In 2023, the congregation experienced a string of targeted robberies, prompting them to seek a new building. An aging congregation in the nearby suburb of Brooklyn offered to donate their building to Refine Church. Brooklyn Community Church formed in the 1940s, emerging out of an earlier Reformed and Evangelical congregation created to serve German immigrants, who were the largest immigrant group arriving in the Cleveland area through the mid-1890s. The 1953 Midcentury Modern building was designed by John Justin Carr and William Phelps Cunningham, the latter being a nationally-recognized printmaker. From 1954 to 1991, the building served as a center for disability services, employing 11 teachers and serving 200 students with independent living skills. Refine Church and the original congregation shared a vision of using the property for community service, with the current pastor often saying, “The mission of the building has not changed. The accent has.”

The congregation operates the Exartizo Community Center on-site, which serves over 600 families per year. Exartizo provides a free medical clinic, mental health counseling services, a culturally-specific food pantry, and legal support for immigrants. Examples of programming include reproductive health seminars, educational empowerment seminars for women, and cancer screenings with Cleveland Clinic. The congregation also offers after-school programs and ESL classes. Together, the church and the community center are the first Latino-owned heritage site in the history of Brooklyn.

In August 2024, less than a year after Refine Church had moved into their new building, five EF-1 tornadoes hit northeastern Ohio. The church was impacted by high winds and hail, causing significant roof damage and active leaking. The congregation had to close the kitchen and classrooms that provide space for their community programs, which had to be transitioned to telehealth and food delivery.

An Intervention Fund grant of $96,413 awarded in 2026 will help Refine Church replace the roof, flashing, and gutters. This will help the congregation stop active leaking and re-open interior spaces that serve the community.

Photo Courtesy Refine Church