Thirteen congregations. One city. Eighty years of standing together across every neighborhood in Dayton — from Trotwood to the West Side, from Germantown Pike to Gettysburg Avenue.
March 31, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Until revival begins
Union President
Rev. Marcettes Cunningham
Watch the President's special video announcement regarding the upcoming Holy Week Citywide Revival and the Union's vision for our Dayton community in 2026.
To add this video, submit the YouTube link through the Contact form or update it in the admin dashboard.
Contact the UnionThese are the real voices of the DBPMU — sermons, services, and moments from the congregations that make up this union. Watch live during Holy Week or explore the archive.
“The gathering of the people shall be.”
Genesis 49:10 — The foundation of this union since 1945In 1945, a group of Baptist pastors across Dayton, Ohio decided that what they could build together was bigger than anything they could build alone.
They came from different neighborhoods — from the West Side to Trotwood, from Fairbanks Avenue to Gettysburg, from Germantown Pike to Siebenthaler. Different pulpits. Different styles. But one Lord, one faith, and one deep conviction about this city.
The Dayton Baptist Pastors & Ministers Union wasn’t built in a boardroom. It was built in fellowship halls and after-service conversations, through revivals that brought entire congregations together and crises that no single pastor could face alone. When one of us hurts, we all show up. When one of us celebrates, the whole union gives thanks.
That hasn’t changed in 80 years. And it won’t.
Macedonia Baptist is organized in Dayton’s “Hog Bottom” district. Members hand-build their first church on Hanover Street.
The Dayton Baptist Pastors & Ministers Union is formally established, uniting clergy from across the city under one fellowship.
A motorcade of 300 people follows Macedonia Baptist from Hanover Street to 27 N. Gettysburg Avenue — a move the city still remembers.
Dr. Herman Walker establishes Mt. Moriah’s Community Development Corporation, bringing economic development directly into the church’s West Dayton ministry.
Pastor Norman Bradfield, a Dunbar High & Wright State graduate, organizes Resurrection Baptist Church — the union’s newest member congregation.
Holy Week Citywide Revival brings the union’s congregations together at Pleasant Green MBC in Trotwood for three nights of preaching and praise.
Join us for the 2026 Holy Week Citywide Revival and related events. All are welcome — bring your congregation, your family, and your neighbors. Free admission to all events.
Join churches across Dayton for three nights of powerful revival preaching. An event that brings the entire city together in worship, renewal, and the power of the Gospel.
Calling all singers to unite and lift their voices in praise in preparation for the Citywide Revival March 31–April 3.
A powerful evening of praise featuring the City-Wide Revival Mass Choir, preparing hearts and voices for the Holy Week Citywide Revival.
The 2026 City Wide Revival Youth Choir presents a special performance during Holy Week. Experience faith, music, and community.
A solemn and powerful Good Friday observance bringing the city together at noon to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through the Seven Last Sayings.
Real photos coming — the ones where somebody’s hat is crooked and the choir is still going at 9pm. Until then, these are the events that will fill these frames.
Send them to us. Your photos belong in this gallery — the real faces of this union, doing the real work.
Thirteen congregations. One city. From Trotwood to the West Side, from Germantown Pike to Gettysburg Avenue — these are the churches that make up the Dayton Baptist Pastors & Ministers Union. Not listed? Register your ministry.
Rev. Dr. Marcettes L. Cunningham — Union President
"Your journey begins at Shiloh." A cornerstone congregation of West Dayton, led by the DBPMU's own president. Food pantry ministry, vibrant worship, and a welcome that means it.
Rev. Dr. Samuel N. Winston, Jr.
One of Dayton’s most digitally active congregations. Weekly on DATV Spiritual Channel, live-streamed globally, and home to a $1.2M debt-free facility. President of the Ohio Baptist General Convention.
