History

The Beginnings –
1860-70

Many German immigrants came to America after the unsuccessful German Revolution of 1848 when the people lost faith in their government’s ability to resolve economic troubles.  The political disorder of a non-unified Germany also stimulated the immigration of its people to America.  Over the next ten years following the revolution, approximately one million Germans came to America.  Among those emigrants were several families from the heavily disputed area of Schleswig-Holstein which was at times considered a Prussian province, a Danish duchy, or the northernmost member of the German Confederation.  Some of these independently-minded people settled into the Douglas County, Bourbon and Garrett Township, areas of Illinois and brought with them a propensity for the higher things of life that the works of their hands alone could not accomplish.

 

And, so, it might be considered that Zion is actually ten years older than the traditionally recognized founding year of 1870, for the groundwork was laid to establish a church in 1860 when some members of this group of German immigrants met with Mr. Adam Kamm and Mr. Claus Greve to discuss this possibility.

 

Soon after this meeting, Rev. Loeffler of Champaign came to look up the people of this area, probably by request of this “committee” and because he may have also been from Schleswig-Holstein like the rest of the immigrants of this area which was then known as the Bush because of its heavily-wooded landscape.  After his visit it was decided to have services, probably in someone’s home, every four weeks.  These services included the Sacrament of Holy Communion.  Rev. Loeffler continued with this arrangement for two years (1861-1863).  Then for the next three years (1863-1866) the people of the Bush were served by a traveling minister, the Rev. J. M. Hartmann.

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Lutheran or Evangelical –

During Rev. Hartmann’s ministry there appears to have been a controversy over which church it would be best to be affiliated with – the Lutherans or the Evangelicals, which were both strong and competing Protestant religions of their German homeland. The problem was solved by asking ministers from both denominations to preach a sermon in a district schoolhouse. The Lutheran minister derogated the Evangelicals which made a bad impression, so the group decided they would be a part of the Evangelical Church.

 

This decision probably delayed the actual founding of Zion Church several years because the Evangelical Church was probably not as strongly represented in the area as the Lutherans and the men and women of the Bush were not strong enough to secure a minister on their own.  So an agreement was made with Paul’s congregation in Arcola to have their minister serve the needs of the people of the Bush. Through this arrangement, the people received the services of Pastor Scheuerle (1866-1867), Pastor Staebler (1867-1869), and Pastor A. Zernecke (1869-1871). It was during the ministry of Pastor Zernecke that the residents of the Bush decided to build their own church.

 

The First Church

Thus the ground work of the 1860’s paved the way for a committee to meet on February 17, 1870 to see to the building of a church. The committee consisted of Henry Heerdt, Jacob Ritz, and Hans Heit as trustees and George Kolb as elder. The selection of this committee marks the founding date of Zion Church.

From this point, then, begins the official 140 year history of Zion Church.  In the year 1871, when Pastor Strehlow was minister of the Arcola church and serving the people of the Bush as well, the first church building was completed and dedicated. This first building closely resembled a one room schoolhouse and, for practical reasons, in addition to being used for church services the building was also used as a parochial school.

Now the residents of the Bush felt at home, for they had a place to study about God and His ways, a place to pray and receive the Sacraments, and a place where they could raise their voices in thanks for all the good things God had done.

The Early Years –

1874-1892

Following Pastor Strehlow’s departure in 1874, the Rev. J. P. Langpaap became the Arcola church’s minister. Although he remained for only one year, it was through his efforts that Zion Church became a member of the Evangelical Synod.  After Pastor Langpaap the Rev. E. Bourquin came to serve both churches in 1875. His work at Zion prompted the congregation to build a parsonage in 1876 so the minister and his family would have shelter and a home in the country as well as in Arcola.  Then it was decided that, because of the minister’s involvement with the schooling of young people, he should live in the Bush during the summer and spend the winter months in Arcola.  This caused much worry and unpleasantness for the minister as well as for both congregations.

During Pastor Bourquin’s ministry, Zion Church was incorporated.  Then in 1879, he decided to leave because of the mounting work involved in caring for two congregations.  After him came Rev. Dr. Adolph Pinckert, whose ministry was cut short by a fatal accident near Atwood.   He died June 14, 1880 and was buried in Zion cemetery.

The next minister to serve both churches was the Rev. G. Press.  He was minister for four years (1880-1884). After he left, Pastor J. P. Quinius served as an interim for a while until the Rev. G. Eisen came in the spring of 1885 and remained as pastor until 1888.  It was during his ministry that the Zion Ladies Aid Society was founded on May 20, 1888.

During the ministry of the Rev. G. Bohnstengel (1888-1892), the Zion congregation felt it would be able to support a pastor without the help of Paul’s congregation in Arcola. Thus, in 1891, Pastor Bohnstengel was asked to accept the full time responsibility of serving Zion Church.  From this time on Zion, was able to have worship services on a weekly basis.

The Second Church –

In the year 1892, the Rev. W. Laatsch was called to serve Zion, and his ministry lasted five yeas (1892-1897).  Soon after his arrival, the congregation made plans to build a larger and nicer church.  The first building was moved north of the original site and converted into a schoolhouse permanently, and a second church building was erected where the first church had stood. The second church was a frame building, and it had a beautiful tower containing two bells to call the people to church.  This building was dedicated on November 12, 1893.

The next minister to serve Zion Church was the Rev. Christian Mohr.  Because of ill health, he was forced to resign his pastorate after serving eight years (1897-1905). Before retiring, however, Pastor Mohr performed the installation service of his successor, the Rev. L. Rauch, on August 12, 1905.  Pastor Rauch came from Berlin, Germany, and was remembered for his ability to preach a powerful sermon. He is also remembered for starting a young folk’s gathering. However, both of these things are overshadowed by the changes in the appearance of the church and the parsonage which occurred during his ministry.

In the year 1906, it was decided to rebuild the parsonage.  This task was completed in July, 1907.   The minister’s family, after living in the schoolhouse for a time, had just moved into the new parsonage when lightning struck the church on August 7, 1907 at about 2:30 in the morning.  Pastor Rauch, his family, and R. C. Kurz, a student from Elmhurst College, were the first to see the fire, which quickly filled the church’s bell tower. Within an hour the building had burned completely to the ground.  Everything inside burned, including the minister’s robe and a number of books.  Mr. Hans Heit, a member of the 1870 committee that oversaw the building of Zion’s first church, had the date “August 7, 1907” engraved in gold letters on his German hymn book so that he would never forget that day.

The Third Church –

The very same morning that the second church had burned down, the congregation gathered and decided to build another church.  It was decided that the new church should be bigger and prettier to show God was still with his people.

The church was built by Hans Henrick, a contractor from Mattoon, Illinois. On October 30, 1907, the cornerstone was laid and on March 22, 1908, the church was dedicated.  Pastor Rauch led the service of dedication.  Pastor G. Plassmann, President of the South Illinois District, gave the dedication sermon. Pastor M. Hoefer from Mattoon, Illinois, preached in English in the afternoon.  His Excellency General Council from Germany, Dr. Wever, from Chicago presented the congregation an altar Bible, which was a gift from the German Kaiserin, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of Wilhelm II,  for many of the early German immigrants who founded this congregation had come from her homeland.

The new church’s exterior was constructed of brick.  The tower was 58 feet high and the church was 68 x 40 feet, and had plenty of room for visitors.  Soon after the new church was dedicated, Pastor Rauch accepted a call to serve as minister of a church in Staunton, Illinois.

 

The Formative Years –

Rev. I. Th. Seybold, 1907-12

Rev. Rauch’s successor, the Rev. I Th. Seybold, arrived in June, 1908 and remained until the fall of 1912.  These four years are perhaps best remembered today for two reasons.  First, a 40^th Anniversary booklet was prepared by Pastor Seybold in 1910, and second, the oil painting above the altar in the apse of the church sanctuary was commissioned.  The anniversary booklet contains a wealth of knowledge that included references to such 1910 church activities as an active Ladies Aid, a young people’s organization, a choir, summer school in Garrett, and another school at Zion. In 1911, the oil painting of Christ surrounded by the heavenly host, a gift from Miss Mary Ritz, was completed.

Rev. G.A. Kanzler, 1913-14

Pastor Seybold left in the fall of 1912, and on May 11, 1913 Rev. G.A. Kanzler accepted the call to serve as pastor of Zion.  His stay was brief (1913-1914), but several accomplishments occurred during his ministry.  German militarism had become a global concern and German anti-sentiment in America was on the rise.  Partly in response to this, on September 6, 1913, the congregation voted to allow the minister to use the English language during the evening services.  In February 1914,  Jeanette Kolb became the first member of the congregation to be baptized in English and, even though German continued to be the preferred language, the gradual switch to English had begun.  The entire church property, including the parsonage, was also incorporated in 1914.

Rev. F. Jerger, 1915-18

Pressure on German-Americans grew stronger when Germany invaded Belgium in 1914. Nationally, German immigrants were sometimes being looked upon with suspicion and attacked regarding their loyalty.   After Rev. F. Jerger came to serve Zion,  on March 6, 1915, the congregation voted to have “English preaching” once a month.  Rev. Jerger confirmed his first class of students in English that same year.

The following summer, on July 16, 1916, Zion Church was privileged to witness the ordination of one of its most prominent favorite sons, the Rev. Detlaf C. Jensen.  Those who officiated at the ordination ceremony included his father-in-law, Rev. I. Th. Seybold, a former pastor of Zion; Dr. Samuel D. Press, President Emeritus of Eden Seminary and son of Rev. G. Press, also a former pastor of Zion; and Pastor Jerger.  Rev. Jensen later received an honorary doctorate from Elmhurst College.

When the United States entered the war in 1917, there were reports of German immigrants being tried, convicted, and imprisoned merely for refusing to swear allegiance to the United States.  Former president Theodore Roosevelt denounced “hyphenated Americanism” (German-Americans) and insisted that dual loyalties were impossible in wartime.  So, before Pastor Jerger left in 1918, English hymnals were purchased for both church services and the Sunday school, and worship services were conducted in English on alternate Sundays.  To further demonstrate the congregation’s loyalty to the United States, Zion’s large, bronze bell was lowered to the ground so that it could be melted down for its metal and donated to the war effort.

