November 17, 2020
1903-1913 The birth of a churchIn 1903, the area south of Mayfield Rd near Superior contained only a few scattered houses. Radnor and Hampshire Roads were connected by cinder paths, not sidewalks. There were no electric lights, and a creek that the residents used for their water supply ran through what is now Cumberland Park. Nothing else existed along Superior Road except Mr. Preyer’s vineyard and a pond where the houses on Preyer Road now stand.
Nevertheless, Albert J. Alexander, pastor of the Beckwith Memorial Presbyterian Church on Euclid Ave (later Church of the Covenant), decided to start a new church “up in the Heights.” In the fall of 1903, Rev. Alexander and a group of neighbors met in the home of Mr. L.B. Roessing on Hampshire Road to plant a new congregation.
On the evening of Nov. 11, 1903, Rev. Alexander conducted the first formal worship service with a congregation of 40 or 50 Cleveland Heights Presbyterians in a rented house on Radnor Rd (at the time called Florence Ave.) The Radnor Church House hosted weekly Sunday School classes on Sunday mornings and evening worship services for over two years.
By Feb. 1905, the church was known as the “Mayfield Heights Branch” of Beckwith Church. The branch continued to grow and in 1906 moved to the Superior Rd. School House at Superior and Euclid Hts. Blvd, using the lower floor for Sunday School and evening services.
By 1908, the congregation outgrew the schoolhouse and purchased a lot for $5000 from Emil Preyer on the corner of Mayfield and Preyer. The new building cost $15,000 and was dedicated on Jan. 24, 1909. The congregation installed its first organ, paid for by Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller at a cost of $1875.
In September 1909, the 100-member church was still considered a branch of First Church (which succeeded Beckwith Presbyterian). But one year later, the congregation decided it was time to have its own pastor and called the Rev. Edward S. Claflin of Rochester, N.Y. to lead them into their next decade.
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In Nov. 1913, Rev. Claflin was at the midpoint of his 6-year pastorate. The congregation continued to grow and on April 7, 1916, its 164 members officially incorporated as Cleveland Heights Presbyterian Church (CHPC). They celebrated with a Jubilee Service and installed Rev. Claflin as their first pastor.
When ill health forced Rev. Claflin to resign, substitute pastors served until September 1917 when Dr. W.F. Dickens-Lewis begin his 17 years as pastor. CHPC purchased the former home of Rev. Claflin at 2877 Hampshire Rd as a manse for the Dickens-Lewis family.
Dr. and Mrs. Dickens-Lewis shepherded CHPC through dynamic times in both church and world history, from World War I to the early stages of the Depression. When Dr. Dickens-Lewis was sent overseas as a chaplain, Mrs. Lewis led the youth and Sunday school programs and assisted the supply pastor.
After the war, membership grew to over 300, creating a shortage of space on Sunday mornings. Sunday school classes met wherever room could be found, including the choir loft, kitchen, and furnace room.
This rapid growth and overcrowded Sunday school classes led CHPC in 1921 to build a 40 x 80′ “temporary” Sunday school at a cost of $11,600. This “temporary” addition remained a functioning part of the church building for 30 years. On Sunday mornings the space teemed with up to 250 persons, and for Sunday evening youth fellowship it was “the place to be” for neighborhood high school students.
As the church grew, so did its budget, with annual expenses nearly doubling from $4627 to $8400 between 1917 and 1921. During this time the Women’s Association became an important part of the church, sponsoring events and funding many building improvements.
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CHPC entered its 21st year still led by Dr. Lewis who remained pastor for the Church’s entire third decade. Remembered by some members as a “hell, fire and brimstone” preacher, Dr. Lewis established the first Board of Deacons on May 14, 1924. The Deacons received $20 to carry out their work, which included ushering, assisting with communion preparation, distributing pledge envelopes, participating in the “Every Member Canvas,” and assisting the minister with pastoral calls.
The 1920s saw significant changes in the surrounding community with an increase in city services and the paving of streets and sidewalks. To pave Preyer Road, the City asked CHPC to deed 5 feet of church property to the city. The congregation rejected an outright donation, but agreed to exchange the property for a reduction in the church’s paving and sidewalk assessment.
