The Board of Lucas County Commissioners inducted Bishop James Robert Alan Culp as the 20th member of the Lucas County Wall of Friends on February 11, during a ceremony at a regularly scheduled board meeting.
The Wall of Friends was created in 2000 as a display to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves in the community and have close ties to Lucas County.
“Bishop Culp embodies what it means to be a community leader,” Commissioner Lisa Sobecki said. “His life has been driven by one single purpose: lending his hand to those in need. We are blessed as a community to have benefited from his civic-minded outreach over six decades. We are proud to honor him on our Wall of Friends and commemorate his life’s work.”
Bishop Culp served as senior minister of First Church of God on Collingwood Boulevard in Toledo for 61 years, before retiring in 2023. He came to Toledo in 1961 after stints as a pastor in his hometown of Sharon, Pennsylvania, and Danville, Illinois. He was consecrated as bishop in 2014.
Bishop Culp has served the Toledo community in many different capacities. He was president of the Toledo Chapter of the NAACP, president of Covenant Community Development Corporation, founder and board chairman of Toledo Academy Charter School, founder and board member of Family House homeless shelter, founder of Sparrow’s Nest operated by Cherry Street Mission, and a member of the founding team of the Toledo Urban Federal Credit Union.
Most notably, Bishop Culp was a civil rights activist who arranged for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to speak at Scott High School in 1967, and worked with Toledo City Council to pioneer one of the nation’s first anti-discrimination housing laws before the Civil Rights Act of 1968 outlawed discrimination at the federal level.
“It’s not hyperbole to say this community is what it is today because of efforts from leaders like Bishop Culp,” Commissioner Pete Gerken said. “The Civil Rights movement called for people to stand up to injustice and fight for what is right. Bishop Culp was on the front lines fighting for equality and our county is a better place today because of his relentless activism.”
Bishop Culp retired in 2023, but remains active in serving the Lucas County community. Last October, he was named to the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
“Bishop Culp is fondly referred to as Toledo’s Bishop for a reason. He has served our community in so many different capacities and continues to be a positive force in retirement,” Commissioner Anita Lopez said. “Whatever mission Bishop Culp engages in, he does so with his community at the top of his mind. We are proud to honor his legacy today.”
