Sabin was born in Allentown, Penn., but only spent a few weeks there before his father’s temporary job ended and the family moved to Dayton. Subsequent moves took the family to Huber Heights and finally New Carlisle where Sabin was active in Boy Scouting, choir and varsity wrestling before graduating from Tecumseh High School in 1969. He met Heather in his homeroom in the eighth grade, but didn’t start dating until their senior year.
Heather Sabin was born in Duluth, Minn., but soon moved to California when her father, who worked as a civilian in the Air Force, was transferred. A subsequent transfer in 1959 landed the family in New Carlisle.
“I was into club swimming and GAA sports like volleyball and basketball,” said Heather Sabin, who also worked as a lifeguard at the Silver Lake Beach Club during the summer.
After graduating from high school, Sabin studied business administration and real estate at Wright State University, while Heather Sabin moved to Northern Virginia when her father was reassigned to the Pentagon. The couple maintained a long-distance relationship until Heather returned to Ohio and the couple wed in 1970.
The Sabin’s four children include: Julie, a photographer, who lives in Santa Barbara with her son; Erin, who lives with her parents; Sarah Sabin Tudor, a married mother of three, who lives in Cincinnati; and Emily Sabin, who lives in Kettering and works as a social worker.
While Heather remained at home with the children, Sabin was successful in the field of property management. Promotions led him to positions in Ohio and North Carolina and finally Kansas before he decided it was time for a career change. After volunteering and serving as a worship leader for many years, Sabin decided it was time to become involved in the ministry full time. After returning to Dayton in 1994, Sabin worked in church administration and with youth mission trips as a founding member of Church of the Messiah.
“We felt called to plant a new church,” said Sabin, who started WINGS Christian Fellowship in 2004. “We met in cell groups in homes and met every Sunday in the old Bellbrook American Legion Hall to celebrate together.”
Sabin and his wife decided to focus on youth outreach by starting a coffee house in the former American Legion Hall, now called BellHOP Café, 26 N. West St. From there, they expanded the concept to include a community outreach and an expanded menu that features panini grill sandwiches, soups, pastries and gourmet coffees. They also expanded their hours of operation to meet the needs of the community, by opening early enough for breakfast meetings at 7 a.m. and closing at 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, while remaining open until 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, so that community members can congregate and enjoy live music on the weekends.
“Mike has an awesome voice,” said Heather Sabin, of her husband, who plays live music and accompaniment for entertainment. “His mother, Shirley Sabin, was a gifted singer, who sang at local dinner clubs. We’re here to build relationships with people in the community. We want this to be an inviting place, a neutral place in the community where people can come and get a cup of coffee. Everybody is welcome here.”
Contact this columnist at (937) 432-9054 or jjbaer@aol.com.
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