A foundation of faith: Medina's early religious history

The history of religion in Medina began long before the first official church service on April 10, 1817. It began in 1620, when the Mayflower landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Many of the Pilgrims were Separatists, escaping religious persecution in Europe. They were soon joined by Puritans, and together they established the Congregational Church, one of the first religions practiced in Medina.

In a recent “Pulpits to Patriots” America 250 Medina celebration, the Rev. Luke Lindon, pastor of the Church of Christ Congregational, highlighted ways Congregationalists inspired democracy in America. “Congregationalists taught America how to argue together and stay together. How to bind freedom to responsibility. Their churches became schools for democracy long before democracy had a name here.”

The name of the city, Medina, also stems from religion. The Middle East fascinated early settlers. The name the founders chose, Medina, means “enlightened or radiant city” in Islam. Medina was the first town established by the Prophet Muhammad.

In his book Heritage: Wagons to Wonders, the History of First Baptist Church, Medina, Ohio, Dr. Bill Smallman described the migration of “Connecticut Yankees” who moved west to Medina, part of the Western Reserve, to find free or cheap land for homesteading, farming and business. “The folks who settled in Medina were people who wanted a new home, a place to live out their lives as families in ‘modern’ America. They did not come for gold, but for good. So, it is no surprise that one of the first construction projects in Medina was a church.”

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

The first public religious services were held in the house of Zenas Hamilton, who moved his family from Connecticut to Medina Township in 1814. Other Connecticut families followed, with the goal of establishing an Episcopal church.

The Rev. Roger Searle also traveled west from Connecticut to become a missionary to the Western Reserve. He stayed with the Hamiltons and held Medina’s first religious service in their cabin on March 11, 1817.

On the morning of April 10, 1817, a small group of men and boys gathered near the center of Medina Township. Trees became walls and shingles, and a log cabin sprang to life as Medina’s first church. At 4 p.m., the Rev. Searle conducted the first St. Paul’s Episcopal service in that cabin.

The Rev. William Hanford, a Congregational missionary, began preaching in the same log cabin. Episcopalians used the cabin on Sunday mornings, and Congregationalists worshiped in the afternoon. The cabin also served as a school, taught by Eliza Northrop.

By 1837, the St. Paul’s congregation outgrew the cabin and built a small frame church in Medina. When they outgrew that building, a new church was erected at its current location on East Liberty Street. The first service was held in December 1884. Church historian G.F. Smythe called it “incomparably the finest Episcopal church in any country town at the time.”

The United Church of Christ Congregational

In February 1819, seven early settlers met in Isaac Barnes’ home to form a Congregational church. They met in homes until they moved services to the Medina Courthouse in 1831.

Notable members of the Congregational church were H.G. Blake and A.I. Root, both of whom were important to Medina’s growth and success.

In 1882, the congregation built a church on the corner of Liberty and Broadway. The northeast corner of Medina Square was important to the early Congregationalists as a visible presence in the community.

In 1957, the Congregational-Christian Churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Churches to form the United Church of Christ. The congregation soon changed its name to the United Church of Christ, Congregational.

The First Baptist Church in Medina

In August 1833, the First Baptist Church of Medina was organized in a schoolhouse located at Fenn’s Corner, two miles north of the village. There were 14 charter members.

The congregation grew, and in March 1839, they began holding public services in the Medina courthouse. Since it was a public building, outsiders often interrupted services and were sometimes disruptive.

Under the leadership of the Rev. Randall, the 46 members completed building their church on West Liberty Street in September 1845. This building was small, but it was well located just off the square for open-air meetings.

Women from the church ministered to young African American men and women who worked for Medina families. They organized a ministry of Bible classes for them in 1900. Membership grew, and they formed a church of their own on Bronson Street. The Second Baptist Church began holding services on Feb. 21, 1920.

In March 1978, the First Baptist congregation decided it was time to construct a larger church with more parking space. They purchased a 20-acre site east of town on state Route 18, and the new building was first used in 1979 for a missionary conference.

The Methodist Church in Medina

In 1834, John Hazzard, a traveling Methodist minister, began holding services in the courthouse, schools and private homes. The congregation built a small church in 1835 on the corner of South Court Street and Lafayette Road.

On Dec. 27, 1896, a fire broke out in the church and lasted several hours. Historical Highlights, a booklet written by the Medina High School Class of 1966, states that townspeople called it the most beautiful fire in Medina’s history. A biblical scene painted on the wall behind the pulpit was set against a backdrop of flames.

The church was rebuilt by the end of 1897 with the labor of 250 members. In the following years, additional improvements were made, and the congregation grew.

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church

From 1860 to 1887, a traveling priest visited Catholic families in Medina. In 1887, they began holding Mass in a small wood-frame church on West Liberty Street. The church was completed in 1908 with volunteer labor.

When the Rev. William Randel was appointed to the parish in May 1948, he envisioned a new church, parish school and rectory. They purchased land on the southeast corner of Spring Grove and East Washington streets. In 1951, a 10-room brick school and auditorium were completed, where Masses were held. The Rev. Randel died before the church was built, but parishioners and their friends spent almost 29,000 volunteer hours constructing it and held a dedication on May 8, 1962.

Many more churches followed, serving Medina residents. This article covers the first few, drawing on records from the Medina County Historical Society and church historians