Around this time, John D. Rockefeller divided his private Forest Hill estate, making part of it a park and creating the Rockefeller Allotment east of Lee Road, which would become the Forest Hill neighborhood. The developer laid out streets, put in water hydrants, and built a few houses on Glynn, Brewster and Monticello Roads. The homes sold for an average of $3500 – $4000. But with the onset of the Depression in 1929, development stopped until after World War II.
CHPC faced similarly difficult times with both declining membership and finances. In 1927, Dr. Lewis led a discussion to consolidate CHPC with Windermere Presbyterian Church of East Cleveland. Although this merger did not occur and the Church survived the Depression, the congregation numbered well below 100 people by 1933.
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CHPC began its 4th decade in the midst of the Depression. Dr. Dickens-Lewis’ pastorate ended in 1934. By the fall of 1935, the church had only 65 active members. But on Oct.17, 1935, CHPC installed a young, energetic preacher fresh from seminary, Rev. Clem E. Bininger.
Rev. Bininger ushered in a period of growth in both members and activity, bringing many young couples into the church. To encourage the involvement of young parents, Rev. Bininger established the Couples Class, an adult education class that met during Sunday School time. The group became an essential component of church life for many young couples, becoming the forerunner of many social groups within the church in years to come.
Other new groups formed during these years. The Christian Fellowship League met in the evenings to provide working women and young mothers an alternative to the Women’s Association. The Men’s Group provided male fellowship around evening dinners, often with guest speakers. The 50+ Club was a social group both for members and persons from the neighborhood. And of course, the Women’s Association continued to flourish with six different Circles.
By July 1939, membership had grown to 417, eventually reaching over 500 during Rev. Bininger’s pastorate. Thanks to member contributions and a generous gift from the Fred W. Preyer family in honor of his grandparents, on whose land the church stood, the mortgage on the Preyer Road church was paid off in Dec. 1939. The congregation celebrated with a dinner and mortgage burning, led by Cleveland Heights Mayor and CHPC member, Frank C. Cain.
World War II had a major impact of on the congregation. The November 1939 church newsletter (The Heights-Terian, which began publication in June 1939) reprinted a statement from the Ministers’ Peace Covenant in New York, Christian Pacifist Faith – An Affirmation, which called for church to applaud peace and denounce war. But many members struggled with the call of their faith to speak against war at a time of increasing evil in the world, and by the end of 1941, The Heights-Terian listed and provided news about many members in the service.
In January 1943, Rev. Bininger’s success led to his being called to serve a larger church in Wilkinsburg, PA. Although the church unanimously voted to call Dr. Claire M. Stewart as pastor, he wasn’t scheduled to begin until September. With no pastor for the summer months, worship services were cancelled, but Sunday School classes continued, and the whole congregation was encouraged to attend. Volunteers completely renovated the Manse before the Stewart family arrived. Wallpaper was removed and all ten rooms were repapered. The kitchen was modernized, floors refinished, and the attic and basement walls were painted.
The congregation worked diligently during this time to keep in touch with the church’s friends serving in World War II. Each month ten members gathered “newsy bits about Cleveland goings-on: how the Indians were faring, the victory garden, weather, etc.” Their news was edited into a 2 page letter sent to over 65 members of the military. At Christmas time the congregation sent care packages to the soldiers whose letters of appreciation are quite touching and sincere. When the men began coming home from the military in 1945, CHPC formed a committee to assist in their re-adjustment to civilian life.
Unfortunately, Dr. Stewart left CHPC after only two years, departing in the middle of a new building campaign. In May 1945, the congregation had to decide whether to enlarge the current church for $100,000, or construct a new building for over $200,000 on the Rockefeller allotment. The new site offered room for unlimited expansion and a large parking lot, and was “within reasonable distance” of the Mayfield streetcar line. They considered consolidating with other churches in order to afford the new building, but since the government would not allow any construction for at least 2 years, the congregation had time to consider their decision.
During this time Dr. Herbert Hinds became CHPC’s supply pastor. Dr. Hinds received 25 new members into the church on Easter of 1946, a remarkable feat for a church without a regular pastor.