Senior Pastor — Pastoral transition 2026
Founded July 5, 1928 in Dayton’s historic “Hog Bottom” district. In 1962 a motorcade of 300 moved to Gettysburg Ave. Still there. Still building. "Love God. Love People. Make A Difference."
Pastor Gregory Pooler — Host Church, 2026 Revival
40 acres in Trotwood. A sanctuary for 800–1,000. A Matthew 25 Ministries partnership that feeds families across the community. Host of the 2026 Holy Week Citywide Revival.
Rev. Dr. Frederick A. Hayes, Sr.
During COVID, Pastor Hayes and his team ran a drive-through food line every Thursday at 11:30 AM on North Main Street — trunk up, pull forward, take what you need. That’s this church.
Rev. Dr. Herman L. Walker
A retired Air Force engineer turned pastor-teacher. In 2010, Dr. Walker founded the Mt. Moriah Community Development Corporation — bringing economic development into West Dayton as a ministry, not just a mission.
Rev. Damion A. Sneed
Serving the Germantown Pike corridor of West Dayton. A congregation rooted in the belief that faithful presence in a neighborhood is its own form of preaching.
Rev. Dr. Lavon Mann
Established 1948 in the Highview Hills neighborhood of West Dayton. Seventy-six years of steady, faithful ministry on Gettysburg Avenue — a quiet anchor in a community that has needed one.
Pastor Norman C. Bradfield
Organized in 2014 by a Dunbar High School alum and Wright State graduate who left the Montgomery County Clerk of Courts to plant a church. The youngest congregation in the union — and growing fast.
Rev. Dr. Lysander Nelms
An active congregation with a newsletter, a senior ministry, a men’s Bible study, and a YouTube channel of weekly sermons. Worship every Sunday at 10:45 AM on the northwest side of Dayton.
Rev. Gregory Pooler
Located on the West Side at W. 3rd Street, Abundant Life has been a neighborhood ministry presence in one of Dayton’s most resilient communities.
Rev. W.O. Shanklin
Rooted on W. 3rd Street in West Dayton, The Living Word of Faith stands as a testament that faithful ministry doesn’t require a digital footprint — it requires presence.
Dr. George M. Howard
Serving at 1770 Infirmary Road, Dr. Howard’s ministry is affiliated with Rhema College — a training ground for ministers and a connection point between education and pastoral calling.
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.John 17:21, KJV
This verse has been the foundation of the DBPMU since its founding in 1945. Not a slogan. A conviction.
Unity in this union has never meant uniformity. These thirteen churches preach differently, worship differently, and serve different corners of Dayton. What the DBPMU insists on is this: when the work is bigger than one congregation, the congregations work together.
That has meant food distributions and tornado relief. Citywide revivals and funerals. Ordinations and crises. The things that only happen when pastors trust each other enough to make the call.
Service here is not a program. It is a practice — mobilizing the collective weight of these churches toward the practical and spiritual needs of Dayton’s communities. And legacy is the reason none of this started yesterday: 80 years of faithful ministry is a foundation, not a footnote.
If you are a current DBPMU member pastor or minister, submit a request and an administrator will respond within 1–2 business days.
Not yet a member? Register your ministry to apply.
Complete the form below to request access to the Ministers’ Portal. You’ll receive a response within 1–2 business days.
Are you a Baptist pastor or minister in the Dayton area not yet listed in our directory? Register and become part of the DBPMU fellowship.
Approved members will be added to the church directory and receive access to the Ministers’ Portal.
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” — 2 Corinthians 9:7
For 80 years this union has run on faith, sweat, and the faithfulness of people who give because they believe in what’s happening here. If that’s you — thank you. If you’re new here — welcome to the family. #MoreGoodTogether
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Bring It To The Lord
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”— Romans 12:12–13
You don’t have to carry it alone. Our ministers pray over every request — not as a formality, but as a calling. What’s on your heart?
For ministry collaboration, event announcements, membership inquiries, or general questions, reach out to the DBPMU. We welcome pastors, ministers, church leaders, and community members.
