It all started in an abandoned coal cellar in the late 1990s. Just on the county line of Muskingum and Perry County, deep in the southeastern region of Ohio. Pastor Lee Barnhart, his kind wife, and two wild sons lived a stone's throw off of Route 93 at 411 Gordon Street, Roseville, Ohio. After long days of working multiple jobs, volunteering in ministry, and working towards his educational goals, Pastor Lee always found the time to worship. And in a house with two boys, one of the only quiet places was the basement coal cellar. It was in that bleak and dark room that he would read his bible, pray intensely, and play his keyboard. And in a house full of commotion with two growing boys, late at night, you could always hear his voice rising from the base of the house as he sang his soul out and plotted elegant sounds across his keyboard. It was in those late nights that God would speak to him the most.

One dark night just before fall, in that cellar, he was praying and singing as he always did. There were no burning coals since the cellar was abandoned, but if you had been there, you would have been able to smell the very coals of his heart being kindled by the Holy Spirit. It was that night that Pastor Lee heard the words " From this spot, you will reach the world".

Almost 25 years later, our church has continued that vision, focusing on Perry County as a launch pad for our goal to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. We believe that the whole world is crying out for freedom and that by showing Christ's plan for our lives to the world, we can bring real freedom to real people. We have so much more to do, and can't wait to see what God does with FreedomCRY Church as it continues to grow.