Minford Community Church
formerly Glendale Church and Glendale Church of Christ in Christian Union
5178 Lucasville Minford Road
Minford, OH 45653
The Minford Community Church was established in 2001. The Church known as Glendale Christian Church was down to six attending members. The members approached Rev. Cox late in 2000 to ask if he and his wife, Rosie, would be willing to take over the Church and allow them to stay and worship with them. The happily agreed to do so.
Pastor Ed Cox explained, "We were the former Blue Run United Methodist Church and had outgrown the Church. We were looking to build a new Church. When we moved to Glendale Christian Church, the name was changed to Minford Community Church, an independent Church. I was Pastor at Blue Run UMC for eight years and at Minford Community Church until November 15, 2018. On that date I turned 75 years old and due to age and health, I stepped down as Pasotr. At present we are having candidates for the Pastorate in to preach."
Article in The Portsmouth Daily Times, September 7, 1921, p. 10
REOPEN GLENDALE CHURCH
Glendale Church near Minford which has been closed for sometime will again be kept open through the organization of the Glendale Union Sunday School. At a recent meeting of residents of Glendale community held at the church, much interest was manifested in the forming of a Sunday School.
Thomas Breech one of the leaders of the community was the first speaker, and after a few remarks turned the meeting over the Rev. Harvey Anderson of Minford who had been called to help in the organization work. Rev. Anderson was elected temporary chairman and Miss Helen Breech temporary secretary.
The organization was completed with the election of the following officers:
Thomas Breech, Superintendent
Albert Green, Assistant Superintendent
Secretary, Jesse Hagerman
Treasurer, V. E. Green
Organist, Helen Breech
Choir, Thomas Breech
Librarian, Mayme Cox
Teacher - Senior Class, Levi Ruby
Teacher - Young men and women, Albert Green
Teacher - Intermediate boys, Mrs. Cox
Teacher - Intermediate girls, Miss Lizzie Neff
Teacher - girls, Mrs. Charles Craycraft
A committee on bylaws and constitution consisting of L. V. Neff, Rev. Anderson and Charles Craycraft was appointed. Sunday School will be held every Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock.
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The church was organized on July 15, 1961.
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Article in The Portsmouth Times, March 10, 1962, p. 7
CHURCH AT GLENDALE GETS FULL PASTOR
Organized last June 15, Glendale Christian Church has a full-time pastor. Hassell Justice was called from Waverly where he served Waverly Church of Christ in Christian Union. He was succeeded by Clarence Ross of Bergholz, Ohio.
Glendale Church was organized by the Sciotoville Church of Christ with assistance from the Kenova Evangelizing Association. Elmer Sparrow of Ashland, Kentucky was the evangelist and served as minister until Mr. Justice was called. Rev. David Pieratt, pastor of the Sciotoville Church, also assisted.
The church occupies Glendale Elementary School for services at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The congregation now numbers nearly 60. Wednesday night services are held in members' homes.
Mr. Justice is a graduate of Kentucky Christian College and has stuided at Portsmouth and Chillciothe branches of Ohio University and at Rio Grande College.
He has held pastorates in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia and Ohio.
Mr. Justice and his wife, Nell, have two children, Vernon, 18, and Virginia, 12. They presently are occupying a home in Waverly but plan to move to the Glendale community at the close of the school year.
Article in The Portsmouth Times, May 14, 1962
Mr. and Mrs. Hassel Justice were honored with a house warming and "pound" party in their home on Riddlebarger Road at Rubyville.
The Justice family moved here from Waverly where Justice served seven years as pastor of the Waverly Church of Christ. He is minister of the Glendale Christian Church, organized in July 1961.
Concluding Bible study, Mrs. Justice was assisted by Miss Carol Burns in serving refreshments to the following guests: Mr. and Mrs. John R. Lykins, Mr. and Mrs. James Hicks, Mrs. and Mrs. Walter Burns, Mrs. and Mrs. Eldon Conkel, Mrs. Ronald Rice, Misses Carol and Wanda Burns, Bonits and Jonda Rice, Vicki, Debbie and Kathy Hicks, Lou Anne Conkel and Virginia Justice, Jimmy Hicks, Vernon Justice and Jimmy Conkel.
During the social hour each guest presented the Justices with a pound of groceries.