The inconsistency of leadership ended on April 5, 1946, when Rev. Yoder P. Leith, an energetic young Army chaplain, was installed as pastor. Under Rev. Leith, membership steadily grew, along with the need for a larger building. On Oct. 1, 1946, the congregation purchased the section of John D. Rockefeller’s father’s farm at the intersection of Monticello and Lee. Construction of a Georgian Colonial church began in May 1950, with everyone in the congregation having a chance to dig into the ground with souvenir shovels provided by Rev. Leith. On Sept.17, 1950, the congregation marched to the new site, the cornerstone was dedicated, and the name of the church was changed officially to Forest Hill Church, Presbyterian.
For a week following the May 20 ribbon cutting, the congregation held welcoming festivities for the Forest Hill neighborhood and the Cleveland Hts community. In response to the rapid growth of Forest Hills community and the congregation, the church began offering two Sunday services in 1952.
The current congregation may be interested to know that in 1947 the church entered a team in a Cleveland Hts church softball league. According to The Heights-Terian, the team manager reported that “at preliminary practices, the material looks good.” A tradition was born.
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1953 to 1963 represented the pinnacle of Yoder Leith’s ministry at Forest Hill Church and was the peak period of membership for our congregation. When the new church building at Lee and Monticello opened in 1951, membership was 550. Just four years later, at the height of the Baby Boom, the congregation had grown to more than 1300.
Suddenly, the building built only 4 years earlier was too small for FHC’s needs. Classes for the 600 children enrolled in church school were held everywhere, from the minister’s and other church offices, to the kitchen, to the Happy Day Nursery School in the house next to the church. With the obvious need for classrooms, the children of the church broke ground for the Monticello educational wing in 1955. It opened for use in 1956.
The rapid growth in the congregation necessitated an increase in staff and led to the hiring of Marideen Visscher in 1952 as Dir. of Christian Education and the Rev. Edward Couch as Minister for Pastoral Care in 1954. In 1957, Ms. Visscher was only the 3rd woman ordained in the Presbyterian Church in the United States.
Rev. Couch was replaced by Rev. William J. Murphey in June 1957 and then by Rev. George F. Mace in Feb.1960. Rev. Visscher left to head the Christian Education Department of the Cleveland Area Church Federation in Sept. 1962, and in May 1963, the Rev. Ned W. Edwards began his long tenure with Forest Hill as Minister of Christian Education.
Members continued to flock to FHC during the latter part of the ‘50s and early ‘60s, attracted by strong preaching, numerous church organizations involved in social and service activities, and programs such as the Forest Hill Cooperative Nursery School, which offered young parents a structured program for their children.
The Hilltoppers, first organized in 1947, became the primary organization of young married couples in 1957. A sampling of the Hilltoppers’ program for 1960-61 included a presentation of Yoder and Virginia Leith’s 1960 trip through Europe and Russia, a visit to the Cleveland Playhouse, and a presentation by a Time magazine correspondent who had served in the Philippines during WWII.
By 1961, membership had grown to 2000 and there were almost 150 children under age 2, requiring an extensive Crib Room staff, including a registered nurse. Because the original sanctuary had been designed for only 312 worshipers, the church began offering three Sunday services in 1959 and still had to line the aisles with folding chairs.
Interestingly, the choir agreed to sing for all three services, but to avoid listening to three sermons, the order of worship for the third service was modified so that both anthems were sung before the sermon and the choir could quietly leave before the preaching began.
As a result of the bursting walls on Sundays, a major building program began to take shape in the fall of 1961. In March 1963, ground was broken on the first part of a $550,000 building project, which added the Lee Rd wing, Fellowship Hall, youth hall, additional classrooms, and eventually expanded the sanctuary to accommodate the overflow crowds.
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Forest Hill Church’s 7th decade began in the midst of its last major construction project. Worship services moved to Fellowship Hall in early 1964 to allow for the expansion of the Sanctuary. This effort involved moving the pillars, steps, and portico 15 feet towards the street, extending the rear wall 40 feet into the parking lot, and removing the church offices and a parlor to allow for the addition of the transepts.
The Lee Rd wing and expanded Sanctuary were dedicated on Easter Sunday, Mar 22, 1964. In May, the 1950 Cornerstone was opened and reset along with a new cornerstone box on June 7, 1964, containing current newspapers, coins, and a tape and bulletin of the service. On that date, membership stood at 1,965. Forty years would pass before the cornerstone boxes were opened again.
