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The City of Churches.
That's one of the slogans Steubenville is known by.
And it's no wonder -- just take a trip through the downtown area, along Sunset Boulevard and into the West End, and you will discover many houses of worship, representing all faiths and welcoming to all residents. Many have served the area for a long period.
Included among those is Quinn Memorial AME Church, which just marked its 200th anniversary with a three-day celebration.
There's a lot of history associated with the church, which has met at numerous locations in the city but has called its 515 North St. location home since its dedication on Easter Sunday 1930. Recognized as being the first African Methodist Episcopal Church west of the Allegheny Mountains, it was founded in 1823 by the Rev. William Paul Quinn, who is credited with starting numerous AME churches.
Its congregation at he time numbered 18, and they met in homes and other buildings until it settled into a home at the corner of Third and South streets in 1840. A building at the corner of Fifth and Washington streets served as its home from 1893 until the current church was constructed.
Quinn has played a role in the city's development, having served as a station on the Underground Railroad and helping slaves escape into the north. It has helped to educate, served as a place of refuge and offered a place to worship for countless residents from across the region.
That rich history was reflected in the theme of the bicentennial celebration -- From Generation to Generation, Thou Art God -- and was on display throughout the July 14 reception at the church, the July 15 dinner at the St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville and worship services July 16.
Recognized during the events were leaders from the community -- Angela Kirtdoll Bates, a former city Fourth Ward councilwoman; William Hendricks, a longtime member of the Steubenville Board of Education; Daniel Keenan, retired superintendent of the city school district; and Dr. Vanessa Palmer, founder of the Diversity Health Initiative, a breast health and breast cancer prevention program for people of color and other ethnic groups.
Also honored were several people who have been members of the church for 50 or more years. They include Ilana Chester, Herbert Crossland, Patricia Fletcher, Jacqueline Lyles Gibson, Soundra Palmer, Sylvia Thompson and the late James Williams.
It was a weekend of reflection, a chance to look ahead while remembering the past -- and an opportunity to show the power of faith, and what can be accomplished by a dedicated group that is willing to work together, something Presiding Bishop Errenous E. McCloud of the Third Epsicopal District of the AME Church reminded everyone during his presentation on July 16.
"God knows the AME Church has to start looking toward its future rather than celebrating its past, and if you do both of them, that's a wonderful thing."
Members of Quinn Memorial AME Church have been doing just that for 200 years, and it's something they are looking to continue doing for many years to come.