Local clergy to honor Dr. King with shared reading of final speech

Medina County clergy leaders will come together Monday, Jan. 19, to honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a public reading of King’s final speech and continued support for local students.

The program is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Second Baptist Church, 451 Bronson St., Medina, and will feature clergy from multiple congregations reading portions of King’s last address.

Participating pastors include Tal Lewis of Medina United Methodist Church; Tracey Ruffin of Second Baptist Church; Michael Wilson of Fellowship Baptist Church; David Wallover, retired, formerly of Harvest Presbyterian Church; Arthur A. Ruffin Sr. of Second Baptist Church; and the Rev. Dr. Luke Lindon of Medina United Church of Christ.

Pastor Arthur Ruffin said the idea for a shared clergy reading came to him during last year’s Martin Luther King Jr. program at St. Francis and was rooted in both history and purpose.

“Dr. King being a Black Baptist preacher, I thought it would be great after all these years to host his service at a Black Baptist church,” Ruffin said. “Nobody had actually read his speech in years. I thought it would be amazing for people to hear what he said and believe, and to see how far we have come, where we are headed now, and what still needs to be done.”

Ruffin said having multiple clergy members read the speech together was intentional.

“To see shared clergy means there are others who believe in his dream,” he said. “To see an African American pastor read it is one thing, but to see white pastors and a female pastor shows that this is a joint belief of different nationalities.”

In addition to honoring King’s legacy, the event will support the So Now What Scholarship, which assists local high school graduates and is facilitated by Pastor Tracey Ruffin’s Sister Circle Medina, a local nonprofit organization focused on empowering young women.

Ruffin said collaboration among Medina County churches has had a measurable impact on students since the effort began in 2022.

“We want to thank the Medina County churches and all of the wonderful people in our community for partnering with us for the So Now What Scholarship,” he said. “We began collaborating in 2022, and since then we have awarded 17 students more than $14,500 in scholarship funds.”

Organizers are aiming to expand that impact again in 2026 by increasing the total amount awarded.

Ruffin said the event also reflects a broader mission of local churches to serve beyond their individual congregations and to reinforce the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“When I came to Medina 10 years ago, so many believed this was a Black holiday,” he said. “In my teaching and sharing, people found that it is not a Black holiday but a national holiday. It affects all people of all races and nationalities.”

He said the gathering is meant to emphasize unity over division.

“We should all be standing together to promote unity and not color, race or creed,” Ruffin said. “This is an opportunity ... to show that we are stronger together.”

The MLK Day program is open to the public.