In 1963, Yoder Leith was still the senior pastor, assisted by associate pastor, Ned Edwards. Under Rev. Leith’s leadership, the church’s leadership structure changed, including adding a Clerk of Session as a voting member and instituting a unicameral system that required at least three Trustees to serve on Session. In 1967, Virginia Bodwell and Ruth Jenks became the first women to serve as elders of FHC.
The turbulence of 1963 to 1973 that marked American history was reflected in the changes Forest Hill Church faced during this decade. By 1969, while church membership began to drop nationally, FHC’s membership declined to 1600 and its budget by one-third. The joint ministry of Yoder Leith and Ned Edwards, from 1963 through 1970, saw the Forest Hill neighborhood evolve from the restrictive elitism of its deed restrictions and exclusive “membership” policies to the brewing racial and social unrest of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. In 1970, Yoder Leith retired after 24 years and, in order to give the church time and space to consider its future, Ned Edwards resigned as well.
The ensuing pastoral search was a pivotal period. In the spring of 1970, Rev. Ned Edwards was nominated to be the senior pastor. After a long debate at a congregational meeting attended by over 800 people, Rev. Edwards’ nomination was approved in a split vote indicative of the congregation’s polarity, mirroring the community and the country, over racially changing neighborhoods and the upheaval of the “generation gap” and the Vietnam war. Eventually, more than 35 families left the church, but a new energy and direction for FHC’s mission ensued. New programs were initiated with the aim of bringing members together in common tasks and fellowship, including the Parish Care system, “Parish Coffees” in the pastor’s home, and Lenten dinners as family gatherings and programs. Rev. Guy Volpitto, who served as interim moderator during the transition period, became Associate Pastor. He was joined by Rev. Robert H. Barnes in 1971.
With the Session’s adoption of the Confession of 1967 as a guide, the Board of Church and Society (now the Ministry of Justice & Mission) became a full-standing Session committee and in 1971 began to study the problems of integration and fair housing in the community. As a result of a housing seminar conducted by the Board, a plan was developed to establish the Forest Hill Church Housing Corporation as a non-profit corporation to rehabilitate housing in Cleveland Hts and East Cleveland. Thus began a tradition of FHC as a strong participant in issues of the local community that continues today.
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In 1973, government assistance for rehabilitation of houses was discontinued. At this time, the Session of Forest Hill Church initiated the “Challenge Fund” which raised money by challenging other religious groups and businesses for the purpose of backing low-interest loans to Cleveland Heights’ residents who were unable to arrange conventional financing for home improvements. By the end of 1979, $250,000 had been raised, and loans totaling $180,000 had been made. In 1980, Forest Hill Church received the “Community Organization Award” from the Cuyahoga Plan for its leadership in fair housing.
In June 1973, the youth group went to Durand, Illinois, to present the folk musical Tell It Like It Is. Another youth highlight was the ordination in April, 1975 of the first youth to be elected as an Elder at Forest Hill Church.
Although membership in 1980 had decreased to the level of 1953 (approximately 1000 members), Forest Hill Church remained a very active congregation. Many families who had left the congregation in 1970 began returning. Staff changes in 1982 included the installation of Rev. Daniel Kershner as Associate Pastor and Timothy D. Broadway as Organist after Margaret Hale Volpitto’s retirement.
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In 1983 change was bubbling in downtown Cleveland. The former Terminal Tower concourse, once a busy railroad station, was transformed into Tower City Center. Construction began on a new stadium dedicated exclusively to baseball. And after a grassroots letter-writing campaign, the local coining of the phrase “rock ‘n roll” decades earlier led to the establishment of a world-class Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in our city.
Shifts and adjustments at the intersection of Lee and Monticello paved the way for progress for our congregation as well. In 1983, Rev. Dr. Ned Edwards was completing his first dozen years as Senior Pastor. His ministry ushered in a restructured Christian Education curriculum, new ways for the congregation to come together in fellowship and service, and even greater involvement in the community. In 1984, a new social group called The Pacesetters, many of whom were children of the Hilltoppers and Couples Class began meeting for fun and fellowship.
When Dr. Edwards retired in 1992, Interim Pastor Rev. Dr. Edgar R. Jones III, began serving Forest Hill. Associate Pastors changed, too, with Daniel R. Kershner leaving and Rev. Dennis Zimmerman named as Interim in 1987. Four years later, Rev. Matthew Peterson followed in the same role.
