How to go
Where: Grace United Methodist Church, located at the corner of Salem Avenue at 1001 Harvard Blvd., Dayton
When: Sunday, Nov. 10, 4 p.m.
Donations: $20 at the door or can be purchase in advance at Wesley
What encompasses the heart of community? People, who have showed a passion to love, give and serve their neighbors.
If there were to be a yearly award for The Heart of Community, Wesley Community Center would definitely be nominated and awarded. Unsurprisingly, they would be deemed and recognized as a hero of their community because of their service-oriented staff and volunteers.
I was enlightened and blessed to speak with featured Gospel Stellar and Dove Award Nominated Shirley Murdock, executive director of Wesley Community Center; Harris Tay, and Retired Director Dr. Robert Walker and Pastor Paul Mitchell of Revival Center Ministries.
There’s a time and season for everything and now we have entered upon the season of giving.
This is confirmed by Murdock who gives her time and service through singing and preaching God’s word. “It’s important to give back,” she said.
Tay asks Murdock to donate her time for Wesley, annual fundraiser. “My niece, Mallory, hit the jackpot when she married my now nephew, Harris. I look for people to bless. Charity begins at home. I was born in Toledo, but grew up in Dayton. I always say, I grew up in Dayton by way of Toledo.”
The audience can expect to become encouraged, uplifted and feel the love of God. “Since the age of 15, I’ve aimed for a gospel career. After 25 years of marriage to my husband and manager, co-pastor Dale Degroat of Second Baptist Church in Springfield, and we have a 21-year-old son, Devin,who is a senior at Ohio State University. My love journey continues. It began from working with the late Roger Troutman and the group Zapp to Bishop T. D. Jakes who took me under his wing and invited me to sing on his No. 1 hit CD, ‘Sacred Love Songs,’ to stage plays and film, to my starting a campaign ‘I Love Me Better Than That,’ which serves to inspire positivity and unity in risk communities across the country. I’ve worked with a host of many other R&B and gospel artists as well.”
Wesley’s mission is to help others through God-centered principles. Tay elaborates, “Our center has earned the reputation as a reliable, committed, faith-based organization that cares for families and individuals experiencing crisis. Established in 1966, hundreds of volunteers offer their time and expertise to make possible caring service. The center collaborates with a multitude of organizations throughout the region. I passionately believe I have a responsibility to keep the doors open. It’s an iconic institution. We desire to create change with the neighbors and not to the neighbors. It begins with rebuilding relationships and collaborating with others through trust by creating opportunities.
Mitchell, pastor of Revival, Center Ministries, who partners with Wesley, said, “We have a lot of respect for Wesley Community Center. We are in the infant stages of partnership but we provide space for them in our church. When our church moves to the Kroger builder in Westwood, we will be able to provide even more space. I believe a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. It makes a statement in our community to work together in unity. It’s not about Revival Center or Wesley. It’s about the community.”
Walker, a retiree of Wesley and now mentor to Tay, believes staff and volunteers are to leave their egos at the door. “It’s not about us but its about us providing a service to the people by meeting their critical needs. At the same time we all need to be affirmed and treated with value and significance. It’s our desire to help those who come in for assistance and then teach them how to help themselves. We live in the wealthiest country in the world and yet we still have pockets of poverty within all of our communities. The focus just seems to be more on West Dayton, ” Walker said.
Heart for seniors
Walker believes, “Our community and structure was built on the shoulders of our elders and seniors. We believe they should live out their days with dignity and spiritual youthfulness.”
“When I first arrived to Wesley, I spent a lot of time with our seniors. One of the seniors, Emma Andrews, said, ‘I look around and I do not see anything that reminds me of my history or past. When they knock down Roosevelt high school, they also took away all that history.’ That was a big one when Ms. Emma spoke those words to me,” Tay said.
Murdock feels it’s a crime if we forget about mama and daddy. “They have opened doors for us. We are standing on their shoulders and it’s our responsibility to bless them back for what they have done for us.”
In the word of God, it’s said, we are to “guard our hearts with all diligence.”
Wesley Community Center exemplifies a living and functional organism that deserves to be guarded and protected as a positive legacy for the community of citizens in West Dayton.
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