Maranatha Worship Centre sits on Wolf Road on Dayton's west side, a few minutes from Trotwood, and has been a fixture of the 45416 zip code since the congregation moved into its present home in 1991. Founded in 1977 by Bishop Truman L. Martin and his wife, Pastor Beverly Martin, the church has grown from a tiny gathering heated by a kerosene stove into a multi-generational ministry that runs children's classrooms, student ministries, men's and women's groups, a community food pantry, and a far-reaching missions program in West Africa. Bishop Martin and Pastor Beverly are still at the center of the work, sharing pastoral leadership and a vision for the whole person - spirit, soul and body.
From a Cabin on Hanover Street to 4501 Wolf Road
The story of Maranatha begins in November 1977, when a small congregation of seven members held its first services in a little cabin on Hanover Street in Dayton. The building had no heat except a kerosene heater that filled the room with smoke and fumes. As the group grew, services moved from home to home, then into the Martins' own living room, where stained-glass panels, carpeting and a piano made the space feel like a small church. It was there, the Martins say, that the spirit of Maranatha was born: love, peace, friendliness, warmth and prayer.
What followed was a series of unlikely building projects. In 1978 the congregation took on a condemned building at the corner of Hoover and Leland Avenues that had once housed a dry cleaner and a beauty shop, and on Mother's Day 1980 reopened its doors at that location. The first baptism was held on August 10, 1980, and the first wedding on February 7, 1981. Mrs. Beverly Martin organized the choir and became the first minister of music; Mrs. Earnestine Lenoir became the first Sunday School superintendent, and her husband Lee the first deacon.
By 1990 the church was running two Sunday morning services. Less than a year later, on October 6, 1991, the congregation purchased the building at 4501 Wolf Road, where Maranatha Worship Centre still meets. The sanctuary filled within six months, the second service returned, and in 1993 the church bought an additional 23.1 acres of adjoining land. The mortgage on the property was paid in full in 1996. Construction on the Maranatha Family Youth & Cultural Center began in 1998 and was completed in 2001, and in July 2025 the congregation marked the payoff of more than $2 million in loans covering the facility and land with a Mortgage Burning Community Celebration.
The church has carried several names through the years. It started as Maranatha Faith Temple Church, became Maranatha Christian Fellowship in 1981, and is now known as Maranatha Worship Centre.
Sunday Mornings at 10
Sunday Morning Worship begins at 10:00 AM Eastern and is offered two ways: in person in the sanctuary, or via Facebook Live for those who want to join from home. Greeters from the Welcoming Ministry meet everyone at the door, dress in identifiable attire with name badges, and make a point of greeting visitors with a smile, a handshake or a hug. The church has stated that it follows CDC guidelines, with temperature checks at entry, social distancing and masks requested while those protocols were in force.
Worship is shaped by an emphasis on heartfelt, expressive praise and a deep commitment to prayer. The church's stated vision is to be a community where prayer is the cornerstone of its relationship with God and each other, where worship is a heartfelt expression of His sovereignty and grace, and where fellowship fosters deep connections of love, acceptance and unity. Visitors are invited to come as they are, participate or simply observe, and know that they will not be treated as outsiders.
Children and students have their own places in the Sunday rhythm. PowerKidz Ministry and PowerKidz Nursery provide age-appropriate teaching for the youngest members of the family, and HYPE Student Ministries serves students ages 12 through 21. These ministries operate alongside the main worship service for those attending in person.
Wednesday Bible Study, Noon and Evening
Bible teaching happens twice on Wednesdays at Maranatha. The Noon Day Bible Study meets in person at the MWC Chapel at 12:00 PM Eastern, while the Evening Bible Study is held at 7:00 PM and is broadcast on Facebook Live and YouTube so members and friends can take part from wherever they are. Both sessions are built around the same conviction that disciples grow through steady, lifelong study of Scripture, and they feed the church's broader discipleship core value, which is to equip believers to live out their God-given purposes spiritually, emotionally, physically and relationally.
What Maranatha Believes
Maranatha Worship Centre is explicitly non-denominational. The church's own statement is direct: "At Maranatha we are not about a denomination or a building or some complicated religious system, but about helping people from all different backgrounds discover the joy and freedom that comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ."
