About Us

Mt. Carmel was organized as a church on January 20, 1967 with the Reverend J. C. Watson as its first pastor. The church rented the auditorium of Wogaman Elementary School and worshipped there until purchasing their first church home. Our first church facility was located at 27 N. St. Clair Street in downtown Dayton, Ohio. The building was purchased from the St. John Lutheran Church and we entered the facility on April 9, 1967. The mortgage was liquidated on December 13, 1970, just three and a half years after the purchase. Reverend Watson served admirably, but felt his work as pastor was calling him to other fields so he resigned in January 1972. On September 20, 1972, the church voted to call Reverend Dewey D. Chestang of Mobile, Alabama as its second pastor. With the church growing by leaps and bounds under his pastorate, the church had outgrown the 27 N. St. Clair Street location. Reverend Chestang led in the negotiations to purchase eleven (11) acres of land in Jefferson Township and on a cold Sunday in March 1978, ground was broken to build the current edifice. With the new sanctuary complete, on Sunday, March 4, 1979, Mt. Carmel made the pilgrimage from 27 N. St. Clair Street to 5370 Dayton Liberty Road. What a joyous day we celebrated on April 29, 1990 when the mortgage was burned for the new facilities. In 1993, an additional 19 acres of land adjacent to the church's property was purchased. Reverend Chestang retired from the pastoral ministry on the 4th Sunday in June 2000 and returned to Mobile, Alabama. The Pastoral Search Committee was activated and after several years and a couple of minor setbacks, on April 7, 2003, Reverend Chad A. White, Sr. was called as the third Pastor of Mt. Carmel. During the interval between Reverend Watson and Reverend Chestang, Reverend J. C. Riggins served as the interim pastor and during the period between Reverend Chestang and Reverend White, Reverend H. L. Parker served as the interim pastor.Mt Carmel has been blessed to have the services of Sister Cora L. Franklin as Office Manager, Deacon Willie J. Fowler as Chairman of Finance and Deacon John Marsh as Church Treasurer for its entire existence. Since Pastor White's arrival, Mt Carmel has grown in ministry, in membership and in finances. We continue to operate one of the Dayton area's busiest Food Pantries.