BARBERTON: The Rev. Dalton Smith is on a mission to breathe new life into the property that was home to SS. Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Parish for more than seven decades.“The church has played such a vital role in the lives of its clergy, parishioners, young people and the greater community,” said Smith, of Bath Township. “I want to see this church born again to be the positive light that it was meant to be in this community.”Smith bought the property (11 parcels along 14th and 15th streets and Shannon Avenue that include a church, rectory, school and convent) in March for $150,000. Since then, he and other volunteers have been working to transform the property into God’s Magic City Church.On Nov. 6, Smith, who uses the title “director,” and the Rev. Ben Sherbert, director of programs, opened the church at 183 15th St. NW and have been hosting open-house services throughout the month at 11 a.m. and 1, 3 and 5 p.m.“We want to give people a chance to come in and look around and we want to share with them that we are here to help revitalize this community,” Smith said. “We understand that there are some people in this community who are still hurt about the closing of this church, but we hope that by making it a positive place again, some of that hurt will begin to heal.”SS. Cyril and Methodius closed two years ago as part of a reconfiguration in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. The Roman Catholic parish was established in 1905 by Slovak immigrants. The church building was constructed in 1931 and the school and rectory were built in 1955.The church was renovated after a flood damaged the property in 1979. Major work was also done on the school, boiler systems, parking lot and air-conditioning system at that time. The newly renovated church was consecrated in 1986 and the parish celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2006.“The people who built this establishment put their hearts into it,” Smith said. “I want to get the heart of this place pumping again.”Smith said he never envisioned leading a church and he had no intention of purchasing property for a ministry that he would direct. In fact, his initial search for property was to find a building for a friend’s ministry called Felons for Hire, which employs ex-convicts to work on construction crews.Word comes from aboveDuring the search, a Realtor suggested the former SS. Cyril and Methodius property. Smith resisted because his mind was set on an Akron location, but as days passed, he found the thought of the Barberton property stuck in his head.“After about a month, I decided to drive over and take a look at the property, just to get the thought out of my head,” Smith said. “When I saw how expansive the property was, I knew it was too much for me to take on.”Satisfied that the thought of buying the property would be erased from his mind, Smith went home – only to have the thought resurface. Smith contacted the Realtor to tour the inside of the buildings.“Looking at the place and seeing how much work needed to be done, I said there is no way anyone can put this place back together again,” Smith said. “I walked away this time, knowing that the noise would stop in my head.”In hindsight, Smith views his earworm as a nudging from God to do something with the building to restore it as a beacon of light.“I came back to the property [a third time] with a different vision. This time, instead of looking at the problems, or the work that had to be done on the buildings, I was looking at what it would take to solve the problems,” Smith said.Convinced that God wanted him to do something with the property, Smith took a leap of faith and made the purchase. Although it is not the site for Felons for Hire, he has employed that ministry to do some of the work on the school building.A self-described United Methodist, Smith was ordained about six months ago. The Ohio secretary of state’s online records list him as a licensed minister with Agape Restoration Ministries, which was established by Sherbert, a certified (substance abuse) recovery coach and trainer of recovery coaches.“God has called me into the ministry of rescue and I believe that everyone is in need of one rescue and that is to come into the saving grace of Jesus Christ,” said Sherbert, who was ordained in 2008 by Living Word Ministries in the state of Washington. “I believe God put me and Dalton together to make a real difference in this community that will bring him glory.”Variety of programsAlthough, Sherbert, 45, and Smith are still working out the details of a regular Sunday service and programs for God’s Magic City Church, they are hoping to offer a variety of activities, including recovery programs, job training, financial peace university and programming for children, youth, young adults, married couples and older adults.“This is a work in progress,” Smith said. “My hope is to use every square inch of this property to help people help themselves.”Although Smith has United Methodist roots and Sherbert comes from an independent fundamentalist Baptist tradition, God’s Magic City Church is nondenominational. The church name reflects its location in Barberton, which earned the nickname of “the magic city” after experiencing phenomenal growth in the late 1890s and early 1900s.“We are going to do our best to make the most of this property. It has so much potential,” Smith said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take some time, but I believe if we do our best, God will step in and magical things will happen.” For information about God’s Magic City Church, call 330-338-8510 or 330-825-1657. Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.