Rev. August F. Bock, 1919-27

Rev. Bock was approached at a Synod meeting by men from Zion to preach a guest sermon at the church because he could preach in both German and English.  The church offered him $800.00 annually to be Zion’s pastor.  He asked for $1000.00.  ($1000.00 in 1919 would be equivalent to approximately $15,000.00 in 2020.)

After the arrival of the Rev. August F. Bock, his wife and two-year-old son in 1919, it was decided to tear down the old schoolhouse and build a new school.  This work was completed in December of that year, and the new building became known as “The Cottage.”

Passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution granted women the right to vote.  On January 20, 1920, Zion’s congregation voted to change the church’s constitution and print it in both German and English.  The old constitution contained a clause whereby only three members were needed to retain German services.  Individual memberships were considered “from that day on” as opposed to only the man of the family being a voting member of the church.  The unknown person who recorded this action also noted, in reference to the women of the church prior to this vote, “I think they were voting members but did not take advantage of the same.”

A 50^th Anniversary Celebration, known as “The Jubilee,” was held on June 20, 1920.

That same year the English language began to be used exclusively in Sunday school.  In 1921, the Church cemetery was converted into a public graveyard under the name of the Evangelical Zion Cemetery.

Rev. Bock had a horse for the first two years he served as pastor.  After that, for five and a half years, he had no horse and became known as “the walking preacher.”  When he needed a horse, Jacob Ernst would loan him one.

A construction defect in the church building was becoming apparent.  The walls of the building were being pushed outward from the pressure of the slate roof and heavy rafter system.  So, in 1923, two iron rods were installed through the Church sanctuary between the north and south walls in an effort to reinforce the Church building.

Also in 1923, Paul Schanbacher of Springfield was contracted to “decorate” the church sanctuary.  The pews were varnished and the wood floor was oiled with linseed oil.  There was an explosion of the oily mop rags during construction, but no major damage was reported.   Rev. Bock and his wife boarded the painters and provided night lodging for them at the parsonage during the remodeling project.  The project cost $1,195.00.

Years later, Rev. Bock recalled that the church had two choirs, a fine Young People’s League, and fine confirmation classes that did lots of memorizing during their two years of study while he served Zion.

Rev. Bock  also mentioned how much he appreciated the land Jacob Ernst provided his wife and him upon which to grow potatoes.  Mr. Ernst even helped Rev. Bock cultivate the potatoes and dig them up.

While at Zion, Rev. Bock had built a chicken house at the parsonage.  The congregation paid him $75.00 for it when he left.

Rev. Arthur J. Habermehl, 1927-31

The Rev. Arthur Habermehl was the first minister of Zion to come directly after graduation from Eden Seminary.  During the four years he served the congregation important changes occurred.  A piano was purchased for the Church, which meant for the first time hymns did not have to be sung a cappella.  Also, by this time, German and English was used alternatively during worship services.

Even though the idea to replace the practice of “family membership” with  “individual membership” had been considered in 1920, it was not until an all-male Quarterly meeting on June 3, 1929  that it was decided for the first time to invite women to attend congregational meetings.  So, at a Special Congregational meeting held on June 23, 1929, nineteen men and seven women were in attendance.

German-language services were cut to once a month and improvements to the parsonage included adding a basement, a furnace, running water, a new roof, and having the front wooden steps replaced by concrete steps.  The coal house was moved from the parsonage to the Church and the summer kitchen was also moved.

Because Rev. Habermehl and his wife of only a few months were the first occupants of the parsonage to have a car, it soon became necessary to transform the large barn into a garage.   It was agreed to not hold evening services on the third Sunday of the month so the Young People’s League would have a time for their meeting.

Rev. Gregor Kutz, 1931-34

The Rev. Gregor Kutz was called to serve both Zion and the Church in Arcola.  He arrived in November of 1931 and conducted one Sunday morning and one Sunday afternoon service each month at Arcola.  Rev. Kutz’s first child, a son, was born on March of 1932 in the parsonage, but lived only 10 days.  The church mourned with the young couple, and later in 1933, their second child, Ruth, was baptized at Zion.   By June of 1934, Rev. Kutz was conducting services at Zion every Sunday and at Arcola on the first and third Sundays of each month. Pastor Kutz later recalled the grape-butter cooking bees when ladies of the church made grape-butter in the school yard between the parsonage and the cemetery, the annual ice cream socials and plays that were performed on a platform built out from the back door of the church during those events, the infestation of chinch bugs and how they destroyed the corn and literally covered the road in front of the parsonage, and especially the Great Depression when the entire country seemed to fall into poverty and despair.  When Pastor Kutz tendered his resignation in November of 1934, the agreement between Zion and Arcola was canceled. It is worth noting that the voting age for church members was lowered from 21 to 18 years of age on March 6, 1933.

The Evangelical and Reformed Church (E&R) was formed in 1934 by the merger of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS) with the Evangelical Synod of North America (ESNA).  Up until this time, Zion had been most often referred to as the German Church or simply Zion Church. After this merger, the church began to identify itself more denominationally as Zion’s Evangelical Church, which is as it appeared on the church’s official seal, or Zion E & R Church.

In February of 1935, before the arrival of the Rev. Lynn Tschudy, the Cottage was damaged by a heavy wind.  When the repairs were made, a porch was added to the building and the entrance was changed.  On November 1, 1936, a beautiful “Thomas” individual service Communion set was given to the Church.  It was a gift from the Young People’s League, and the congregation appreciated the thoughtfulness of the young people.

Rev. Lynn Tschudy, 1935-40

Pastor Tschudy began his work at Zion after his graduation from Eden Sminary in June of 1935.  As an unmarried man, he stayed in the home of Mr. Hans Frahm until, about a year later, he married a young lady named Sally from Salem E & R in St. Louis, Missouri and the two of them moved into the parsonage.  Pastor Tschudy only preached two sermons in German and from then on Zion’s services were conducted in English.  During his ministry (1935-1940) the German records of baptisms, confirmation, marriages, and deaths were translated into English and rewritten into a new Church Record. This work was completed in December of 1938 and in Rev. Tschudy’s own words, “The job of re-writing the records was not bad, but there were times when I needed a bit of help and then I went to Mr. Hans Heit.” Two months earlier, in October of 1938, the congregation decided in a special meeting to have electricity installed in the Church, cottage, and parsonage.  This was made possible by money bequeathed to Zion Church by Miss Mary Ritz.

Additional improvements and changes which occurred while Pastor Tschudy served Zion include: the appointment of a committee consisting of Mr. O. C. Heit, Miss Clara Jurgens, and Mrs. Margaret Jensen to draft a new constitution for the congregation; the installation of a hard water pipe and faucet as well as a coal water heater in the parsonage basement; and the purchase of a used church bell in Arthur for $25.00 to replace the one given for scrap metal as an aid to the war effort during the Great World War.  After an almost 20-year silence, once again the sound of a bell rang out from Zion’s steeple.

In 1939, the Young People’s League reorganized and elected the following officers:  Robert Jurgens, President; Lloyd Clausen, Secretary; and Margaret Clausen, Treasurer.  The president appointed Fred Korte, Edward Suhl, and Juanita Greve to draft a new constitution.  All young people between the ages of fourteen and thirty-five years old were eligible for membership.  Dues were fifteen cents per year.  The purpose of this organization “shall be to develop the standards that we receive in the devotional meetings and church, and to give them practical application.”  The group met the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM and the evening included a business meeting, devotionals, entertainment, and refreshments.  Members “drew out” the month they would serve as host.  Later the group asked the congregation for any used furniture they might have so that meetings could be held in “The Cottage” instead of members’ homes.  Other members of the newly organized group not mentioned above included: Edith Adolph, Robert Adolph, Raymond Blaase, Mary Fern Heit, Eugene Jurgens, Elizabeth Korte, Thelma Korte, and Russel Sievers.

For financial reasons, Rev. Tschudy accepted an unsolicited pastorate position at a larger congregation, but always referred to Zion as his and Sally’s “first love.”

Rev. Raymond O. Walkenhorst, 1940-42

Soon after finishing seminary, Rev. Raymond O. Walkenhorst served Zion from March 1940 to March 1942.  Shortly after he began his work at Zion, a new roof was put on the Church and the sanctuary was redecorated.  Up to this time, the pulpit had been located behind and above the altar and had to be entered by climbing several steps.  It was decided to move the altar back against the wall and have the pulpit brought forward to the front of the chancel (its present position).  A lectern was built and placed on the step at the opposite side of the chancel.  Then the altar, pulpit, lectern, and baptismal font were all painted white, and everyone was impressed with their beauty.  There were also considerations about building either a parish hall or a Church basement, but no action was taken.

The Young People’s League was the driving force behind the ice cream social and appointed an ice cream social committee consisting of Mary Fern Heit, Elizabeth Korte, and Edward Suhl.  Since Rev. Walkenhorst and his wife, Helen, had never experienced Zion’s summer ice cream social, he was skeptical when he was told a thousand people would turn out for the event, but later he wrote, “There were!”

In May of 1940, on a mimeograph machine purchased by the Young People’s League, the first printing of Zion News was distributed to the congregation.  Zion also celebrated the church’s 70^th Anniversary.

Rev. Walkenhorst spoke with the Young People’s League about trying to “build it up” by having a Junior League of members between the ages of thirteen to twenty and a Senior League with members twenty years old and up.  The organization decided to follow his suggestion.

In 1941, Mr. Simon Greve, at Rev. Walkenhorst’s request, built a beautiful, white, lighted cross especially for the Easter season.  This cross still stands on the altar.  In October 1941, a fireplace was built on the south of the parsonage and new cabinets were installed in the parsonage kitchen.

Rev. George A. Schuette, 1942-47

A call was extended to George A. Schuette at the time of his graduation from Eden Seminary.  He served Zion Church from 1942-47. During this time several more significant changes took place in the appearance of the Church property.  Hardwood floors were laid in the downstairs of the parsonage; permission was given to the cemetery board to move the Cottage, which was subsequently sold when the Church basement was being construction, and to move a fence in order to make a driveway for the cemetery.  During the summer of 1945 the parsonage furnace was repaired, storm windows were made, and a contract was let for the insulation of the parsonage.

