ACOG History
For 108 years, a “flock” of believers in Jesus Christ have gathered near the corner of Seventh and Arlington Street in Akron, Ohio to learn of God, worship together and to be a “shining city on a hill” demonstrating God’s love and Spirit, to draw people to Himself. The seeds of this mission were sown in 1917, when Reverend George Suddeth, Sr. was led by God to relocate his family from Alabama to establish a church in Akron, Ohio. The Suddeths settled in and planted the church in the East Akron community. Soon comprised of a small band of families, this new congregation not only worshipped together, but as neighbors, experienced all of life collectively. To this day, many saints at Arlington attended elementary through high school together, participated on teams and singing groups as children and youth, and even married each other. The community, though many might consider poor, was rich in fellowship and love.
Having planted and served Robert Street Church of God and the community for many years, Reverend Suddeth retired and was followed by Reverend Herbert C. Shankle, who served from 1943 to 1944. Evangelist Blanche Wilson served as an interim pastor for a brief time thereafter.
In 1945, the Reverend Robert L. Fowler, along with his wife Susie Bell and family, arrived in Akron by way of Bedford, Ohio. Reverend Robert L. Fowler was chosen to shepherd the Robert Street congregation and served until 1968. As Pastor and first family, they soon established a culture of commitment and sacrificial labor throughout the congregation from which victory upon victory was realized.
In 1969, the Revered Ronald J. Fowler was installed as the fourth pastor of Robert Street Church of God, and the mission of “winning the lost, maturing the saved, and serving the world” took on even greater dimensions. Having grown beyond the capacity of the facility on Robert Street, in 1980, the congregation relocated to nearby Arlington Street, and its name was officially changed to Arlington Church of God. Reverend Ronald J. Fowler served as senior pastor for 38 years teaching love for God, love for the unsaved, and love for the church family. Rev. Fowler promoted Christian mission by supporting giving to World Service, to missionaries around the world, and for tuition for foreign students. He nurtured the creation of ministries such as: Irma A. Jones Preschool, the Upper Room outreach center, and The Wilson House/Arlington Housing Options Plus Elderly Services (A.H.O.P.E.S.); and he encouraged the use and development of individual gifts within the body leading to such ministries as a Medical Board, an Audio-Video Team, and the Interpreters for the Hearing Impaired, to name a few.
The gifts of a particular individual, Diana L. Swoope, who came to Arlington as a seminary intern in 1981, led to her appointment as Minister of Christian Education and Youth and the founding of the Summer Educational Employment Program (S.E.E.P.) in 1983. In 1987, Reverend Swoope became Associate Pastor of Arlington Church of God, and in 1988 worked with Pastor Fowler to establish Arlington Christian Academy.
Charged to lead the congregation to its next chapter of service and commitment, Reverend Dr. Diana L. Swoope became pastor of Arlington Church of God in January 2009. Pastor Swoope chose the mantra “Faith Out Loud” to remind and encourage members to be public and vocal about their faith, so that others may come to know Christ. In 2020, after a courageous battle with cancer, Pastor Swoope went home to be with the Lord.
In August 2021, Reverend Dr. Charles J. Myricks, Jr., a life-long member of Arlington Church of God, became its sixth senior pastor. Myricks graduated with special distinction in marketing and management from Anderson University (Anderson, IN), obtained a master’s degree in homiletics from Ashland Theological Seminary, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree (Anderson University).
Myricks’ career began at IBM and included positions in sales, marketing, and management. Later he linked his experience in business with his love for gospel music and became the first African American to occupy the office of Vice President and General Manager for Word Gospel Records in Nashville, TN.
Answering a call of God on his life, he entered full-time ministerial service and served for 9 years as the Pastor of Finance & Development of Arlington Church of God. From 2007 to 2021 he served as the Chief Operating and Development Officer of the National Association of the Church of God. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Anderson University and the Board of .
Myricks began his pastorate with a clear vision to promote a culture of servant leadership, the priesthood of believers, spiritual growth, leadership development, community, and service. Holding his first Visioning Forum with ACOG ministry leaders during his installation weekend, in September of 2021, Pastor Chuck (as he is affectionately known) has taught, implemented, and modeled those principles. Through an infrastructure of “ministry pathways”, Arlington seeks to engender spiritual growth and service to others within every congregant – from the youngest to the eldest.
From its inception, Robert Street and later Arlington Church of God has been blessed with a profound richness of spirit (or better said, Spirit). Its pastors, on the whole, have been persons rooted in Christ, and who modeled humility, love, self-discipline and excellence. Its leaders and parishioners have not been content to merely ascribe those attributes to their pastor, or admire them from a distance, but have strived to adopt and emulate them personally. A culture was fostered in which those expectations permeated the congregation. Holiness and service was the responsibility of all. As a result, the congregation has produced individuals, ministries, relationships, and leaders (local and national, within and outside of the church) who and that have blessed thousands of people in Akron, the nation, and around the world.