75 years for his glory, we are wheaton bible church

1893 Chicago World’s Fair

Main at FranklinWheaton, IL 60187

630.260.1600www.wheatonbible.org


Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts.They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. Psalm 145:3–4, 7

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We love God, and we love the church He has knit us together to be. Many of us have been here for only a few short years, some for generations. Yet, spiritually,

we are all part of the same family. We hope you will be inspired and awed by the story of our church. We are! Many great

men and women of God have worked together to make WBC the church we enjoy today — the place we all count on for sound teaching from the Word, a strong commitment to love and care for one another, and continual challenges and support for using our gifts in His service, especially to reach more people for Christ.

Like all families, we’ve faced our share of struggles. But because we hold tight to the Almighty, He has brought us patiently through each valley and rejoiced with us on many a mountaintop.

Please praise Him with us as you read on about “75 Years for His Glory” at Wheaton Bible Church.

Because of Him,

Pastor Rob Bugh Elder Chairman Chuck Stair

P.S. We owe a debt of gratitude to Jim Adair and Mark Moring for their incredible writing skills and assistance in compiling this history.

We are Wheaton Bible Church

Because of Him,

1860–1928

1860 First Church of Christ formed

1886 Statue of Liberty dedicated

1871 Great Chicago Fire


1878 College Church of Christ formed

1861–65 Civil War


Before the Beginning

More than half a century before our church was founded, the seeds were planted at Wheaton College.

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It was 1860. Abraham Lincoln was about to become president, the issue of slavery was

heating up and dividing a nation. It wouldn’t be long before the country plunged into civil war.

Meanwhile, at little Wheaton College, then just seven years old, founder and president Jonathan Blanchard was pushing for a campus church, independent of the college itself. Those in attendance agreed, signing the covenant of the new First Church of Christ.

But not long after our nation’s Civil War ended, First Church had one of its own. Many of its members were involved in the Freemasonry movement, which Blanchard and other church members believed was “of the devil.” After much heated debate, the congregation voted to dissolve in January 1878.

A new congregationThe majority, siding with Blanchard, reorganized and formed College Church of Christ. (The minority group, which continued to call themselves First Church of Christ, later became First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton).

Charles A. Blanchard, son of Jonathan, became pastor of College Church and later president of Wheaton College. Though independent, the church and the college were closely intertwined. The church used campus facilities, including the chapel for its primary place of worship. College students were integral to the church, and were among its fi rst missionaries.

Before the Beginning

Blanchard Hall: The early seeds were sown at Wheaton College.

Jonathan Blanchard: College’s founder suggested an independent church.

1928 Bubble gum invented

1917 U.S. enters WWI

1903 First fl ight in N.C.

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As the population of Wheaton grew, so did the church. And so did its support of missions—especially after World War I—and Christian organizations, including Wheaton College.

A divided houseBy the late 1920s, College Church had more than 500 members. But many members were concerned about the church’s affi liation with the Association of Congregational Churches, which they believed was drifting toward liberal theology.

On June 4, 1929, one of those concerned members, Wheaton College president Dr. J. Oliver Buswell, called a business meeting in Fischer Chapel, where 295

College Church members voted whether to retain their Congregational affi liation. There were strong feelings on both sides, and when the dust settled, the church decided— by just three votes—to remain in the Congregational denomination.

The minority group—116 people—withdrew, including Buswell and the pastor, W. R. Dodd. What would they do? Where would they go? The stage was set . . .

Why I love Wheaton Bible

i love WBC most for the people and

their encouragement. It would be easy to pick a particular uplifting message by Pastor Bugh. But it is also the little things: smiles, friendly greetings, and warm hugs. What more can a person ask for than to have friendly smiles and warm laughter be directed toward you as you walk through the Atrium?

I also enjoy being able to give back by providing meals to those in need, sending cards, responding to questions in Bible studies about real life situations, and leading a group of high school girls in a Bible study. It has been my privilege to be involved at WBC over the past 16 years.

–CHRISTY BOLLIER

Jonathan Blanchard: College’s founder suggested an independent church.

Dr. J. Oliver Buswell: Wanted to cut ties with a liberal denomination

Photos on these pages courtesy of Wheaton College Archives


1933 Church buys property at Cross

and Union

1929–1933

1929 Wheaton College

Interdenominational Church formed

1929 New York Stock Market

crashes

1931 Empire State

Building completed

1932 Scientists split the atom

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The headlines in 1929 weren’t very good. Mobsters in downtown Chicago made

national news with the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. And late October yielded the New York

Stock Market crash, ultimately sending the nation into the Great Depression.

But about halfway between those two dark days, something good was happening in Wheaton. Almost two weeks after the vote that split College Church, 160 people—after much discussion and prayer—signed a

charter for a new independent church: the Wheaton College Interdenominational Church.

Among those signing the charter were offi cers and faculty members of Wheaton College and Moody Bible Institute. (See list of 160 charter members on following pages.)

Congregations coincideAs the Great Depression hammered the nation, the new Wheaton College Interdenominational Church and College Church of Christ tried their best to pursue peace with one another. They both continued to meet on the Wheaton College campus, and the two congregations even met together on occasion, at least once for a communion service.

