About Us
Founded in faith, rooted in relationship, and focused on transformation.
Our Story
Upper Room Fellowship began in 1971, when a group of believers gathered in an upper room above a veterinarian’s office in Columbiana, Ohio. The setting recalled the upper room where Jesus’ first disciples prayed and waited for the Holy Spirit. The group shared a hunger for God’s presence and a desire for authentic Christianity, and they built a community where people could meet God and form real friendships.
That hunger has shaped us for more than fifty years. A small gathering grew into a church family committed to healthy relationships, wholeness, spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit’s presence, and living out the Gospel. Today we help people in Columbiana and beyond find the purpose, freedom, and fullness Jesus offers.
Columbiana is our home, and we love it. As you look around this site, you will see photos from Columbiana.
What We Believe
These truths are the foundation we share. On the essentials, we stand together. On everything else, we give each other room to keep growing, and love holds the family together.
God
We believe in one God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in power, authority, and glory. God is relational at His core, and He invites us into honest, honoring community with Him and with one another.
Jesus Christ
Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and fully human. He was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for the sins of the world, rose bodily on the third day, and ascended to the right hand of the Father. He will return personally and visibly to judge, to renew the earth, and to reign forever.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is fully God. He gives new life to every believer, lives within us, and empowers us for daily living. We believe in Spirit baptism, which is available to all believers, and in the active gifts of the Spirit today, including prophecy, healing, and miracles. We practice them with biblical order and the oversight of our elders.
Scripture
The Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God and our final authority for faith and practice. God continues to speak, and He never contradicts what Scripture says.
People and Salvation
Every person is made in God’s image and carries inherent worth. Sin has broken our relationship with God, with each other, and with ourselves. God has come to rescue us and renew all things through Jesus. Salvation is a free gift received by faith in His death and resurrection, and no one can earn it.
The Church
The church is the body of Christ, a diverse family from every race, language, and country, with Jesus as its head. Our local church is led by Spirit-led elders who share spiritual oversight.
Women in Leadership
God gifts both women and men to serve as elders, pastors, and teachers. Leadership follows calling, gifting, and character.
Marriage and Sexuality
We hold the historic Christian view that marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, and that sexual practice outside of marriage is sin. We hold that belief with the heart of Jesus. Everyone is welcome to worship with us, regardless of background, orientation, or belief, and we follow Jesus’ example of radical love and compassion.
Mission and Discipleship
Following Jesus means apprenticing ourselves to Him through daily time in worship, prayer, and Scripture, and letting the Spirit grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in us. We serve our neighborhoods, workplaces, and city with generosity, stand with the marginalized, and make disciples through both words and actions. Our Adult Discipleship Training puts these convictions into weekly practice.