Friday, April 01, 2011

Damon Lynch III's Church to Leave Over-the-Rhine

I find it very surprising that the New Prospect Baptist Church is leaving Over-the-Rhine. I am surprised that Damon Lynch III would do that. From a pure practical perspective, the article lays out a case for the church, which appears to want a more big box church facility. That's not something you would find in OTR. I thought, however, that part of the Church's mission was to reach the trouble youth of the inner-city, which places them right where they need to be. Are they abandoning that mission or are do they see that mission being more of an issue in other neighborhoods in the City? On the other hand are they looking to capitalize on the demand for property in that part of OTR?

I am really not sure what to make of this. What does it say about the neighborhood? We are days away from the 10th anniversary of the killing to Timothy Thomas and the Riots of 2001 and a church that was at the epicenter of those events announces they are leaving the neighborhood. The neighborhood is on the upward rise. I want to live in a diverse neighborhood, and New Prospect leaving makes it less diverse. Or does it? As the article points out, most of the people going to the church don't live in OTR, so does this really affect much at all?


  1. There are far more troubled youth in Roselawn and Bond Hill than OTR. THat's been the case for years. The church was as much an anachronism as most of the service agencies in the depopulated quarter.

  2. PTL, they are going to free up all that property.

  3. New Prospect owns almost 20 parcels in the Elm St area near Findlay Mkt. They're not doing anything with most of them so it does seem to make sense to sell them to someone who can integrate them into OTR's revitalization.


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