The most significant change resulted from the signing of a contract for the construction of a church basement.  This action was taken by the Zion Church Board on October 11, 1945. Max Deem was the contractor and the nearly $17,000 project was completed in the summer of 1947.  A complete record of donations and pledges toward the project was kept.  Donations could be made in three payments by January 1, 1947.  Hans and Dora Heit contributed $3000.00 toward the project and their son, Orval, gave $1000.00.  Other members who contributed $300.00 or more to the project included:  Albert and Mildred Clausen, Paul Clausen, Mr. & Mrs. Walter Clausen, Millard Dukeman, George H. Ernst, Thomas Greve, William Hansen, Margaret Jensen, Glenn Jurgens, Henry Jurgens, Orville Jurgens, and the Jurgens sisters. ($300.00 in 1947 is approximately $3500.00 in 2020 dollars.)

Rev. Schuette conducted the dedication service for the basement project on Sunday,  July 13, 1947 and the offering received at the service was $480.13.  A dozen wooden folding chairs were donated by William Hansen for use in the new basement.

Rev. Irvin B. Stegner, 1947-51

The Rev. Irvin Stegner served Zion from April 1947 to the summer of 1951.  In February of 1948, a young married group was organized.  Late that fall the Church interior was redecorated by Schanbacher and Son of Springfield at a cost of $1500.00.  At this time the Church was rewired by Randall Electric, and four new ceiling lights were installed to replace the three lights which had been in the sanctuary.  The following year, 1949, the Church steeple was repaired and painted by Harry Geissert.  A desk and chair set was given to the Church by the Kolb family in memory of Claus Kolb, and a new three unit gas furnace was installed in the Church basement by H. Ray Warren at the cost of $2,000.  On September 17, 1950, the 80^th anniversary of the Church was observed. One month later a Confirmation Reunion was held with 65 confirmands answering the roll call.  During the month of November the young men and women of the congregation sanded and refinished the Church floor.

Arnold A. Bizer, 1952-59

Following Pastor Stegner’s resignation, Zion was without a minister for almost a year.  Eden Seminary helped provide pulpit supply by sending student ministers for Sunday Worship Services.  One of these students, Arnold A. Bizer, accepted a call to come and serve Zion when he graduated in 1952. But, before he and his wife, Luetta, arrived, the parsonage floors and woodwork were refinished and the Women’s Guild purchased a new electric water heater for the parsonage.  On August 11, 1952, the decision was made to purchase a new Hammond electric organ at a cost of $2,599.  Monies were given in memory of the following persons  to help pay for the organ: Bertha and Henry Jurgens, Walter Clausen, Hans Heit, Everett Frahm, Mrs. Claus Kolb, Mrs. Phoebe McClure, Mrs. Anna Greve Gross, and Mrs. Louise Greve.

In the summer of 1953, the old barn behind the parsonage was torn down and a new garage was built directly in back of the house.  The 1953 version of an ice cream social was held under unusual circumstances. Serving started outside but a thunderstorm broke loose and chased everyone to the Church basement.  During the downpour of approximately 5 ½ inches of rain that followed, the electricity went off.  People still continued to come and serving went on by candlelight until everything was sold.

The Youth Fellowship was revived in 1955 after several years of inactivity.  A new film strip and slide projector plus a screen were purchased by the Sunday school and the Church began sending the devotional booklet “Daily Talks with God” into every home.

Zion Church cooperated with the Arthur Ministerial Association in a community-wide religious survey in 1956.  One of its purposes was to help discover those who might be without a church and to invite them to attend a community church of their choice or religious tradition.

During the fall of 1956 new art glass windows were installed in the Church by the Virginia Art Glass Co. of Mahomet.   The old amber-colored glass of the arched windows was replaced with the multi-colored, geometrically-designed, stained glass windows of today.

After some internal discussion about the future of Zion’s denominational affiliation, the church decided to remain part of the newly formed United Church of Christ (UCC), which came about by a merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Church in 1957.

Also in 1957, Zion Church purchased the following items: a new Gestetner mimeograph machine to print bulletins and newsletters, 110 new E & R hymnals, a filing cabinet for Church use, and two dehumidifiers for the church basement.  On October 7, 1957, the Zion went on record as favoring the proposed Nursing Home project in Arthur.  Since its completion in 1959, Zion has had several members reside at the Home.

Shortly before Easter in 1958, new carpeting was installed in the church.  During the summer and fall, the parsonage kitchen was remodeled and enlarged and a half-bath was installed in a section of the old kitchen area.  This work was done by Mr. Willis Frahm of Tuscola at a cost of approximately $3,200.   The Bizer family enjoyed this improvement less than two months, for in January of 1959, Pastor Bizer presented his resignation to Zion and accepted a call to serve Salem Evangelical and Reform Church at Alhambra, Illinois.

Rev. Carl F. Hanser, 1959-65

Once again Zion found itself being served by senior students of Eden Seminary and once again Zion chose to call one of these graduating students as its minister. The Rev. Carl F. Hanser became the twenty-seventh minister in Zion’s history.  Shortly after his arrival with his wife, Grace, the parsonage was painted and the congregation decided to purchase a new electric stove for its kitchen.  Improvements to the Church in 1960 included a new roof on the back section of the Church and conversion of the small room in the northwest corner of the church into a reading room.  The newest Church organization to be formed was the Junior High Youth Fellowship, which held its first meeting in August of 1960.

1960 marked Zion’s 90^th year, and through the efforts of Pastor Hanser and several members of the congregation, a very complete history was recorded. Most of the early records were in German and with the help of some of the older church members including Anna Schultz, Anna VonLanken, and George Sohrt, those records were painstakingly translated along with the 40^th Anniversary booklet that Rev. Seybold had prepared in 1910.  Zion’s 90^th Anniversary was celebrated on November 27, 1960 with some former ministers present and others sending letters of congratulations.  Forty-four years after his ordination at Zion, Dr. D. Jensen had been invited to deliver the anniversary sermon on Sunday morning.  Speaking from the pulpit, Dr. Jensen paused for a long time and began turning white as a ghost.  Members of the congregation finally sensed that something was wrong and rushed to his aid.  They carefully pulled him back into the small room next to the chancel and laid him on the floor.  Dr. Jensen explained he was having a heart attack and that he needed his nitro glycerin tablets.  Someone found the pills, and after he took one or two, and briefly rested, Dr. Jensen got up off the floor and finished his sermon.

Also in 1960, before the 90^th anniversary service, Marie Hansen and her family presented a guest register to the Church in memory of her husband, and their father, William (Bill) Hansen.  Later, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Jensen gave an Altar Book of Worship to the Church in honor of Dr. and Mrs. D. C. Jensen.

After the first 100 years –

On April 30, 1961, the congregation met to review the results of a survey about the need for a new addition to the church.  After discussing the need to “construct an educational building,” a vote was called and the idea was defeated 24 to 19.

“Zion United Church of Christ,” was the heading on a new sign constructed and erected at the southwest corner of the Church on August 29, 1961 by members of the Couple’s Club.  Little did many people know the sign had originally been a rusty, old Coke-a-Cola sign that had been repaired and painted black by Bob Randall.  A local sign painter made the finishing touches and men of the Couple’s Club erected the sign on aluminum poles.

On October 16, 1961, Zion’s congregation finally accepted a plan to add an educational unit on the east end of the Church.  Dedication services were observed a year later on October 7, 1962.  The cost of the project was approximately $6,800, and much of the labor was donated by members of Zion, and many memorials were given to offset the cost of the project, several in memory of Richard Suhl.  The general contractor was Mr. Willis Frahm of Tuscola, Illinois.

A Confirmation Reunion service was held June 3, 1962 for all persons confirmed through 1920. Rev. August Bock was the guest speaker.

Also in 1962, a public address system was installed in the sanctuary and offering plates for the Sunday school were given in memory of Tena Jurgens.  Mr. Bob Day, an artist from Atwood, Illinois repaired the mural on the ceiling of the apse because it had been damaged by moisture over the years.  A new church constitution was also written and adopted.

To help preserve the church’s brick exterior, a firm was hired to tuck point the motor joints and seal the walls at a cost of $2,136 in 1963.

A portable stand was given as a memorial to Mrs. Minnie Kolb by her children, August, Jeanette, and Dorothy. A water cooler and six volumes of Clark’s Commentaries were given by Mr. Art Gross in memory of his brother Mr. Casper Gross.

On May 17, 1964, Zion voted to transfer its credentials from the South Illinois Synod to the Central Association of the Illinois Conference of The United Church of Christ. A new Church record system was given to the Church by Mr.  & Mrs. Albert Clausen in memory of their parents, Mr. & Mrs. John Clausen and Mr. & Mrs. Hans Frahm.

Also in 1964, he Elmhurst College Choir honored Zion with a concert. A dinner was prepared for the students after the concert and they stayed overnight in the homes of many of Zion’s members. A Memorial Committee was also formed to record and assist with memorial gifts to the church.

With deep regrets the Congregation accepted the resignation of Rev. Carl Hanser to become effective May 26, 1965.  The youth of the church, especially, had responded to his ministry and his sincerity of faith.

Rev. Joseph Jeide, 1965-68

Zion was without a minister for a few months until a call was accepted by Rev. Joseph Jeide in October of 1965.  With a bequest of money from Mrs. Hulda Jensen, the Memorial Committee purchased two altar chairs and a set of spring loaded candles in memory of her husband, Dr. D.C. Jensen.

A new look for the church occurred in 1966 when Schanbacker & Son again redecorated the sanctuary at a cost of $2,537.  New light fixtures in the chancel area were installed to highlight the mural above the altar in memory of Mr. and Mrs. George VonLanken by Minnie Taylor and Grace Randall.  A gift from Art Gross in memory of Casper Gross provided funds for two brass altar vases.

Also in 1966, a change in the by-laws of the Constitution lowered the voting age of members to include any confirmand in good standing.

