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Our History

Here we will tell the story of the beginnings of our church and how we became what we are today.

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In 1948, the church was incorporated as a non-profit organization under the name Yugoslavian Christian Assembly Church of God in Jesus Christ of Aliquippa.  Sometime later the church purchased a building on Hopewell Avenue in the Logstown area of Aliquippa.  Here the church established itself and workers began to reach out to the Yugoslavian people of the area.

In particular there was a young lady whose desire to preach the gospel was consuming and who was instrumental in bringing many English speaking converts into the church.  Sister Millie Zegaric went door to door preaching the gospel to any and all who would listen.  Among those she visited was the Radovich family.  One by one they received  Christ until the entire family was born again including Nick Radovich who eventually became pastor.

As the church grew in numbers, the members decided that a new facility was needed and planned to purchase a tract of land in Hopewell Township.  About this time, Pastor Zarkovich went home to be with the Lord at 72 years of age.

In April 1962, Brother Nick was appointed to pastor of the church.  God also called Daniel Paulovich to the assistant pastorate.  As the work grew, Brother Dan became associate pastor in 1968 where he served until the Lord directed him to pastor a church in Wellsville, Ohio.


Wildwood Chapel began in the early 1930's when two ministers of the Yugoslavian Church of God traveled from Detroit, Michigan to Aliquippa to hold evangelistic meetings among the Yugoslavian people in the community.  They soon won several people to Christ and began to meet in a small storefront mission on Chestnut Street.  Services were conducted in the Yugoslavian language with about 30 people gathering there.

At that time, having no formal church building and no formal baptismal pool, these early saints were baptized in the Ohio River.  In the winter, some broke away the ice and were baptized in the icy water below.

Because of the Diligence of Stanley Zarkovich, the first pastor, a number of people were faithfully serving the Lord and were baptized in the Holy Ghost.

In 1963, the members of the church purchased land in Hopewell Township where Wildwood Chapel is now located.  Church members cleared the wooded area themselves and after the basement was built, they worshipped there until the new building was erected on top.  On October 6, 1968, the new building was dedicated.  The people felt that they had taken a real step of faith since they were only about 60 strong and the church housed 150.  However, it wasn’t long after that the church grew again and was expanded to accommodate 350 people.  This filled quickly with a whole new community of young Christians, many being delivered from drugs and alcohol.

The church then began to call itself Wildwood Chapel because it was literally “in the woods” and because during the formative months it had been called Wildwood Plan.  On June 17, 1976, the name became official on all legal documents and in business transactions.

By this time Brother Randy Estelle along with Brother Stuart Hayes were ministering with Brother Nick and it was decided that because of church growth, once again a building program would be instituted.  On March 4, 1979, the present sanctuary was dedicated to the Lord.

Pastor Nick Radovich retired in 2001 after 39 years of faithful service

Richard Liptak currently serves as senior pastor along with Kenneth H. McGaffic as associate pastor.