Home - About WSBC - Church History
August 1912 - The First Missionary Baptist Church was formed.
November 24, 1912 - After a split, The Baptist Mission was organized.
1925 - Land at 45th and Wolf Road was purchased
March 4, 1928 - First meeting in the basement sanctuary on the site.
1933-1938 - The congregation split into two but eventually reunited.
1942 - Helen Prestidge Howard is the first missionary sent out from the church.
1943 - Billy Graham becomes Pastor.
1944 - "Songs in the Night" radio program moved to the church. The name "The Village Church of Western Springs" was adopted so the radio program would be inter-denominational.
1945 - Lloyd Fesmire becomes pastor.
1949 - The sanctuary building is completed.
1958 - The church is renovated to add the Fireside Room and offices.
1962 - Billy Graham returned to lead a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the church. Later in the year, a new organ was dedicated in a concert by Don Hustad.
1967 - Art Brown becomes pastor. "Songs in the Night" is moved to Moody; a Christian Counseling Center is opened; a sister church relationship with the Keystone Baptist Church is established and later, a relationship with the Humboldt Park ministries is formed.
1975 - The Community Room is completed.
1980 - A new Saville organ was purchased. Ken Medema was involved in promoting the organ and, once again, Don Hustad was involved with dedication of the organ.
1989 to 1993 - Dick Norwood becomes the pastor.
1996 - John Beukema becomes the pastor.
1999 - The "Faithful Today, Transforming Tomorrow" drive begins.
September, 2001 - Construction of the new church begins and we begin worshiping at the Christian Reformed Church.
January 26, 2003 - Our first service in the new Sanctuary.
June 2007 - Dean Monkemeier becomes the pastor.
Story History
Our church was founded in 1912 by several resident families. In the beginning, it was a store front meeting house for Sunday morning worship and a neighborhood Sunday School. When the church was two years old, the congregation voted not to join the Baptist association, but rather to remain an independent autonomous church which it is to this day.
The ministry developed under many able pastors. In 1943, the church welcomed Billy Graham as pastor. Beginning during his 21 months at the church, "Songs In The Night," a well-known Sunday evening radio vesper service, was broadcast from the church.
Lloyd Fesmire pastored the church from 1945 to 1965. He continued the radio ministry of "Songs In The Night." During this time, the church's commitment to missions grew and a new sanctuary was built.
Art Brown came to the church in 1967 and retired in 1989. His pastorate brought an increased missions emphasis, particularly through outreach in the inner city. The radio program was passed along to Moody Church, where it continues to this day. A building addition was completed in 1975 housing classrooms and a Community Room. Art's ministry also strengthened a love and tolerance for other Christians resulting in the current diversity of denominational backgrounds within our congregation.
Dick Norwood pastored the church from 1989 to 1993. Under his pastorate, an informal contemporary Sunday evening service evolved and a small group intensive Bible study program was begun.
John Beukema, came to the church in 1996 and served until November 2005. A second worship service began in 1998. This continued until construction necessitated our move from the building in September 2001. For seventeen months worship services were conducted at the Western Springs Christian Reformed Church. Church offices and weekday programs were carried out in the First Baptist Church of LaGrange. The church returned to the new facility in January 2003. A tremendous amount of blessing from God was experienced, in spiritual and numerical growth, as well as ministry impact under Pastor Beukema's leadership.
Our present Pastor, Dean Monkemeier, began to serve the church in June 2007. He serves with our Youth Pastor, Mark Sisler, our Minister of Music, Terry Strandt, and our Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship, Claudia Williams.