A reunion of all confirmands was held on April 30, 1967.  A large number attended and Rev. George Schuette conducted the service.

Upon receiving his B.D. Degree from United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, Minnesota, in May of 1967, plans were then made to hold an ordination service for Robert Lee Randall on June 11.  Zion had the privilege of presenting the Rev. Robert Lee Randall with his first pulpit robe at this ceremony.  Rev. Randall also later received a doctorate from the University of Chicago and served as Minister of Pastoral Counseling at St. Peters UCC in Elmhurst, IL.

1967 also marked the beginning of meetings with other area churches  for a study on how we collectively could become more effective witnesses in the community.

Rev. Richard Bushman, 1968-69

Rev. Jeide’s resignation was accepted in February of 1968, and Rev. Miss Helen Archibald filled Zion’s pulpit until, in July, Rev. Richard Bushman accepted a call to serve both Zion UCC and Atwood UCC. A favorable agreement was worked out with the Atwood church and a temporary yoking situation resulted.  During the summer of 1968, the two UCC churches combined services, meeting at each church on an alternating basis.

Storm windows were installed over all the stained glass windows by the Houser Glass Company in July of 1968. Improvements on the Church and parsonage in 1969 included: the painting of the parsonage and garage by Dewey Morris of Pierson, Illinois; a new public address system for the sanctuary because the old system had been stolen; and a sump pump for the church basement.  The church had always been left open until the incident of the stolen PA amplifier occurred, so from then on the church was kept locked. The 1968-69 Confirmation Class gave the church two large brass collection plates.

After nine months of being yoked with the Atwood UCC, a meeting of both church boards was held to evaluate the arrangement to date.  After discussion, all present expressed a desire, with minor adjustments, to extend a call to Rev. Bushman to be pastor of both churches.  But before the call could be formulated and signed, Rev. Bushman tendered his resignation to take effect the last of September, 1969.  So, on September 8, another special congregational meeting of Zion was held to consider being part of a merger of the Atwood Christian Church, the Atwood UCC, Lake Fork UCC, the Atwood Methodist Church, and the Garrett United Methodist Church. Association Minister, Rev. Lammert, was present to help the congregation with this decision.  Many members attended the meeting to discuss the ramifications of a merger like this, not the least of which would be abandoning Zion’s existing church building for a new building in Atwood.  At a special meeting of the congregation on September 21, 1969, the vote to merge with the other congregations was defeated.

Rev. Arthur Van Camp, 1969-81

During the first week in October of 1969, two members of Zion’s Church Board visited Rev. Van Camp, the minister of Tuscola UCC, in his home and spoke with him about supplying Zion’s pulpit and possibly yoking the two congregations.  His reaction was favorable and, so, on October 16, the boards of both Churches met together to work out a plan.  A special congregational meeting was subsequently called on October 26 to accept this plan and, when the votes were counted, all were “yes.”  Rev. Arthur Van Camp became the 30^th pastor to serve Zion.

In 1969, a memorial gift of a silver tea set was given in memory of the Jacob Gross family by Mr. Art Gross. In 1970, two glass doors were purchased from Bacon & Van Buskirk of Champaign for the front of the church to replace the old, solid wood doors that were always in need of painting as a memorial to Clara Jurgens and Albert Clausen, and the church foyer was redecorated. William Randall made an exact replica of the sanctuary light fixtures, but on a smaller scale, and he and his wife, Grace, installed it in the newly decorated foyer.

During this time, through the wills of George and Maggie Sohrt, Zion was bequeathed $1000 from each.  Mr. Sohort also left his entire estate in trust to Mr. Millard Dukeman for as long as he and his wife lived.  However, provisions were made in the will that 10% of the profits from the estate’s farm operation be accumulated during the Dukemans’ lifetime for Zion and four other area churches.  Also, upon the death of both Millard and his wife, the profits from the entire estate would be shared by the five churches named in the will.

In February of 1970, Zion celebrated “Founder’s Day” with a basket dinner. Old newspaper clippings, photographs, and other items of interest were displayed.

228 plates were ordered for Zion’s 100^th Anniversary with a color picture of the church on it and were sold at $2.50 each.  Zion held its 100^th Anniversary on June 21, 1970 with a special service.  An anniversary booklet was printed with over fifty families having their pictures taken for inclusion in the booklet.

A new Baldwin piano was purchased from the House of Baldwin, Champaign, and delivered on December 8, 1970 at the cost of $750.

In 1971, new red oak church pews with cushions were purchased with gifts from Mr. George Sohrt and Mrs. Maggie Sohrt and many other memorials were given to cover the remaining expense. Eighteen old Church pews were sold to the Church of God in Tuscola and others were made shorter for use in some church member’s homes.

Improvements to the church building included new steps in front of the church, and new walks west from the church and south to the parking lot. All labor was donated by our members. In addition, shrubs were taken out in front of the Church and replaced.

In 1973 the Church Steeple was repaired and 50 new metal chairs and a chair rack were purchased by the Women’s Fellowship. Two new Church signs were bought by the Sunday school.  A security light was purchased and placed on the south side of the Church.

The Atwood and Arthur Centennial Committees were given ten dollars each for a sponsor listing and the Women’s Fellowship donated a Church plate and Anniversary booklet to put in the time capsule at Atwood.

In 1974, a new sound cabinet for the organ was purchased and two large fans were given to the church, one by the Youth Fellowship and the other by Mr. Art Gross. In 1975, repairs on the parsonage and painting were completed.

The Church steeple was repaired and permission was given to the United Church of Atwood to use our Church for weddings and funeral while they were in the process of building their new Church.

At a special congregational meeting on May 2, 1976, a carpet pattern was chosen and it was voted to purchase new carpet and pad for the Church.  Mr. Art Gross gave Zion a Certificate of Deposit for $1,000.

A confirmation Reunion service was held on June 6, 1976. Zion had a special morning worship service, a basket dinner, and the Rev. Arnold Bizer was the afternoon speaker.

In 1977, ceiling tile for the basement was purchased and installed by members of our Church.  Grace and Bob Randall had fashioned a large cross made from a single tree for display in the sanctuary during the Lenten season.  Members of Tuscola UCC would worship with members of Zion during the Lenten season, meeting at one church for part of the midweek services and at the other church for part of the services.

A basket dinner was held on June 25, 1978 to honor Kerstin Soderstrom, the foreign exchange student from Norway, who made her home with the Lyle Heit family.  The foyer and front steps were carpeted by an anonymous donor and repairs were made to the parsonage.

There were special services and activities in 1979 including a Mission Sunday on April 1 where Mrs. Dottie Miller was the guest speaker and, on June 24, Zion participated in a “lay-exchange” where several members from Zion went to Danville while persons from the Sidney UCC worshipped with us.  One of the major goals for our Church that year was to try to interest some of Zion’s inactive members into getting involved in the church again.

The bottom of the hymn racks were padded to reduce noise, and a new rope was installed on the bell after it broke one Sunday morning.

In 1980, a new white altar cloth was given to the church by the Women’s Fellowship, Sunday school, and Memorial Fund.

Members of the church tore off wall paper and put on new at the parsonage.  Also acoustic tile was installed in three rooms upstairs, and a new door was purchased.

On August 4, it was decided to purchase micro filming of our Church records.

A church family night was held September 21 and Troye Kauffman told of his experiences as a Scout Camp Counselor and Lisa Heit told about her trip to Denmark.

At Christmas, Mrs. Phyllis Schultz presented the church with a group of hand-painted nativity figurines to decorate the altar during advent.

At the January 1981 annual meeting of the congregation, Rev. Van Camp read a letter of resignation effective the end of August.  Several joint meetings were then held between the Tuscola and Zion churches and it was eventually voted on to remain yoked with one another.

A bouquet of flowers was sent from Zion to the Tuscola UCC in honor of their 75^th Anniversary Celebration.  A picture of Jesus was given by Miss Lavenda Adolph.

Rev. Kenneth Roedder, 1981-2002

A special congregational meeting was held on Sunday, October 18, 1981, to ask questions and to vote on whether or not to call Rev. Kenneth Roedder as our next pastor.  The vote was unanimously in favor of calling him to serve both congregations and he accepted.   Rev. Roedder began his pastorate at Zion on November 1, 1981.  Dr. Arthur Bradley, Area Conference Minister of the Central Association, preached at the installation service for Rev. Roedder on December 13, and a reception was held at Tuscola UCC afterwards. Another special meeting was held to discuss the times of the two churches’ worship service, and a motion was made and carried that we leave the time just as it currently was – six months at 9:00 A.M. and six months at 10:30 A.M.

Three Sunday worship services were canceled in January were cancelled because of blizzard conditions and snow-drifted roads in 1981.  Wireless hearing aids were purchased and, after their installation, it was explained how to use them.  Two new Hunter ceiling fans were purchased and installed by Randall Electric in the church sanctuary.  Mr. and Mrs. Fred Korte took upon themselves the task of bringing the church records up to date and Bill and Kathy Kauffman, Gary and Phyllis Hendrickson, and Paul and Delores Greve provided Zion with a special Gospel Hymnal.

Even though Zion had not had its ministers and their families living in the parsonage since Rev. Jeide in 1968, the home was kept in good repairs for those who rented it.  To that end, in 1982, the outside walls and attic of the parsonage were insulated at a cost of $2,316.

In April of 1983, the Harlan E. Moore Co. insulated the entire attic area of the church with special attention to the attic area above the mural of Christ above the altar. It was decided to fill the space above the painting completely to avoid any air movement which could create condensation on the painting.  Cost of the insulation project was $2,156.

A lock box was secured at the State Bank of Arthur for important documents and to store the Bible received from Kaiserin Augusta Victoria in 1907.

Several other changes occurred during 1983.  It was decided to have communion only on the first Sunday of every month.  It was decided to purchase steel doors, painted white with glass inserts, for the Sunday school entrance. A used mimeograph machine was purchased. A kneeling bench made by F. & B. Woodworking was given to the Church through Memorial Fund monies.   Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services were cancelled that year because of cold temperatures and snow-drifted roads. The temperatures were 19 and 23 degrees below zero.

