The Fifth Christian Church Disciples of Christ (DOC) was founded in 1964 as a predominantly African-American church in the Protestant Christian Disciples of Christ denomination, in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Their overarching mission is to nurture their congregation to inspire the world. The church is a life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The Lee Harvard community is considered disadvantaged by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, meeting burden thresholds for a number of socioeconomic and climate indicators. The EPA’s Economic and Climate Justice Screening Tool also places the neighborhood in the top 15 percentile for Unemployment Rate, People of Color, Toxic Releases to Air, Lead Paint, RMP Facility, and Hazardous Waste Proximity. As a community-based church, they strive to ensure that their mission meets the needs of their community, tackling socioeconomic, climate and environmental issues.
Fifth Christian Church Disciples of Christ ran a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School in 2023 serving over thirty children in the historic Lee – Harvard area of Cleveland, OH. Photo: Fifth Christian Church Disciples of Christ
In 2024, the Fifth Christian Church DOC began to redefine their mission as they recognized that the younger generation in their community faces unique issues that require innovative solutions. The congregation are working to create a detailed Future Story, developing new capacities and look creatively at how to manage resources. They are deploying strategies that include political activism, including protests, petitions, and lobbying; and community organizing and education. Their work has included an Inaugural Community Day, focused on food, fellowship and fun; the Annual Jarrod Bunch Youth Football camp to inspire youth in sports; and a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School which for over thirty children, including a National Day of Action where scholars met with government decision makers to discuss gun violence in Ohio. The Church also lead a National Wildlife Federation Sacred Grounds project to increase access to safe outdoor spaces and create new wildlife habitat.
The youth of Fifth Christian Church Disciples of Christ attending the Annual Jarrod Bunch Youth Football Camp at Spire Institute Olympic Training Centre. Photo: Fifth Christian Church Disciples of Christ