrial space into a place of worship, giving the young church a permanent home two blocks south of the Medina Public Square.

The original Ohio Edison building on South Broadway, early home of Medina Community Church

416 S. Broadway — the former Ohio Edison building

1987

Pastor Doug Davidson

After Pastor Van Epp's tenure, the congregation called Doug Davidson as lead pastor in 1987. What followed was nearly four decades of faithful ministry. Pastor Davidson shepherded the church through seasons of growth, building projects, and the ordinary rhythms of congregational life — preaching the Word, administering the ordinances, and caring for the flock. He retired at the end of 2025 after 38 years of service.

Welcome reception for Pastor Doug & Bev Davidson — 1987

Decades of Growth

Building for the Congregation

Over the years, the South Broadway campus grew with the church. Several building projects expanded and improved the original warehouse space, adding facilities to serve children's ministry, youth, and the broader congregation. Each addition was a reflection of a church that was not only staying put in Medina — but digging in.

Ground-breaking celebration for new Sunday school addition at Medina Community Church

Groundbreaking for the Sunday school addition

Congregation members building the new addition together

"What a crew!" — members building together

January 2026

Pastor Simon Bartos

Following Pastor Davidson's retirement, the congregation called Simon Bartos as lead pastor. He was affirmed by a congregational vote in January 2026, stepping into the pulpit with a commitment to the same convictions that have marked this church from the beginning — the authority of Scripture, the glory of God, and a desire to see Medina saved.

Installation Service — January 2026