A special congregational meeting was held on August 26, 1984 to decide about tuck pointing and sealing the exterior of the church building, waterproofing the basement, and proceeding with the possible remodeling of the sanctuary.

On October 2, 1984, Illini Basement Water Control of Champaign was hired, at a cost of $3,082.00, to install a baseboard trough all along the interior basement walls to channel ground water that comes in during heavy rains to the sump pump.

On October 26, 1984, Western Waterproofing Company of Springfield was contracted to tuck point and seal the entire brick exterior of the church at a cost of $4,840.00.

At the January Congregational meeting in 1985, plans were made to celebrate the 115^th Anniversary of Zion.   An updated list of church members with their addresses was compiled.  Approximately 125 members were listed.  As part of the celebration, 200 booklets for the 115^th Church Anniversary were ordered for the service held on June 23, 1985.

A family night was held at Tuscola UCC on February 19 for a program presented by Rev. Roedder about his recent travel to the Holy Land.  Zion members helped financially to make his trip possible.

The first meeting of our “Young Adults” group occurred on November 25, 1985.

Average church attendance for worship services during this period of time was 60 per Sunday.  Being mindful of the fact that we need to make our building  accessible, Bill Kauffman built and donated an aluminum ramp for the front entrance of the church to make it easier for the disabled to enter.

In 1986, Zion had six family nights featuring a Sunday brunch, a special speaker from Matthew House, a hamburger fry, a Halloween party, a soup supper, and the traditional “Hanging of the Greens” at the start of the Advent season.

On July 14, 1986, Zion was a beneficiary of the Herbert C. Kruse Estate and received $10, 672.70 from that trust.

At a specially-called congregational meeting in 1986, members voted to proceed with a sanctuary redecoration project with a budget estimate of $32,000.00.  Rod Randall was selected as the chairperson of the Redecoration Committee.  With what Zion had  received from the Kruse Trust, and through the generosity of the entire congregation, Zion was again able to hire the services of Paul Schanbacher of Springfield, Illinois to completely remodel the sanctuary at a cost of $28,449.30. 

During the sanctuary remodeling, the canvas-covered interior walls were covered with “blueboard” by O E Schrock, Inc of Arthur and plastered by their subcontractor from Robinson, IL.  A brass railing was added to the short front wall of the balcony by Gingerich Bros Construction of Arcola out of concern that a young person could easily fall over the short existing wall.

 Zion worshiped in the old sanctuary on January 4, 1987, but while the remodeling was in process, church services were held in the basement for three months.  Then, on April 1, for a Wednesday evening Lenten service, the congregation was able to worship in the newly redecorated sanctuary.   On May 17,  a “Service of Thanksgiving” was held to give thanks for the successful completion  of this project.

During 1987, the parsonage was covered with vinyl siding, improvements were made to the church’s basement and kitchen, a partition was built on the west end of the basement to provide a storage area, and a plain-paper copier was purchased.

Dr. Robert L. Randall, a favorite son of the congregation, and Dr. C. Arthur Bradley, Area Association Minister, were guest speakers for a worship service held on June 14 to honor the 25^th Anniversary of Rev. Roedder’s ordination.

An oak bulletin board for the back of the church was given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Clausen through memorial gifts.  A new sign with interchangeable letters for the front of the church was given in memory of Walter Von Lanken by his family and memorial gifts.  The concrete base for the sign was poured by Rick Taylor and Bob Randall and the masonry work was done by Bud Bolt of Atwood.

In 1988, the congregation voted to purchase and installed a new roof over the entire church building with architectural fiberglass shingles designed to resemble the original slate roof, and approved plans to  make repairs on the bell tower in 1989.

New oak coat racks were installed at the back of the sanctuary, the congregation remodeled and renovated the rooms in the Sunday school wing, and speakers installed in the nursery so worship services could be heard. We had six family nights, four at Zion and two with our sister congregation in Tuscola.

1989 was another productive year for Zion.  Repairs to the bell tower and the parsonage re-siding was completed.  Through the efforts of Larry and Judy Gardner a youth fellowship was organized. An all Parish picnic was held at Ervin Park in Tuscola in honor of Rev. and Mrs. Van Camp. An important addition to our worship service was a gift of pew Bibles in memory of Henry Schultz.  On October 29, our parish celebrated the 20^th Anniversary of “Yoked Ministry” with the Rev. Karen Olm-Stoelting, Area Association officiating.

The 1990’s brought about all kinds of changes, additions, and events to Zion.  In 1990, the Memorial Committee purchased a new set of purple altar cloths, the Come Join Us group had new carpet installed on the front steps,  and Zion participated in a pulpit exchange with the Vine Street Christian (Disciples of Christ) Church of Arthur.

In 1991, a preschool Sunday school class was formed  and a set of green altar clothes were given in memory of  George and Almeda Ernst.  This year approximately 56 couples and individuals used the offering envelope system to give their donation to the church, and these gifts were still being recorded weekly by the church treasurer.

On October 3, Rev. Roedder had quadruple heart by-pass surgery, and his first service back in the pulpit was November 3.  Rod Randall served as liturgist for three months during his absence and even upon Rev. Roedder’s return so that he would not have to stand for long times during the worship services.

1992 was a special year for Zion. On June 7, the congregation recognized and celebrated the 25^th Anniversary of Dr. Robert Randall’s ordination and Rev. Roedder’s 30^th Ordination Anniversary.  On the same day after worship, Zion held an informational congregational meeting for the purpose of considering the purchase of a new organ for the church.  There was some discussion about the need to replace the old Hammond organ that was purchased in 1952, but on June 21, before the vote was taken on whether or not to purchase a new organ, the congregation was informed that enough money had been donated or pledged to completely pay for a new Rodgers organ at a total cost of $24,950.00 after the $2,000,00 trade-in allowance for the old Hammond organ.  The contract was signed on July 8 and the organ was dedicated on September 20, with guest organist, Mark Gifford, a Rodgers Organ representative for Byerly Music Company of Champaign, playing the organ and demonstrating its capabilities.

On October 25, another son of the congregation was ordained into the Christian Ministry, the Rev. Michael Mulberry, and our Parish presented Mike with his first robe.

1993 proved to be another busy year in the life of the church.  One of the interesting events that caught the imagination  of the congregation was “The Use of Our Talents.”  In January, Rev. Roedder gave ten dollars of his own money to 28 families and individuals who were willing to participate in this Parable of the Talents project.   At the end of the program the original seed money had grown to $1,983.

Throughout the years, the members of Zion have been concerned about the protection of the church’s beautiful stained glass windows, and 1994 brought some wonderful surprises. A special congregational meeting had been called for May 22 to discuss the need to replace the old protective storm windows covering the stained glass and the congregation overwhelmingly accepted the challenge. Total cost for the project was $22,400, but because of various options selected, such as having the metal framework of the storm windows follow the lines of the wooden arches of the original windows and using the more permanent plate glass instead of Plexiglas, the above figure was increased approximately $3000. Once again the congregation came through with the necessary funds, as did St. Peter’s United Church of Christ of Elmhurst, Illinois. St. Peter’s UCC was entering upon a capital funds drive called “Preserve the Treasures” and Zion was included in that congregation’s goal.  On September 4, Dr. Robert Randall presented Zion with a check for $6,420.84 and later in the fall, we received an additional amount from St. Peter’s which made the total gift $7,092.34 toward the preservation of the church’s windows.  During the process of installing the storm windows, some small pieces of stain glass had to be removed to provide space for window frames that could be opened.  These small pieces of glass were collected and made into crosses that several members of the congregation purchased to hang in their homes.

For decades, when people spoke about of Zion, one of the things most often mentioned was the annual ice cream social.  It is not certain when this tradition began, but it was in full swing in the early 1930’s when Rev. Kutz was pastor because he mentioned it in a letter he sent to Zion for its 90^th Anniversary.  Members of the congregation would perform plays behind the church and provide other forms of entertainment to the crowd enjoying home-made ice cream on the church grounds.  For a number of years, members of Zion made as much as 165 gallons of vanilla, pineapple, and peppermint ice cream for the event and regularly served over 400 people.  People came from far and wide and exclaimed, “It’s the best ice cream ever!.” All things must come to an end, and since the large, tractor-driven ice cream freezers were getting older, as were the church members who made the ice cream, 1993 marked the end of Zion’s legendary ice cream social.

Zion began to view itself as “A Church in Mission” and sought out ways to reach out to the greater community.  The church began collecting food regularly for the Arthur and Atwood food pantries, donated annually to the two communities’ fire departments for Christmas food baskets, responded with a gift of $500 to the Atwood Christian Church when a fire in 1993 completely destroyed their building, donated $1,030 through a special offering to the “Hurricane Disaster Fund” when there was devastating flooding along the Mississippi River, and created a “Local Charities” fund to assist those in the area with emergency needs. In 1997, Zion had an all-church auction to raise funds for the church’s various projects.  Members of the congregation donated items to be sold and items of the church no longer in use were auctioned off as well.

Other events and changes this year included the purchase of new pew seat cushions,  participating in the Meals-on-Wheels program in Arthur, holding three family nights, church member participation in the Walk for CROP, having Sunday morning greeters, and

the Women’s Fellowship hosting their first Bazaar in November.  Members of the Women’s Fellowship and others had met weekly to work on craft items for the Bazaar, items for Bazaar’s bake sale were made, and the men of the church served a free-will donation breakfast. The event was nicknamed “BBB” which stood for  “Breakfast, Bake Sale & Bazaar” and it continued for ten years until 2007.

In 1998, The Memorial Committee had a chair lift installed so that it was easier for some members to go to the basement for church events.

During 1999, Zion served a meal to the United States Marine Corps Marching Band when they were participating in the Apple Dumpling Parade in Atwood.  Zion also had a float in the parade.  Other events that year included five family nights, the installation of new windows for the Sunday school rooms, new carpet for the basement steps provided by the Women’s fellowship, an organ concert by Mark Gifford, and a live nativity scene for the Christmas Eve service.