The church's statement of faith begins with the Bible as the inspired and only infallible written Word of God. It affirms one God eternally existent in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and the blessed hope of the rapture of the Church at Christ's return. Salvation is described as coming only through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, with regeneration by the Holy Spirit absolutely essential for personal salvation.
Two distinctives set the congregation's teaching apart from a generic evangelical stance. First, the church believes that the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer. Second, it teaches that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is a gift given to believers who ask for it, and that the sanctifying power of the Spirit enables Christians to live holy, separated lives in the present world.
Five core values shape the church's life together: prayerfulness, drawn from Colossians 4:2-3 and James 5:16; worship, grounded in Psalm 150; fellowship, taken from Acts 2:42-47 and Hebrews 10:24-25; evangelism, following Mark 16:15 and Acts 1:8; and discipleship, rooted in Matthew 28:19-20 and John 13:34-35.
PowerKidz, Nursery and HYPE Student Ministries
The children's wing of Maranatha is built around the conviction that "children are an heritage of the LORD" (Psalms 127:3). PowerKidz Nursery provides a clean, secure and caring environment staffed by loving caregivers and volunteers for the youngest children, with age-appropriate Biblical teaching, prayer, and a structured, Christ-centered atmosphere that aims to prepare each child's heart to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Parents can download a parent form from the church.
PowerKidz Ministry serves older children with Bible-based teaching designed to clearly present every child's need for the Savior, Jesus Christ. Learning modules walk children through topics such as salvation, the Lord's Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, the 66 books of the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the full armor of God, the five-fold ministries, the Great Commission and Romans 6:23. A set of Power Rules - Participate and have fun, Obey those in authority, Walk upright before the Lord, Exit room/seat with permission, Respect yourself and others - frames the classroom, and children are taught the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. A Power Parentz Ministry for parents is in development.
HYPE, which stands for Holy Youth Pursuing Excellence, is Maranatha's student ministry for ages 12 through 21. HYPE meets on Sundays and exists to challenge, teach and train students to discover God's Word for themselves. The ministry provides Biblical discipleship through Bible study materials, conferences, seminars and camps, and trains young adults to use, teach and pass on the principles of inductive Bible study. Students who join HYPE fill out a form that gathers their name, contact information, school, career goal and birthday so leaders can walk with them directly.
Mighty Men, Victorious Women, Senior Saints
Adult life at Maranatha is organized into three departments that mirror the stages and callings of the people in the pews.
Mighty Men of Valor is the men's department. Its single goal is to assist men with their walk with Christ, helping them find the courage to begin that walk, the strength to develop Christ-like patterns of discipleship, and the endurance to live a victorious life that points family, friends, coworkers and the next generation toward fulfillment in Christ. The men of the church gather weekly for prayer on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday mornings, and Bishop Martin often leads prayer walks through the neighborhood.
Victorious Women of Love is the women's ministry. It hosts events such as the Divinely Heeled Sisters women's conference, which drew women from across the region for three days of seminars, workshops and evening sessions rooted in Habakkuk 3:17-19. The women's ministry is also tied to Rays of Hope, a humanitarian effort that supports missions and outreach both locally and abroad.
Senior Saints focuses on the older members of the congregation. The ministry is grounded in a biblical view of aging drawn from Job 12:12, Proverbs 16:31, Proverbs 20:29, 1 Timothy 5:1-2, Psalm 68:5, James 1:27 and 1 Timothy 5:3, and it emphasizes both the honor due to older men and women and the church's responsibility to care for widows and the elderly.
Reaching Beyond the Walls
Outreach is not a side program at Maranatha; it is one of the five core values of the church. Several ministries carry that value into the surrounding community.
Drive-Thru Prayer is one of the more visible efforts. Set up along the church's frontage on Wolf Road, it gives people driving past an opportunity to pull in for a quick prayer of agreement that God would reveal Himself in their lives. The church describes it as an innovative way to engage the neighborhood beyond the church walls.
The Food Pantry at 4501 Wolf Road serves individuals and families in the 45416 zip code, in partnership with other organizations in the Trotwood and Dayton community. Doors open by appointment (call 937-279-0913 for times), and those who come are asked to bring a photo ID and the birth dates of all household members. The pantry regularly needs canned goods, non-perishable foods and grocery bags to keep the shelves stocked. Evangelist Marcia Smith coordinates the ministry and can be reached for volunteering or more information.
