**EXHIBIT 31.1**

**Rule 13a-14(a) CERTIFICATION**

 

I, Donald L. Denney, certify that:

 

|   | 1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Monarch Community Bancorp,Inc.; |
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|   | 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of amaterial fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the periodcovered by this report; |
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|   | 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial informationincluded in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
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|   | 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible forestablishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have; |
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|   | a. | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosurecontrols and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by otherswithin those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
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|   | b. | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls andprocedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluations;and |
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|   | c. | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control overfinancial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internalcontrol over financial reporting. |
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|   | 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on ourmost recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing theequivalent functions): |
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|   | a. | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation ofinternal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
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|   | b. | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employeeswho have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
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| Date: May 9, 2006 | By: | /s/ Donald L. Denney |
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|   | Donald L. Denney |
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|   | President and Chief Executive Officer |
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