During this time, the Sohort estate became available to the area churches it was ultimately designed to support.  Jerry Hale and Rod Randall of Zion’s Church Council attended a meeting at the Atwood State Bank to learn the details of the trust.  This trust began providing annually approximately $30,000 to Zion.  The congregation voted to tithe 10% of this money received annually for assistance to others. An endowment fund was also established for the Church and some of the Sohort Estate money was put aside in this fund along with other generous contributions from several members of the church over the years.  A “Perpetual Member” plaque was made by Ed Suhl to recognize gifts of $5000 or more to the Endowment Fund and hung in the foyer of the church.

In 2000, the church purchased a new water fountain, painted the basement, had a new water heater installed, painted the Sunday school rooms installed a new combination lock on the Sunday school exterior doors, installed new guttering, purchased a MIDI for the organ, and held five family nights.  Bob Randall and Ed Suhl made several white crosses for members to put out in their yards for Easter.  Zion marched in the 4^th of July parade in Arthur and the Apple Dumpling Parade in Atwood.

During  2001, a  light was put in the bulletin board, the church and parsonage were hooked up to “city” water, a plan for new outdoor lighting around the church was worked on, a new chair rack was purchased, and Bob Randall repaired the outdoor sign.  The church also had a food drive where the people who normally sat in the pews on the north side of the church competed with those who normally sat on the south side to see which group brought the most food.   Both groups brought food and lined it up all around the walls of the sanctuary on their side of the church.  At the end of the food drive, the side that brought the least food was going to have to serve a meal to the side that brought the most.  The south side won the competition by some trickery when it stashed a large amount of canned goods in the balcony on its side of the church.

In 2002, Rob Randall of Arthur Boy Scout Troop 74 and  Elliot Smith of Arcola Troop 88, having both achieved the rank of Life Scout, worked on the God and Life program during Sunday School  for several weeks with their fathers, Wally, who was Scoutmaster of Troop 88 and Rod, who was Committee Chairman for Troop 74. Rev. Roedder bestowed upon Rob and Elliot the “God and Life” Award during Sunday worship on June 23.

After serving the longest tenure of any minister at Zion, June 23, 2002 was Rev. Roedder’s last official worship service.  In the afternoon of June 30, there was a special Open House at the Community Building for Rev. Roedder to recognize his past twenty years of service to the two churches.  His wife, Maxine, and his mother, Esther (nicknamed “Gobie”) Roedder were also recognized. This event also commemorated Rev. Roedder’s 40 years of service in the ministry.

Rev. Ralph Deal, 2002-2009

Rev. Ralph Deal began serving as interim pastor in 2002 and was then hired on a permanent basis until the end of 2009.  At that time the nearly 40-year yoke with Tuscola UCC ended and Zion proceeded to acquire ministerial services on its own.  During these years, more work was done to waterproof the basement, early on Gary Hendrickson, as President of the Church Board, led several sessions on vision-building, and new hymnals were purchased in memory of Esther VonLanken.

However, this period of time was plagued with conflict among church members and attendance at worship services dropped significantly.  Even the Church Board did not maintain the prescribed number of Trustees and Elders (5) to properly conduct the business of the church.

The result of this conflict was that some members withdrew their membership from the church and left, other members faithfully remained and worked through the issues that caused the conflict, and other members returned to the church as the conflict began to be resolved.

Pastor Dennis R. Hanner, 2010-17

At the close of 2009, Pastor Dennis Hanner, having learned of Zion’s need for pastoral leadership, approached some members of Zion about offering his services to the church however it was needed.  After a meeting with church leaders, it was decided to enlist his assistance immediately.

Zion voted unanimously to hire Dennis Hanner as pastor on July 5, 2010. Pastor Hanner had been serving Zion since January of 2010 on an interim basis.  He quickly became involved with the 140^th Anniversary Committee to help plan the Anniversary Celebration held on Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8, 2010.

At the Rededication Service on Sunday, August 8, Pastor Hanner led the 10:00 AM morning worship service, former pastor Rev. Kenneth Roedder made comments, Ramona Carlyle was the organist, Gary Hendrickson was the pianist, and Barbara Smith served as liturgist.  Other speakers included: Rev. Roger VonLanken, William Randall, Waltham Smith, and Rod Randall.  The church choir sang an introit, anthem, and a closing response.

Rev. Dr. Robert L. Randall was unable to attend the service, but sent this note to the church – “It may sound corny, but for me it’s true:  You can take the boy out of the country church, but you can’t take the country church out of the boy.  My experiences at Zion have been part of every sermon I’ve preached, every book I’ve written, every client I’ve counseled.  For that and more I’m very grateful.”

At the Annual Meeting held on January 3, 2011, the following members were present:  Pastor Hanner, Waltham Smith-Board President, Phyllis Romine-Treasurer, Rod Randall-Secretary, Delores Greve-Elder, Phyllis Hendrickson-Trustee, Barbara Smith, Bob Randall, Lyle Heit, Patty Heit, Jerry Hale, B J Hale, Harlan Appleby, LaVerne Appleby, Katherine Drake, and Jeanna Sequoya.

The Women’s Fellowship was an active group in the church.  This organization made lap robes for the nursing home, collected and sent off school kits and health kits, made “favors” for the Arthur Home and entertained its residents three times a year, provided funds to purchase needed items for the church, donated to Matthew House and Beth’s Place, collected food monthly for two food pantries, collected used stamps to be sent off, donated to Emmaus Home, gave to local Christmas projects, held an annual Mother & Daughter Banquet, and more.

Zion was also active with the Atwood Hammond Area Association of Churches. Members of Zion serve on a committee that picks student from Atwood Hammond School District for the Slater Scholarship.  Come Join Us is a social organization of the church and meets monthly for fun activities.

Water damaged the unoccupied parsonage when pipes from the hot-water heating system froze and burst.  The building required an extensive amount of repair and remodeling. The floors and wood work had to be refinished, new windows installed, walls and ceilings repaired, the half bath downstairs was made bigger to include a shower and room for washer and dryer, new kitchen cabinets were installed, and new plumbing and electrical wiring was installed.  Several members donated generously to make these repairs possible.  A big tree between the house and garage was removed because there was concern it might fall down on the parsonage in a big windstorm.

In 2011, Zion hosted the Atwood-Hammond Area Association of Churches’ Easter Sunrise Service and hosted a community Thanksgiving Service followed by a potluck dinner.

Since Pastor Hanner would not be using the parsonage, a rental agreement for the newly-remodeled parsonage was created and it was decided to charge $600.00 per month for rent.  Twenty-five rental applications were sent out to people wanting to rent the parsonage.  David and Gemma Bartholomew were selected to be the parsonage newest tenants.

The church received a generous gift from Ed and Madalyn Suhl to help with recent projects.  Ed and Madalyn had been unable to attend church services due to health issues.  Madalyn celebrated her 90th birthday in April.

Pastor Hanner made arrangements for the church to have a Sunday-after-Church meal at Rockome Restaurant on August 14, 2011.  The Church Board approved Pastor Hanner purchasing a portable Communion set so that he could use it when visiting shut-ins.

In the fall of 2011, the Board and congregation did a lot of Vision Building for the church and, on October 13, at the initial formal meeting on the topic, nineteen people were in attendance to talk about and share ideas how the church should proceed in the near-future years to come.  One popular idea concerning the church building was to make it handicap accessible and to add upstairs bathrooms.

Then in January of 2012, Pastor Hanner, Rod Randall, and Delores Greve met with an architect, Riley Glerum, of igw Architecture of Champaign, IL to have preliminary construction estimates and schematics for what later would become known as the Accessibility Project.  Having had previous extensive discussion with the congregation about the project, in March the Church Board entered into an agreement for $4500.00 with igw Architecture to prepare preliminary plans for the project.

On July 1, Rev. Kenneth Roedder provided pulpit supply for Zion and many members of his family attended to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of his ordination.  The Women’s Fellowship provided a meal after the worship service and the church presented Rev. Roedder with a gift of appreciation.

At the Quarterly Congregational Meeting on July 9, the cost of the proposed Accessibility Project was estimated at $175,000.00.  Ramona Carlyle made a motion to proceed with the project as soon as half that amount was “in hand.”  Patty Heit seconded the motion.  With the money the church had already designated for the project, an additional $11,500.00 would need to be raised before the project could begin.  In less than sixty days, more than that amount was received through donations by church members.

On October 23, 2012, the Church Board entered into an agreement with igw Architecture in the amount of $26,620.00 to prepare final plans for the project, to conduct the bidding process, and to serve as consultants during construction.

At the December Church Board meeting, Pastor Hanner asked for clarification about children partaking of Communion.  It was the consensus of the Board that people regularly attending Zion should adhere to the constitutional requirement that a young person does not take communion until after completing the confirmation process.  This should be communicated to new members and those regularly attending worship services in a tactful manner.  No issue will be made about children of guests or visitors taking communion since their church traditions may differ.  The Board, however, suggested that anyone over the age of sixteen should be allowed to partake in Communion, but, if regularly attending Zion, should at least make a profession of faith in lieu of confirmation.

On May 20, 2013 Zion entered into an agreement in the amount of $126,900.00 with Willard Helmuth Construction of Arthur, IL for the construction of the church’s Accessibility Project which included a lift to take people from the sanctuary to the basement along with a new entrance into the sanctuary from the Sunday school wing.  Expected completion of the project would be by September, but the project continued into the following year.  A subsequent change order made the final construction amount $131,652.65.

Fundraising for the project began which included a plaque recognizing significant gifts.  The Arthur Community Bank was willing to loan the church any shortfall of funds for the project.

In October the church decided to replace the old piano with a Yamaha electric piano at a cost of $1350.00.  The idea to replace the existing piano was partly due to the fact it would have to be moved to get out of the way for the new doorway at the front of the sanctuary.

The 2014 Church Board consisted of Wally Smith – president, Howard Kamm – vice-president, Phyllis Romine – treasurer, Rod Randall-secretary, Jerry Hale-elder, and Pastor Hanner.

It was decided that the aluminum ramp built by Bill Kauffman several years ago to make the front steps of the church more accessible could now be removed since the new lift had been installed at the south entrance.

