UNITED MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
The establishment of United Missionary Baptist Church, Middletown, Ohio is a unique slice of African-American history. The church was conceived at an organizational meeting on February 24, 1963. The participating architects were the late Rev. James Holloman, the late Rev. Frank Rawls, the late Deacon Percy L. Jefferson, and the late Deacon Coleman Roberts. For the sake of unity and spiritual enrichment, it was proposed that what were then two separate churches, Friendship Baptist and Union Baptist, be merged into a single, cohesive congregation. A short time later, the wisdom and spirit of this endeavor touched New Hope Baptist Church, then under the leadership of the late Rev. B. D. Lambert. The late Deacon Coleman Roberts was commissioned to draft a comprehensive merger procedure. The North Carolina A&T graduate submitted a twelve-point plan which was unanimously accepted by the consolidated congregations on August 9, 1963. The United Missionary Baptist Church was born.