The music department changed as well. For almost 30 years, the Choir Director and Organist were two separate positions. B. Neil Davis led the choir in 1982, followed by Gilbert M. Brooks, then Dean of the Cleveland Institute of Music, in 1985. Organist Timothy D. Broadway arrived in 1982, and remained for 5 years. After that, Mary Ann Switz and Rowland Blackley each served for a year, with Anne Wilson becoming the church organist in 1989. Two years later, Paul McGahie was named Director of Sacred Music and remained at Forest Hill until 1993. During his tenure the new Elizabeth Popely Husni pipe organ was installed, and acoustical renovations to the sanctuary were made.
This ambitious 1991 building program also ushered in aesthetic changes in the sanctuary. But long-term debt and rising operating costs were becoming a problem. In 1992, the loss of Taylor Academy as a weekday tenant was offset by renting space to Raintree Academy. But a year later, the members found themselves searching for ways to reduce costs without cutting programs. Unwilling to shrink the Associate Pastor’s position to half-time, the congregation found a solution. Taking advantage of Director Paul McGahie’s departure in 1993, the positions of choir director and organist were combined. Happily for all of us who enjoy today’s spectacular music program, Anne Wilson was named to the new Minister of Music role.
In April, 1994 the congregation extended a call to Rev. Dr. John C. Lentz, Jr. Rev. Lentz, whose undergraduate study at Kenyon College gave him Ohio roots, came to the church from an associate pastorate in Winchester, Virginia. Rev. Lentz showed the same commitment to social action as his predecessors, and worked to balance the elements of Christian life: worship and prayer, education and spiritual development, outreach and mission, and community fellowship. He has stressed that all of our activities need to stand on the foundation of the lordship of Jesus Christ. In 2003 he was awarded the Bernice Lott and Lacy Lott Memorial Award for Outstanding Citizen of Cleveland Heights/University Heights.
Rev. Beth Herrinton joined the staff as Associate Pastor, completing the ministry team. When she left in 2001 to start a family, Rev. David Ensign served as Interim Associate Pastor. After Rev. Ensign left for a permanent call in Virginia, Rev. Anne McCabe replaced him. Both used their considerable gifts to enhance the church’s ministry.
Anne Wilson continued in the combined roles of Director of Music and Organist for this decade, treating the congregation to a potpourri of music, from traditional to folk to gospel to contemporary, incorporating worship music from around the globe. She continued to provide wonderful opportunities such as the May Cabaret, where choir members annually let their hair down. Another favorite during this decade was “Dueling Organists,” which drew members and neighbors to hear serious organ pieces as part of a good-natured competition. In 2003, Anne was commissioned by the congregation to write a piece of music for the centennial celebration. In March 2004 Anne’s new work, Song of Hope, was performed.
Forest Hill Church reached a milestone in the program year 2004 – 2005, celebrating 100 years of ministry as a congregation. The celebration included a formal dinner, bringing back former pastors Ned Edwards and Bob Barnes, with home-grown radio and television personality Paul Tapié as the emcee. Many long-term members shared their memories with those in attendance.
In Nov. 2003, an “I Did – I Like” Art Show was held. Members’ artistic talents along with objects they liked and wished to share were showcased.
Other events included a special Black History Month adult education series, a special Sunday honoring long-time members, a performance of the Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman play You Can’t Take It With You and a sale of golf shirts, sweatshirts, and T shirts with the church’s centennial logo and shorter version of its centennial slogan 100 years of God’s grace.
On June 13, 2004, the cornerstone boxes were opened with the contents on display for the congregation to peruse, and the congregation walked the few blocks to Superior and Euclid Hts. Blvd. for an all-church picnic at the Superior Road School House.
One measure of the dynamic nature of the church’s direction is that while mainline churches were losing membership, and inner-ring suburban churches experiencing decline, the church’s membership held steady with weekly attendance up considerably. Forest Hill ended its tenth decade continuing to grow and pledging to remain a strong witness to Christ’s love for many centennials to come.
The church’s 2nd centennial began in May 2004 with the installation of Rev. Clover Reuter Beal as Dir. of Lay Leadership in an exciting new venture. Rev. Beal focused on adult spiritual development, education, gift discernment and outreach to the unchurched during her 11-year pastorate and helped institute the popular Faith Leader program to develop lay leadership at Forest Hill Church.