On Sunday, June 1, 2014, at 3:00 PM, a Service of Dedication was held for the Accessibility Project.  Pastor Hanner led the service and special music was provided by a local singing group, Power of Praise.  Other speakers included Waltham Smith who spoke about the purpose of the project, Rod Randall who spoke about the congregation’s response and support of the project, and Ramona Carlyle spoke as a representative of the congregation.

Dr. Robert L. Randall, Pastor Emeritus, St. Peters UCC, Elmhurst, IL made dedicatory remarks.  Refreshments were served afterwards by the Women’s Fellowship.I

n September of 2014, the Church Board proposed sweeping changes and enhancements to Zion’s worship, fellowship, and community outreach programs.  The congregation willingly embraced the ideas which included: hiring an individual or firm to develop and maintain a website and Facebook page for the church, run a “marketing” campaign about Zion in local newspapers, hiring Ramona Carlyle as Music and Christian Education Coordinator and creating a job description for that position.

On the first Sunday of the month, the worship service would continue to have Communion and utilize different liturgists in the service.  Afterwards, there would be refreshments and a fellowship time called Christian Conversations where current headlines would be discussed, then church business would be discussed, and lastly there would be time to discuss social and moral dilemmas that are pulled out of a hat and read.

On the second Sunday of the month, Zion would host a catered breakfast after the worship service for anyone who wanted to attend.  Church members were encouraged to invite guests, and, once in a while, a group of church members from the Hammond United Methodist Church would attend and be part of the fellowship.

On the third Sunday of the month, special music for the worship service was arranged.  This included professional musicians and singers such as a Zion favorite, Laurel Jean, who, blind from birth, is a Christian recording artist, pianist, vocalist, and inspirational speaker.

For the fourth Sunday of the month guest speakers/pulpit supply was scheduled.  In response to a request by Pastor Hanner, this also allowed more free time for him and his family by having a Sunday off per month.

If there was a fifth Sunday of the month, sometimes the congregation would together attend another church on that Sunday and then invite that congregation to attend Zion on the next fifth Sunday.  The Hammond United Methodist Church and Lake Fork UCC both participated in this with Zion.  Each church provided fellowship and extensive refreshments after the worship service.

All these events were advertised on a weekly basis in local newspapers inviting the public to attend, including the free brunch, which was of some concern because no one knew what to expect when it came to the number of people who might show up.  Even though some guests did come to these events, they did not attract the numbers hoped for or produced people who might become involved with Zion on a more regular basis.  However, the current members of the congregation enjoyed the enhancements to the worship services and additional fellowship opportunities.

Due to a lack of a quorum, items on the January 12, 2015 Quarterly Congregational Meeting’s agenda were voted on at a Sunday, January 25, 2015 meeting held after the worship service.  One item was to approve retiring the remaining debt on the Accessibility Project with funds available from the general operating fund.  No money for this project had actually been borrowed except that general funds had been used to pay the contractor which had not been officially designated for the project.

On Sunday, May 15, 2015, several members of Arthur Boy Scout Troop 74 attend Zion’s church service.  The troop had been camping over the weekend at Brad-O-Clen.  The Women’s Fellowship provided the troop and congregation refreshments after the worship service.

On a trial basis, a few other Congregational Meetings were held after the Sunday worship service in order to include more members.  It had sometimes become difficult to get church members to attend evening meetings, especially during inclement weather.

As Zion’s new worship and fellowship activities approached the end of its first year on August 31, 2015, an eight-page survey had earlier been given to members of the congregation to evaluate the effectiveness of those activities and events.  After tabulating the results of the survey, it was decided to extend the new programming for an additional year.

On September 19, 2015 a Come Join Us activity was for church members, family members, and guests to attend Green Mill Theater’s production of Half-Stitched: The Musical in Arcola, IL.

In October, the congregation approved the purchase of a second Yamaha Clavinova to replace the old piano being used for Sunday school.

After the Church Board had approved allowing a dog to serve as the ring-bearer for a non-member wedding to be held at Zion, no dog was used, but the newly-married couple leaving the church on the back of a camel brought lots of attention throughout the community.

At its December 2015 meeting, the Church Board discussed plans about future remodeling.  It was decided to request preliminary cost estimates from Helmuth Construction about either extensively remodeling the basement and existing basement bathrooms of the church or remodeling the existing Sunday school room and converting that area into ground-level bathrooms.

At the April 2, 2016 Quarterly Congregational Meeting, a preliminary cost estimate by Willard Helmuth Construction to attach a 36′ X 52′ fellowship hall on the east side of the existing church and to install ADA compliant bathrooms in the existing Sunday school area in the amount of $235,000.00 was reviewed.  It was decided later to consider the fellowship hall and bathrooms as two separate projects.

A Special Congregational Meeting was held after the Sunday worship service on June 12, 2016.  The purpose of this meeting was to review remodeling proposals to see if any further action should be taken.  The bathroom remodeling project revised estimate was $70,000.00 and that money was already in-hand.  The construction of the fellowship hall was estimated at $175,000.00 and would require fundraising, pledges, and possibly a bank loan to finance that project.

Howard Kamm made a motion to get a firm quote and detailed construction plans for the bathroom remodeling, to include the remodeling of the church office and classroom in the Sunday school addition of the church, and to immediately proceed with minor cleanup, repairs, and remodeling in the basement.  The motion carried unanimously.

It was noted that 2017 would be the 110th anniversary of the building of this, the third church of Zion, in 1907, and that 2017 would be a perfect time to accomplish a major construction project for the church.  Also, it was mentioned that the Church Board is working on new pastoral leadership since Pastor Hanner had announced his intended close of service as Zion’s pastor on December 31, 2016.

UCC Association minister, Rev. Tom Norwalk, led the Sunday worship service on June 26, 2016 and remained for a Special Consistory Meeting after the service.  The purpose of the meeting was to begin the formal process of searching for a new minister for Zion.    Rev. Norwalk answered questions and provided each member with a packet of information about the search process.

At the July 11, 2016 Quarterly Congregational Meeting, the Church Board was approved by the congregation to also serve as Zion’s Search Committee, and basement remodeling was approved in an amount not to exceed $5000.00 which included the remodeling of the kitchen by White’s Home Maintenance.

New concrete front steps were installed by Gingerich Construction.  Later new handrails for the steps were added by Tri-County Welding.  Most of the approximately $6000 project was paid for through a generous donation from Dorothy “Maxine” Jurgens.

Rev. Roedder was the guest pastor on Sunday, August 28, 2016.  As part of the weekend celebration of his 80th birthday, on Saturday, August 27, Zion hosted a surprise dinner party at Yoder’s Restaurant for him, his family, special friends, and the congregation.

2017 was also another busy year.  Pastor Hanner continued serving Zion as pastor on a month-to-month basis as the Church Board began a search for a new pastor.  There was discussion about revitalizing Come Join Us and looking for new activities.  It was also decided to hold church meetings on the second Monday of the month instead of the first Monday.

A letter from the Board was sent to Lake Fork UCC of rural Atwood to see if there was any interest in sharing pastoral services between the two congregations.  Rev. Norwalk also contacted Lake Fork about the prospect of doing this.  Lake Fork indicated they had no interest in sharing a pastor.

At a special Sunday morning Congregational Meeting on February 26, 2017,  Howard Kamm made a motion to accept the bid of Willard Helmuth Construction for the Phase Two bathroom remodeling project in the amount of $65,375.00 with an additional $10,000.00 in contingency funding.  Louise Butterick seconded the motion which carried unanimously. Construction began in late March.

All after-worship church activities like Bible studies, devotionals, church business meetings, brunches, and other events had to be permanently moved to the church basement when construction began on the ground-level bathroom project.  However, access to the basement became easy with the new stairway and lift.

Since it did not appear that Zion would be able to share a pastor with Lake Fork UCC or call a new pastor in the near future, Pastor Hanner said that his last Sunday at Zion would be April 30, 2017 and that he and his wife, Marianne, would like to host a fellowship time for the congregation after the worship service.  The congregation also hosted a surprise appreciation dinner for Pastor Hanner at one of his favorite restaurants, The Rib Eye, in Champaign.

Beginning in May, Zion would use a rotating pulpit supply for Sunday worship services that included former pastor Rev. Kenneth Roedder, retired Methodist minister Rev. Leroy Allison, Pastor Hanner, and various speakers like Leroy Powell, Danny Power, and Rev. Robert Randall.

At another Sunday morning Special Congregational Meeting on September 10, 2017, there was discussion about how much Zion could afford in compensation for a new pastor.  A suggested compensation package was presented in the amount of $47,368.00 annually for a part time pastor position.   Patty Heit made a motion to accept the suggested compensation package.  Nathan Butterick seconded the motion.  All members present voted “yes” with two abstentions.   Rev. Norwalk recommended adjusting the compensation package by shifting the original monetary housing allowance to a “parsonage provided” compensation package at $45,567.00.

Zion’s current heating and air conditioning system had been installed in 1995, so it was 22 years old.  Repair issues had come up including needing an expensive control board and replacing one of the three furnace’s heat exchanger.  Oye’s Hardware of Arthur gave Zion a generous quote of $11,428.00 to replace all three sanctuary furnaces and outdoor condensing units.  At a Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday morning on November 19, 2017 a grateful congregation approved Oye’s bid.

At the January 7, 2018 Congregational Meeting, even though Women’s Fellowship and Come Join Us had been active in 2017 with events such as a mini-golf outing, participation in Arthur and Atwood parades, providing funeral dinners, hosting a fall community wiener roast and hayride at Brad-O-Clen, providing fruit baskets to Arthur Home residents, and more, it was discussed that the energies of the two organizations should be combined since these events in reality were all-church events.  The existing funds of theses organizations would later be combined into one separate “Fellowship Fund” managed by the church treasurer.

In April, Ron Weaver of Jacksonville Art Glass inspected the church’s stained glass windows and reported that they are in good shape.

Rev. Dennis Edward Gartung, 2018-19

A Special Congregational Meeting was held on Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 10:35 AM.  There was discussion about a compensation package for ministerial services provided by pastoral candidate, Rev. Dennis Gartung, as prepared by Zion’s Search Committee with input from Association Minister Rev. Tom Norwalk.  David Hackett made a motion to approve the package.  Barb Smith seconded the motion.  Motion carried.

