The Northwest Church of Christ sits on 38th Street NW in Canton, Ohio, in the northwestern part of the city. It is a self-described family of seekers and believers who gather to worship and learn about God without the trappings of any man-made denomination. The congregation traces its identity to Christ alone, follows the Bible as its only creed, and grounds every teaching in Scripture.
Where the Bible Stands Alone
The congregation states plainly that it does not belong to itself; it belongs to Christ. Christ is the builder and the Head of His church, and members follow His Word, the Bible. They hold no creed other than Scripture and want no part of a man-made denomination. They aim to be Christians and Christians only.
On the foundational questions, the church confesses belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who created the world and all that is in it within six days. Humanity was created in God's image, fell into temptation, and rebelled against Him. In response, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin, performed miracles, healed the sick, proclaimed Scripture, taught parables, and surrendered Himself to God's will by dying on the cross for transgressions. Members believe the Lord shed His blood so that sins could be washed away and that, through Him alone, comes the hope of salvation.
The church preaches and teaches the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ while eagerly looking forward to His return. Members strive to love and glorify God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, serve one another with patience and compassion, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. They intentionally resist molding to cultural, political, and worldly trends and seek Truth as it is established in the Bible.
Steps to Salvation
A large portion of the church's teaching is organized around a clear, six-step outline of salvation posted on its site. The walk begins by hearing the Word of God: faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Without hearing, members note, no one would know they were sinners facing spiritual death.
The second step is belief. Members read John 8:24 as Jesus saying that those who do not believe He is the Christ will die in their sins. Belief allows a person to become a child of God (John 1:12) but, by itself, does not accomplish salvation.
The third step is repentance. Members teach that sin separates people from God (Isaiah 59:2) and that repentance means turning away from sin. Jesus warned in Luke 13:3 that without repentance people would perish, and Acts 17:30 records God's command that all people everywhere repent.
The fourth step is confession. Members point to Matthew 10:32, where Jesus promises to confess before His Father those who confess Him before men. The Ethiopian eunuch's confession, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," is held up as the model (Acts 8:37).
The fifth step is baptism. The church teaches that baptism is by immersion (the Greek word baptizo meaning to make fully wet or to overwhelm), that it shows a good conscience before God, that it washes away sins (Acts 22:16), and that it puts the believer into Christ (Galatians 3:27). Members compare the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to the believer's death, burial, and resurrection in baptism (Romans 6:3-4) and read 1 Peter 3:20-21 as teaching that baptism now saves, just as Noah and his family were saved through water. Mark 16:16 is cited: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved."
The sixth and final step is staying faithful. Members point to Revelation 2:10, "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life," and to the warning in Hebrews 6:4-6 about those who fall away. The outline is offered as an invitation to the work of grace God requires.
Worship on Sundays and Wednesdays
The church gathers three times each week. On Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m., the congregation meets for worship. A Bible class follows from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. and is open for everyone in attendance. A second worship service gathers at 5:00 p.m. On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., the church meets again for Bible study.
The services are simple, conservative, and built around the teaching of Scripture. Members describe themselves as a family of seekers and believers who want to grow together through unity and joint effort to honor Christ.
The Pulpit and a Year-Round Sermon Archive
Sermons walk steadily through both testaments and across New Testament books. Recent morning messages from the audio archive include "Pressing on from the Past" (Philippians 3:7-14), "Grace Where Love and Justice Meet" (Romans 3:21-26), "Spiritual Growth" (Colossians 1:9-12), "Submitting to God's Will" (James 4:7-8), "A Christian's Appearance" (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1), "Philip the Worker" (Acts 6:1-5), "Seeking Lost Souls" (Matthew 28:16-20), "Who is in Control?" (Job 1:20-22), "Rejoice in the Lord Always" (Philippians 4:4-9), "Not What I Planned" (Acts 16:6-10), "The Christian Husband and Father" (Ephesians 6:1-4), "A Mother's Love" (John 19:25-27), "Be an Example" (1 Timothy 4:12-15), "Are You a Proclaimer?" (1 Peter 2:9-10), "The True Gospel" (Matthew 10:34-39), and "What the Resurrection Means Each Day" (Romans 6:3-11).
The archive also features messages such as "How do I know if I am Lost?" (Matthew 16:24-27), "Understanding the Lord's Church" (Matthew 16:13-19), "Living and Dying Like Jesus" (Romans 14:7-9), "Putting on Christ" (Galatians 3:26-29), "Connected to the Vine" (John 15:1-11), "Reflections About Time" (2 Timothy 4:6-9), "What Draws People to Jesus" (John 12:27-32), and "I Belong to the Lord" (Acts 27:21-25). Earlier messages include "The Master's Hand" on Mark 8:22-25, "Pilate's Choices" from Matthew 7:1-2, "Jonah's Journeys," "A Father's Purpose," "A Mother's Faith," "Lighting the Fire" from Exodus 3:1-14, "Stand Fast in Liberty" from Galatians 5:1-6, "Strength in God's Family" from Ephesians 3:14-21, "Advancing Through Adversity" from James 1:12, "And When You Pray" from Matthew 6:7-13, and "A Dying Breed" from Judges 2:7-15.
Video recordings of recent sermons are posted to the Northwest Church of Christ YouTube channel. Preaching duties are shared among ministers whose names appear in those recordings, including Lance Lindenberger, Jeff Haught, and Chris French.
Shepherds, Servants, and a Small Staff
The church is overseen by seven elders: Jeff Bowser, Emmanuel C. Bradley, Richard Dimit, Jeff Haught, Todd Himebaugh, Frank Kruger Jr., John R. Oberlin, and Richard Smith. These men shepherd the congregation and curate the church's recommended resources, asking members to test every teaching against Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
A deacon team carries the practical work of the church: Bob Bryan, Rob Bryan, Eugene Fox, Ron Franks, Don Hopkins, Steve Moser, Mark Prince, and David Render. The congregation also keeps a small administrative staff, including an office manager and an administrative assistant, who handle correspondence and the day-to-day details of bulletins and communication.
Resources Hand-Picked by the Elders
The elders have assembled a short list of outside resources they consider useful, with a note that members should still test everything against the Bible. Featured resources include Apologetics Press, BeBaptized.org, Bible Gateway, BibleTalk.tv, Christian Courier, Gospel Minutes, the Gospel Broadcasting Network, House to House / Heart to Heart Ministries, Muscle and a Shovel from Michael Shank Ministries, Read Scripture, The Authentic Christian Podcast on the Gospel Broadcasting Network, The Bible Project (with its app, Bible studies, and book overviews), Truth Magazine, the World Video Bible School, and the Widowhood Workshop Ministry.
The Gospel Broadcasting Network resources page on the church's site links to short videos that walk through baptism, the question "What must I do to be saved?" and the story of the thief on the cross. These brief teaching pieces complement the longer, weekly sermons and serve as a starting point for seekers.
A Family on 38th Street NW
Northwest Church of Christ is a Bible-centered family that takes seriously its members' claim to belong to Christ alone. The doors open each Sunday morning for worship and Bible class, again on Sunday evening for a second service, and on Wednesday night for Bible study. Visitors who arrive on a Sunday morning will find an hour of worship, an hour of Bible class in the middle of the morning, and another gathering before evening falls; the rest of the week, the building is open for one more look at the Word on Wednesday. Plain preaching, careful chapter-and-verse teaching, and a congregational life shaped around Scripture are the marks of this Northwest Canton congregation.