Paton Award Checklist for your congregation

The Tom Paton Award Winners

Calvin United Church of Christ, Toledo, Ohio

Claridon Congregational Church UCC, Huntsburg, Ohio

St. Paul’s UCC, Rockford, Ohio

Emmanuel UCC, Akron, Ohio

Chapel Hill Community, Canal Fulton, Ohio

2005
No awards given

2004
St. Paul's UCC, Glenford
First UCC, Galion
St. John's UCC, Troy
St. John's UCC, Dayton
St. Paul UCC, Cincinnati
First UCC, Cincinnati
Fleming Road UCC, Cincinnati
Lostcreek UCC, Casstown
  

2003

First Congregational UCC, Jefferson OH
First Congregational UCC, Andover OH
Zion UCC of Tremont, Cleveland
Brecksville UCC, Brecksville
Cross Creek Community Church, Centerville
Campbellstown UCC, Eaton OH
St. Peter’s UCC, Cincinnati
St. Paul UCC, Alexandria KY
Immanuel UCC, St. Bernard OH
Bloomville UCC, Bloomville OH

On the Way

Shaker Heights Community UCC, Shaker Heights 
Amherst Congregational UCC, Amherst OH
Community Church of Chesterland, UCC, Chesterland 

Congregational Community Church, Monroeville
Gustavus Federated UCC, Farmdale
Paradise UCC, Louisville

On the Way

Clague Road UCC, North Olmsted

St. Peter & St. Paul UCC, Cincinnati
Sylvania UCC, Sylvania
First Congregational UCC, Sandusky
Faith UCC, Dayton
Grace UCC, Lancaster

Trotwood UCC, Trotwood
Hawker UCC, Dayton
Murlin Heights UCC, Dayton

Dublin Community Church UCC, Dublin
St. Stephen UCC, Sandusky
St. John's UCC, Dover
Trinity UCC, Canal Fulton

St. John's UCC, Newport, Kentucky
Plattsburg UCC, S. Charleston
Zion UCC (Fireside), Bellevue
St. John UCC, Lorain
St. John's UCC, Columbus

Mt. Zion Congregational UCC, Cleveland
Philippus UCC, Cincinnati

On the Way

First UCC, Springfield
First St. John UCC, Hamilton

Martini UCC, Cincinnati
First UCC, New Knoxville
Point Place UCC, Toledo
First Congregational Church UCC, Lorain
Trinity UCC, Wooster

First UCC, Troy
St. Paul UCC, Sidney
St. Paul UCC, Navarre
Old South UCC, Kirtland

Congregational UCC, Radnor
First Congregational UCC, Elyria
Christ Church, Ft. Thomas, Kentucky

On the Way

North Congregational UCC, Columbus

St. John UCC, Defiance
Pilgrim Congregational UCC, Cleveland

Trinity UCC, Canton
St. Paul UCC, Greenville
First Community Village Hillside Chapel, Columbus
Faith Community UCC, Toledo
Fellowship UCC, Wickliffe

Trinity UCC, McCutchenville

Kent UCC, Kent
First Congregational Church, Columbus
First UCC, Shelby

Shiloh UCC, Dayton
Lake Congregational Church, Lakewood
St. John's UCC, Milan
Central Southeast Ohio Association
Eastern Ohio Association
Ohio Conference
Southwest Ohio Association

The Federated Church UCC, Chagrin Falls
St. John's UCC, Mansfield
St. Paul's UCC, St. Marys

Trotwood UCC, Trotwood

First Congregational UCC, Berea

Lodi UCC, Lodi

United Church of Christ, Geneva

St. John's UCC, Dayton
Mayflower UCC, Mansfield

St. Stephens UCC, Sandusky

First UCC, Galion
Middleburg Heights Community Church, Middleburg Heights

Avon Lake UCC, Avon Lake

  Outreach/Mission/Justice

Paton Award Accessibility Checklist 

Has your congregation made itself accessible to all?  Would you like to be considered for a Tom Paton Award?  Print the checklist below, complete it and mail it to your Association office by April 1.

Download the Paton Award Accessibility Checklist             PDF           Word

When your completed checklist is received in the Association office, your church will be considered for a Tom Paton Accessibility Award, to be presented at the Ohio Conference Annual Gathering.

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History of the Tom Paton Award

   
The Tom Paton Award was established in 1979 by the Ohio Conference Task Force on Ministries for and with Persons with Disabilities to honor the man who inspired and helped direct Conference efforts to reach out and serve people with disabilities.  Rev. Paton was a strong advocate for inclusiveness for all persons and all conditions of life. 

Tom Paton, a Board for World Ministries missionary to Japan, served as a resident missionary in the Ohio Conference in 1977-78.  The Task Force, formed in 1979, organized an International Gathering on Ministries with Persons with Disabilities that was held at Pilgrim Hills in July, 1980.  Persons from seven countries, both with and without visible disabilities, participated in this event.  Tom Paton traveled to Ohio from Japan to co-direct the gathering with Robert Ruck, chair of the Task Force.

Robert Ruck wrote about Tom Paton’s role in the gathering:  “Tom Paton, who first suggested this gathering in correspondence with Bill Wealand [Ohio Conference Minister for Outdoor Ministries], gave encouragement to each person, helping us discover things about ourselves and our ability to relate to others.  Tom is a person in whom the light of God’s love shows forth in a magnificent way.”

The Task Force also asked the Ohio Conference to establish yearly awards for churches and Ohio UCC-related organizations which had done the most during the past year to make their building physically accessible, to make their congregations inclusive and welcoming and who were committed to be advocates for persons with disabilities in their communities.  The award was named in honor of Tom Paton. 

The first Tom Paton Award was presented to Avon Lake United Church of Christ in 1979.

Criteria that have been considered for the award include:

§   Building accessibility (original design or later modifications)

§   Participation by persons with disabilities in worship, programs and church activities

§   Publicity and awareness of church’s accessibility

§   Special facilities or services (taped services for shut-ins, chair lifts, listening devices, etc.)

§   Attitudes, outreach and sensitivity (how welcome will people with disabilities be?)

§   Employment of persons with disabilities on church staff

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