Our Vision & Beliefs
Our vision and mission is to help foster a loving and inclusive community
New Covenant Community Church is Ecumenical in outlook, Presbyterian in heritage. We strive to see all of God’s people as our spiritual siblings, whom we invite to grow with us in the love of God, as revealed in Jesus Christ.
Our Beliefs
We see ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ. To be a disciple is to be a learner. Whatever age we may be, we are on the road of discipleship with Christ. We are growing in our knowledge of his life, death on the cross, and resurrection. We are an inclusive Christian community joyously called to serve God by loving our neighbors and caring for all God’s creation.
“What does the Lord require of you, but to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
Micah 6:8 connects our faith with our actions,
and our care for others with our walk with God, and it is at the foundation of our church.
Our Mission
We seek to be actively involved in our community locally and globally and to demonstrate a climate of acceptance love and tolerance so that we may celebrate God’s unity in the midst of human diversity. We have consistently dedicated 10% of our pledged income to mission giving since our founding. We have shared in the mission of a predominantly African-American congregation, One Family Under Guard, that ministers to the Akron University urban area, and we have loaned interest-free funding to them so they could purchase their building. We regularly participate with Gennesaret, a local soup kitchen, the annual hunger relief walk, and we seek opportunities to provide help where it is needed. We have an active and abundant community garden.
Our History
New Covenant Community Church is a union church formed in 2005 by Covenant Community Church, a member of the International Council of Community Churches, and New Covenant Presbyterian Church, a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The name “New Covenant Community Church” reflects the names of both former churches. This union is also the source of our slogan: “Ecumenical in Outlook, Presbyterian in Heritage.” We are a kind, giving church that is friendly and supportive of each other and open and acceptance of others’ differences. Spiritually, we are an ecumenical, inclusive, and mission-oriented church. We seek to be a church that reaches out to our community with our mission giving and outreach activities.
Who We Are
Our Leadership Team
Rev. Brad Rito
Pastor
Rev. Bradley Rito is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He grew up just south of Detroit and received his Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Central Michigan University in 2012. He went on to earn his Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2015. He then spent a year in New Orleans where, through the PC(USA)’s “Young Adult Volunteer Program,” he served at a hospital as a chaplain intern. His first call was as a solo pastor in Garrett, IN.
Outside of ministry, Brad is an avid writer. His first novel, A Balanced Apocalypse: Book 1 of The Void was a finalist in the Fiction category of the 2023 Book Excellence Awards. He has two sequel novels written with two more in the series planned. He also enjoys reading, games, and spending time with Katie, his wife of 5 years.
Nancy Williams
Governing Board President
Ken Heischman
Governing Board Vice President
John Sezna
Treasurer - Ex Officio
Jenn Bryson
Governing Board Member
Joan Lannoch
Governing Board Member
Jackie Roth
Governing Board Member
Jim Strandberg
Governing Board Member