Evangelism and Prayer ministries train and mobilize the congregation for outreach in Dayton and beyond. Regular prayer meetings focus on reaching the unbelievers in surrounding neighborhoods, and the strategy is built on the conviction that prayer is the foundation upon which all evangelism should be built.
Rays of Hope is the church's humanitarian arm. The ministry receives a portion of the proceeds from events such as the Royal Celebration Banquet and the Divinely Heeled Sisters conference, and it channels support to families and missions projects locally and abroad.
World Missions is the international face of the church. In 1993 Bishop Martin answered a call to West Africa, working in Ghana, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. In October 1995 he was confirmed as Chief of Progress and Development in Adukrom, Ghana, with responsibility for establishing a clinic, a school and a place of worship for the villages around Adukrom, as well as coordinating economic development in Accra, Cape Coast, Petpom and other locations. He also supports mission work in Kenya, East Africa, and has made more than forty trips to Africa over the years, along with regular ministry in Haiti.
The Vision for the Whole Person
Maranatha Worship Centre describes its mission in plain terms: "The church that meets the total need of man; Spirit, Soul & Body." Around that mission, the leadership has cast a long-term vision for a 23-acre campus that addresses every dimension of human need.
At the center of the plan is a new Worship Sanctuary, a circular building with seating for about 2,000 people, classrooms for around 500 and a state-of-the-art audio and video studio, dedicated entirely to prayer, praise and worship. The Maranatha Family Youth & Cultural Center, already completed in 2001, is the recreational arm of the campus, with a gymnasium, exercise rooms, training rooms and classrooms that can be converted into a fellowship hall for banquets, receptions and plays.
The Maranatha Christian Academy will be the educational component, offering a Christian-perspective curriculum for grades K through 12, along with tutoring, test preparation and scholarships. Today that vision is already taking shape in Maranatha's Education Program, led by Sarah Darden, which pairs certified and retired teachers with high school students who need help managing coursework, raising test scores and getting into the college of their choice. The program's motto is simple: Salvation + Education = Success.
The Maranatha Health Centre will focus on physical health and wellness, providing educational information, basic health screening, counseling and physician referrals, with an emphasis on prevention and education from a biblical perspective. The Maranatha Golden Age Center is planned as an affordable housing complex for senior citizens in the community, especially members of the congregation, giving older members a safe place to live in their later years.
A separate Money Management ministry walks individuals and families through Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps, from a $1,000 emergency fund to debt payoff, retirement investing, college funding and eventual wealth building, with a downloadable PDF available through the church.
Pastors and Leadership
Bishop Truman L. Martin, D.D.S., is the founder and Senior Pastor. He has shepherded Maranatha since 1977 and remains active in missions, with more than forty trips to Africa and ongoing ministry in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Haiti. Pastor Beverly Martin, Ph.D., serves as Co-Pastor alongside her husband and is a frequent host of the church's women's events, including the Divinely Heeled Sisters conference. She has also published a book, "Disappointed Parents. Confess Be Blessed and Don't Take Less," featuring the true stories of twenty-four authors who overcame difficult circumstances through Christ.
The pastoral team is supported by ministry leaders across the church. Evangelist Marcia Smith oversees the Food Pantry. Sarah Darden directs the Education Program. Sis. Simon is the point of contact for the Welcoming Ministry of greeters. Together with the deacons, choir, Bible study teachers and volunteer teams that have grown up around them, these leaders carry out the day-to-day work of ministry across every age group and outreach effort the church has undertaken since 1977.
Joining the Maranatha Family
Sunday morning worship is the easiest way to step into the life of the church. Services begin at 10:00 AM at 4501 Wolf Road in Dayton and are broadcast on Facebook Live for those joining remotely. Wednesday's Noon Day Bible Study meets at the MWC Chapel, and the Evening Bible Study is live on Facebook and YouTube at 7:00 PM. Children from nursery age through high school have their own classrooms and programs during Sunday services.
Online giving is available through the church's giving page, and the office can be reached at 937-279-0913 or by email at mwcofficial@outlook.com. The Food Pantry serves neighbors in the 45416 zip code by appointment, and donations of canned goods and non-perishable items are always welcome. From a kerosene-heated cabin in 1977 to a 23-acre vision for the whole person, Maranatha Worship Centre continues to be a house of prayer, worship and welcome on Dayton's west side.