Article in The Portsmouth Times, February 23, 1963, p. 7
GLENDALE CHURCH SETS SUNDAY OPEN HOUSE
Open house is to be observed at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the new Glendale Christian Church on the Lucasville-Minford Road.
David Pieratt, minister of Sciotoville Christian Church, is to be the speaker for the open house services.
Rev. Hassel Justice, pastor of the Glendale church, said the public is invited to attend the services, which also are to include music by a Cincinnati Bible Seminary trio.
The pastor said the new building is a ranch-type structure with double garage and full-size basement that will seat 175 in the auditorium and provice sufficient room for classes.
Lots for the new building were purhased from Sam Cutlip in August of 1962. A parsonage-type building was decided upon for the church, and the contract was let to Wilson Williams, contractor.
The pastors said the building is valued at much more than the contract, since donated labor and materials were given by the church members and area churches.
The new building first was occupied December 23, 1962.
The Glendale Christian Church trustees are Walter Burns, Ronald Rice, John Jamisson, Jr. , Jim Hicks and Stanley Bender. Rev. Justice has been pastor of the church since February 1962.
Rev. Pieratt said the Sciotoville church and other area churches, in cooperation with KYOWVA Evangelistic Association, support the new church and help pay the minister's salary.
From the beginning, he said, the Glendale congregation has contributed toward its own support and has made "remarkable progress" in its short history.
"They look forward to the day when they can assume the full support of local expenses," the minister added.
A pre-Easter revival meeting is scheduled for the church April 8 - 14, Rev. Justice said.
Article in The Portsmouth Times, July 5, 1963, p. 10
Article in The Portsmouth Times, June 1, 1968, p. 6
MINFORD CHURCH PASTOR RESIGNS
Merrill Allard, minister for the last three years of Glendale Christian Church, at Minford, has resigned effective June 30. He had not announced his future plans.
An evangelist with the KYOWVA Evangelizing Association, Allard has received 26 new members into the Glendale Christian Church and during his tenure as minister$5,500 was applied to church improvements.
Ad in The Portsmouth Times, April 7, 1972, p. 17
Article in The Portsmouth Times, July 20, 1974, p. 5
REV. JUSTICE RETURNS TO FIRST CHURCH
If absence makes the heart grow fonder, the congregation of Glendale Christian Church here should be pleased with the latest pastor, Rev. Hassel Justice.
Rev. Justice werved as the church's first pastor, from 1962 to 1965. The church was organized June 15, 1961, by the Sciotoville Church of Christ (Christian) with assistance from the KYOWVA Evangelizing Association.
"I now live where I used to preach" Rev. Justice said. Rev. Justice, with his wife, Nell, live in the church's parsonage.
A Pike County, Kentucky native, Rev. Justice has been in the ministry since he was 17 years old. He's 53 now.
He holds a bachelor of arts degree in religion from Kentucky Christian College and a bachelor of science degree in education from Rio Grande College. He also attended the Portsmouth and Chillicothe branches of Ohio University.
Rev. Justice was a pastor in Waverly from 1956 to 1962. he has served various churches in West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. He was ordained in 1949 at Olive Hill Kentucky Christian Church.
Rev. Justice said he loves all kinds of sports, likes gardening and tinkering with his car.
Article in The Porsmouth Times, June 18, 1977, p. 5
The Portsmouth Daily Times
June 28, 2019
In June, Minford Community Church named Chris Oiler as its new Pastor. He grew up in Sciotoville and is a 1990 graduate from East High School. His wife Melissa is a 1988 graduate of Wheelersburg High School and graduated in 1992 from Miami University. She is a teacher at Vern Riffe School in Portsmouth. Their daughter Kate is a Junior at Shawnee State University. Mark, their son, is a Sophomore at South Webster High School. The family resides in Wheelersburg.
Pastor Oiler fills the position after the retirement of Pastor Ed Cox in fall of 2018. Pastor Cox had served as Pastor for 30 years. Please join Minford Community Church in welcoming Pastor Oiler. Service times are Sunday 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. with Wednesday night service at 7 p.m. The church is located at 5178 Lucasville Minford Road, Minford, Ohio.
Former Pastors:
Harvey Anderson
Elmer Sparrow
Hassell Justice
Merrill Allard
David A. Freeman
Kenneth Neal
Edward Cox
Chris Oiler