Commitment to civic involvement continued and matured. The Forest Hill Housing Corporation, begun in the early 1970s under the leadership of member Diana Woodbridge, evolved into the Heights Home Repair Resource Center, one of the most respected civic organizations in the Heights area. The church continued its involvement with the Heights Community Congress, another organization formed in the 1970s to encourage civic involvement in making racial integration a positive development embraced by the community. The church received a Community Visions Project Award in 2000 for our Sister Church Program in which it joined with Heights United Presbyterian and Christ Our Redeemer A.M.E. for worship services and fellowship.
Forest Hill joined a number of new initiatives, including East Side Interfaith Ministries, (eventually “InterAct Cleveland”), dedicated to uniting religious congregations in social justice ministries; New Life Community, a group home offering a fresh start for women with children; and NOAH, the Northeast Ohio Alliance of Hope, a regional faith based organization seeking to work together to address systemic inequities which affect lower income people and minorities. The group worked to address such issues as unfair lending practices by financial institutions and shortsighted business decisions that removed accessible grocery stores from neighborhoods that suffered without them.
The church remained involved with traditional civil rights concerns, the shared problems of inner-ring suburbs, and issues of equity in the area of sexual orientation, both in and outside the church. Deanne Lentz and others became involved in Reaching Heights, which provides grants to teachers in the Cleve Hts/Univ Hts school system. Forest Hill annually fields a team in the Reaching Heights Spelling Bee, the organization’s main fundraiser, and is a two-time past champion.
Forest Hill continues to develop the church’s facilities as an integral part of its ministry. Significant efforts have been made to improve the building, including creating the Joyce Crichley Hunter Courtyard Pavilion, a major refurbishing of Fellowship Hall, and a number of structural improvements. Access for persons with impaired mobility was improved with the addition of a ramp in the Hunter pavilion and a motorized chair from the lowest level to the second floor.
Forest Hill also sought new ways to nurture the congregation. In 2003, the parish care system was reorganized. A number of small groups for prayer, book reviews, and Bible study were started. Changes were also made to the youth and children’s programs. Scott Arthur joined the staff as Youth Director and was later joined by Amanda Osenga. Several youth mission trips were arranged. Eight young people participated in the first one, and 45 on the most recent, showing wonderful growth in numbers, enthusiasm, and commitment by the youth of the church.
Responding to the “Baby Boomlet”, which swelled our children’s program to over 100 children, the Ministry of Personal Growth began the Pathways to the Promise Land church school curriculum in 1998, repainted and re-supplied the education rooms, and named Debbie Wagner as director. Pathways was a workshop rotation model with elementary-aged children sampling different learning models around a common theme over several weeks. Similar changes were made in the programs for younger children as well. When Debbie’s family moved in June 2004, Liz Wollaeger continued in her position.
The church’s fellowship was enhanced by the addition of two new social groups, the Fish and the Back Row. The church softball team continued its annual participation in the Heights Church League. The team won the championship in 1999 (and again in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014!)
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In its 12th decade, Forest Hill Church continues to serve as a beacon of faith in Cleveland Heights. Rev. Lentz’s 20th anniversary as Senior Pastor was celebrated in 2014, as was Anne Wilson’s 25th anniversary as Minister of Music, and Rev. Beal’s 10th anniversary as Associate Pastor. But more change was coming.
In the summer of 2015, we sadly released Rev. Beal to accept a Co-Pastorship at Montview Presbyterian Church in Colorado. Stepping in to fill the gap were Rev. Lois Annich and newly-graduated seminarian Rachel McDonald. A new Youth Director, Shannon Headen, and new Children’s Education Director, Kate Burleigh, were additional new faces.
After a lengthy national search, Rev. Dr. Veronica Goines was hired to join Rev. Lentz as Co-Pastor. At the same time, Rev. David Wigger began serving as interim Director of Family, Youth & Children. New support staff in the roles of church administrator, building manager, and financial administer rounded out the staff changes which the congregation enthusiastically accepted.
With a congregation of more than 400 members, average weekly worship attendance of 200, 40 children in the various Sunday School programs, and one of the highest giving levels of any church in its Presbytery, Forest Hill Church remains committed to its mission of being the Beloved Community by Discovering God’s call, Celebrating the Spirit’s presence, and Witnessing to Christ’s transformative power.
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