About Harbor and Bridge
What is now Harbor and Bridge first began in 1881 as St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church. Built by German immigrants, the building soon expanded in 1912 when the south part was added and the parsonage (house next door) was built. Another German Methodist congregation combined with St. Paul's to form Wesley Methodist Church in 1947. In 1986 the congregation moved to another location on W.65th and Bridge Ave.
At that time Primera Iglesia Methodista Unida Hispana moved from a building on Fulton and Chatham to this location. The congregation ministered faithfully until it closed in 2018. Harbor and Bridge was started in the summer of 2020 to utilize the building to continue to serve the neighborhood.
Values
Harbor and Bridge believes in the responsibility to innovate, sponsor, and evaluate new forms of community that will encourage development of the fullest potential in individuals. We hope to foster a space where neighbors might love and serve one another to create a safe and thriving neighborhood.
1. The Dignity of All People - A community should provide the potential for nurturing human beings into the fullness of their humanity. All people are important and should be treated as such. We support language and behavior that recognizes the dignity in one another and does not devalue anyone.
2.Boundary Crossing - Community is best created with connection and trust between its residents. We build this connection by crossing the mental, physical, and spiritual boundaries which we have both knowingly and unknowingly set around ourselves. Taking bold steps to meet, welcome, and open ourselves to new people and experiences might help us be an example for others.
3. Care for Creation - We recognize the responsibility of the community to prioritize changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world leading to a higher quality of life for all. Care for creation is care for ourselves, and vice-versa.
4. Holistic Mission - Our work in the community involves justice, mercy, and reconciliation to create a neighborhood that can heal from accidents, injustice, and recurring problems. Harbor and Bridge is a space where neighbors might find holistic healing toward real peace and harmony in the life of the individual and community as a whole.
5. Advocating for Equal Rights - We are working toward a society in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened, and basic rights are recognized in all people. At this cultural moment in particular, we support the full inclusion and rights of ethnic minorities, LGBTQ persons, racial minorities, the economically disadvantaged, all gender identities, persons with a handicap, immigrants, refugees, those suffering from mental health issues, and all others who find themselves struggling to find equal value under our social order. We advocate with those who face a disproportionate pursuit of basic rights.
6. Faith in Action - Harbor and Bridge was born out of a hope by the United Methodist Church to support the community in a new and powerful way. Our work comes out of a call of Jesus Christ to love and serve our neighbors so that we might all be transformed. While not everyone acknowledges a belief in God, most would believe in wanting to make a difference in their community, fight injustice, and be a part of a larger movement that helps create a better life for all. We hope everyone could be a part of that kind of community.
Contacts
Joy Fenton-Jones
North Coast District
Joy works for the United Methodist Church in the Cleveland area, and she is always on the lookout for unique and creative ideas for community development. She also organizes a team responsible for making sure logistics are managed and life runs smoothly at Harbor and Bridge Community Center.
Jonathan Gray
Director of Trials for Hope
Jon has spent over a decade leading Trials for Hope. After starting by handing out trial-sized hygiene items, Jon now coordinates the efforts of three staff and multiple volunteers to package meals for delivery to local shelters, homes, assisted living centers, and homeless camps.
Matt Whisenhunt
Program Director
Matt is a Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church and coordinates programing for Harbor and Bridge. He has a background in residential treatment, and working with young people.