Considering the importance of calling a new pastor and that any decision to do so should require more than a simple majority vote, Rod Randall made a motion that the decision to call the current candidate to be Zion’s pastor must be approved by a two-thirds vote.  Phyllis Romine second the motion which carried.

On a vote by secret ballot, with only one “no” vote, Rev. Gartung was called to become Zion’s pastor for a contractual period from June 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019.

At his first Quarterly Congregational Meeting at Zion on July 8, 2018, Rev. Gartung reported that he and his wife, Ruthie, had made home visits, hospital visits, visited residents at the Arthur Home and Eberhardt Village, is looking into having a Confirmation Class for all church members on Sundays after the worship service, has launched a Mid-Week Good News email letter to church members, etc.

Improvements to the church property included new blinds for the newly remodeled classroom and office, new guttering at the parsonage, resurfacing the church basement’s floor, a repair to the lift, and repairs to the septic system.

A new church directory was put together and, at her husband’s request, B J Hale, after years of writing the Zion News for the Arthur Graphic-Clarion newspaper, was relieved of that weekly task.  She had taken over writing the church article after her friend, Phyllis Hendrickson, passed away.  Phyllis had written the Zion News for decades.  A “collaborative effort” by church individuals to keep producing articles for the newspaper has since been ongoing.

Donations were pledged to have custom built a changing dresser for the new women’s bathroom to match the rest of the woodwork.  Wilson’s Kitchens and More built the dresser for $1,230.79.

At the March 11, 2019 Consistory Meeting, there was heated discussion about Rev. Gartung’s after worship Confirmation Study and that it needed to be better organized and made more relevant to those present.  Other issues came up with the result that the pastor left the meeting.  The following Sunday, Rev. Gartung announced his intended retirement from the ministry immediately.  Zion returned to its previous pulpit supply rotation.

Ramona Carlyle took over the Mid-Week Good News, began Facebook postings, and led other church activities in the absence of a minister.

After months of being completed, in May, Zion received its final bill for the Phase Two remodeling project from Willard Helmuth Construction.  Everyone was glad the church had the funds to pay for the project.

Plans began on ways to celebrate Zion’s 150th Anniversary in 2020.  The church was founded on February 17, 1870.  Some of the suggested activities for a weekend of celebration on June 13-14, 2020 included: an ice cream social and a Sunday afternoon service with special speakers and music, with a catered outdoor, under-a-tent catered dinner.

In February of 2020, new custom-built furniture was delivered to the church by the Woodloft in Arthur for the office and classroom.  Furniture for the office was provided in part through donations by the Heit family.  Furniture for the classroom was provided in part through donations by Bruce Romine and the estate of Minnie Taylor.

2020 also marked the 80th anniversary of the Zion News.  The first printing of the Zion News occurred in May 1940.  It was printed on a new mimeograph machine that had been purchased by the Young People’s League.  Initially, it was a church newsletter distributed to the congregation at church and by mail.

To help celebrate Zion’s 150th Anniversary this year, the Zion News as published in the Arthur Graphic-Clarion included historical information about our church in several weekly editions.  This was information like – “Members of the Young People’s League in 1940 included: Edith Adolph, Robert Adolph, Raymond Blaase, Lloyd Clausen <Secretary>, Margaret (Clausen) Knobloch <Treasurer>, Juanita Greve, Mary Fern (Heit) Carlyle, Eugene Jurgens, Robert Jurgens <President>, Elizabeth (Korte) Crocker, F. A. (Fred) Korte, Thelma (Heit) Korte, Edward Suhl, and Russel Sievers.”  In 2020, Margaret Knobloch, age 96, and Elizabeth Crocker, age 95 are the only surviving members of the Young People’s League of 1940.

The Search Committee continued looking at pastoral candidate applications and met with one candidate more than once, including a private worship service with the committee and listening to a trial sermon.

Over the past couple of years, trees around the church and parsonage were dying, especial the several Ash trees affected by Emerald Ash Borer infestation.  In 2020, the church spent approximately $9000.00 in tree trimming, tree and stump removal, and the planting of new trees.

In-person worship services abruptly stopped at the end of March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Church meetings were held via an Internet meeting application called Zoom.  Bible Studies and devotional worship services were also conducted via Zoom.  No in-person church activities were conducted for all of 2020.  Sadly, the 150th Anniversary celebration was cancelled.  Later in the year, on the first Sunday of the month, Zoom worship and communion services were provided by various pastors.

In May, a sump pump system to keep water from accumulating in the north window wells of the church was completed.

No poinsettias for the Advent season were ordered to decorate the sanctuary for the first time in anyone’s memory because the congregation was not planning on meeting physically at church.  Fruit baskets were still provided for Zion’s shut-ins and those in health care facilities.  A virtual Christmas Eve program was held via Zoom with some extra guests participating.

And, so –

Our beloved Zion had reached the 150^th Anniversary milestone in 2020.  The year had not turned out as expected.  The search for new pastoral leadership had stalled because of the pandemic.  Our much anticipated celebration of Zion’s legacy over the past 150 years had turned into a mere glimmer of hope that we might be able to celebrate together and in-person Zion’s 150 + 1 years as a congregation.

Many congregations begin admirably in faith and hope, but never survive 150 years. It is a wonderful thing to have great dreams, but it is a far more fulfilling experience to make those dreams come true.

The founding members of this congregation had their dreams 150 years ago for Zion, but they have not been able to be at the helm all these years.  The baton or torch had to be passed on to the following generations, including the present members, who have kept those dreams alive and who have made their own dreams for this church.

For any congregation to reach its 150^th year, two things are evident; 1) God has blessed that congregation with His Spirit and Love and  2) the members and friends have been faithful in their witness and support to keep it alive.  For the first part, let us give thanks to God for all His blessings.  For the second part, let us honor those many individuals who have kept Zion  an instrument of the Lord these many years.

Zion has aspired in the past to be a Christian witness to its community and to be of Christian service throughout the world.  It has provided a place for worship and, hopefully, has served to prepare its members to leave the House of Worship and go out into the work-a-day world with their feet solidly on the ground and their sights firmly focused on God.

Having reached the 150^th Anniversary of its founding, this congregation pauses to give thanks to God, and then looks forward to the years ahead.  May God bless and keep Zion United Church of Christ.

Favorite Sons –

A favorite son is a young person of one’s church who ends up dedicating his life to the ministry or some other aspect of God’s work, and Zion is proud to have given to the Christian Ministry three sons and an adoptive son.  Dr. Detlef C. Jensen, who was ordained July 16, 1916 and died August 3, 1963 at the age of 69 was the first of Zion’s favorite sons.  His body rests in the Zion cemetery.

Rev. Dr. Robert Lee Randall was ordained on June 11, 1967. An honor graduate of the United Theological Seminary, Dr. Randall is a licensed psychologist in the State of Illinois and an ordained pastoral counselor. He received his education from Elmhurst College (1960-1964), United Theological Seminary (1964-1967), and earned his doctorate degree from the University of Chicago (1967-1973.  He has retired as Minister of Counseling Services at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Elmhurst, Illinois,  a position he held since September of 1971. He was bestowed an honorary doctorate degree from Elmhurst College in 1991 and has written numerous articles and books.  In 2008, St. Peter’s UCC named him as only the second “Pastor Emeritus” in its history.

The Rev. Michael Mulberry is a graduate of Metamora Township High School.  He received his B.A. in history from Illinois Wesleyan University and his J.D. from the University of Illinois  College of Law.  Mike graduated from Eden Seminary at Webster Groves, Missouri in 1992 and was ordained into the ministry of the United Church of  Christ at Zion on October 25^th of that year.  He became associated with Zion through his mentor, Rev. Roedder.

Roger VonLanken taught mathematics and science at Niantic-Harristown High School for 26 years and also taught math at Richland Junior College for 11 years. In 1984, God called Roger, his wife, Sandy, and their daughter, Lezlie to a life of mission of mission work.  In 1988, Roger and Sandy were ordained in Tulsa, Oklahoma under Faith Christian Fellowship.  In July of 1991, Roger, Sandy and Lezlie moved to Guatemala to work at Cosecha El Mundo (Harvest the World) Bible School. Presently Roger works for the John A. Logan College at the Alongi Du Quoin extension Center. Roger is Administrator, Adviser, Counselor and also teaches math and tutors students.  Roger and Sandy are pastors at Faith Christian Fellowship and live in Du Quoin, Illinois.

Acknowledgements –

This history of Zion has been prepared by compiling records, using meeting minutes, and referring to histories written for previous church anniversary booklets starting with the translated version of the 40th Anniversary booklet.  In 1910, Rev. I. Th. Seybold took on the task of documenting in German the first years of Zion’s existence by relying on the historical memories of those members of the congregation who had lived it.

Twenty-five years later, while Rev. Lynn Tschudy was pastor of Zion (1935-40), being fluent in German, he translated the church records to English with the help of Hans Heit.  The records were rewritten into a new Church Records book of births, deaths, baptisms, confirmations, and marriages.

In 1960, for the celebration of Zion’s 90th Anniversary,  Rev. Carl F. Hanser (1959-65), with the help of older members of the church like Anna (Ernst) Schultz, Anna (Klink) VonLanken, and George Sohrt, translated more of the German records into English and did a painstakingly complete translation of the 40th Anniversary booklet of 1910.

Since then, church records have been kept up to date by various people, but most notably Thelma (Heit) Korte and Phyllis (VonLanken) Hendrickson.  For decades Thelma kept the record books up-to-date and Phyllis wrote articles for the local newspapers and kept a running history of the church that was used in later anniversary booklets.

More recently, Waltham Smith has kept up the task of recording church births, deaths, baptisms, confirmations, and marriages.  Rod Randall, the son of Grace (VonLanken) Randall, has been compiling historical records, like this one, in an ongoing basis.

In many cases the phrasing of sentences and terms used in those earlier written histories have been unchanged unless it was necessary for the purpose of clarity.  Some information has been added to the original histories in this current version and hopefully other information will come to light to enhance future and ongoing efforts to keep the memories of Zion and its congregations alive.