But in November 1933, the growing college, which wanted exclusive use of all its buildings, asked both churches to move off campus. The Interdenominational Church bought property on the northwest corner of Cross and Union Streets, and leaders began plans to build.

A New Church is Born Despite a church split and the onset of the Great Depression, Wheaton College

Interdenominational Church—now WBC — got its start in the summer of ’29.

A New Church is Born

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Hard times: Wheaton College Inter-denominational Church got its start just as the Great Depression was beginning.

Why I love Wheaton BibleThoughts from a Charter Member

john Leedy, born in 1906, was just 23 years old when he, with his parents,

became a charter member of the Wheaton College Interdenominational Church. A landscaper who became a popular botany professor at Wheaton College, Mr. Leedy now resides at Windsor Park Manor in Carol Stream, Ill.

When asked about the early days of the church, Mr. Leedy remembers, “The beginnings were exciting, were wonderful. We felt like pioneers, which we were really. Action was the word for it. Always some action going on. I loved that. Young people like action of course. We were all young in those days it seems. We were very proud of that church, the effort that went in to make it work.”

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Both churches thrivingDespite intense feelings on both sides, the 1929 vote that split College Church proved another Paul and Barnabas incident. As history has borne out, God used it to His glory, abundantly blessing both congregations. The Wheaton College Interdenominational Church later became

Wheaton Bible Church, while College Church—which has since cut its denominational ties and is now independent—went on to become the thriving congregation now located at Washington Street and Seminary. Both churches are now among the most active and alive congregations in northern Illinois.

Despite a church split and the onset of the Great Depression, Wheaton College Interdenominational Church—now WBC — got its start in the summer of ’29.

New home: When Wheaton College asked the congregation to leave the campus in 1933, the church bought land just a few blocks away.


Charter Members

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The First Flock

Margaret Allison (Reese)L.T. BarnesMrs. L.T. BarnesMargaret Barnes (Wood)Clara Florence Barnes (Cook)Clarence BensonRena Pearl BensonClark David BensonS.J. BoleMrs. S.J. Bole

Chrystal Bole (Dutton)Charles BoleGeorge W. BondMrs. George BondSilas W. BondC. Ruth Brown (Imhoff )J. Oliver Buswell, Jr.Helen Spaulding BuswellJ.A. CarlsonMrs. J.A. CarlsonShirley Carlson

J. Wesley CarlsonMrs. W.H. ChandlerGrace ChandlerHoward ClevelandMrs. Ella M. CommonsH.S. DeVeldeFrances DeVeldeRuth DeVelde (Hess)Katharine DoddMargaret DoddMrs. William DoddMrs. H. DowneyMarian J. DowneyEnock C. DyrnessGrace DyrnessWinona EggersWalter Scott ElliottEleanor E. ElliottEdwards E. ElliottHenry EnglesmanMrs. Ida EngelsmanRobert M. EvansCharlotte FleakHoward Fuller

Paul C. GreenMorton W. HaleMrs. Mabel HaleClarence B. HaleRuth Alma HaleMilton W. HaleGladys HallLorena J. HammerIrene F. HammerHowell E. HammerEugene L. HammerAlice HeckJames E. HerronMrs. Anna HerronClement HeydenburkDavid HeydenburkSarah HeydenburkL. Allen HigleyCharlotte Ismay HigleyCarrie Evelyn Higley (Cleveland)William H. HockmanMrs. Katie HockmanRobert Hockman

On June 16, 1929, 160 people signed the “Covenant of Charter Members” to form

the Wheaton College Interdenominational Church (now Wheaton Bible Church). The covenant affi rmed “our belief in the doctrines of the Christian Faith” where members promised, among other things, to “walk in communion with the brethren in love” and to “endeavor always to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith our Lord and Saviour has called us.”

The 160 charter members were:

Flock

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Kathleen Hockman (Fredericksen)Donald E. HockmanC.W. HiltonMrs. C.W. HiltonMarie JensenWalter JensenHilma Johnson (Luttrell)Rachel Izkovitch ( Jordan)William Paul KavanaughWilliam KingLouise Brooks KingGeorge V. KirkEdith M. KirkCatherine Kirk (Gieser)Mrs. Jennie KirkRuth Kirk (Martin)P.E. KlarMrs. P.E. KlarHoward KlarJohn W. LeedyMrs. John W. LeedyWendell P. LovelessMrs. W.P. Loveless

Mrs. Alice Guild LovelessJ.A. MacKenzieMrs. J.A. MacKenzieMary MacLeod (Howard)Moses S. McDanielMrs. M.S. McDanielBeth McDanielMalcolm McDanielGeorge W. McGillMrs. G.W. McGillLorena McShaneLewis L. McShaneDoris McShaneMarjorie McShane (Wilbur)Adelle MortensonElizabeth Mortenson (Amsler)Mrs. Homer J. NieceHoward K. NelsonDorothy B. NelsonWilliam I. Phillips, Sr.Mrs. W.I. PhillipsJames E. PhillipsRuth Phillips

Paul B. PhillipsWilliam Irving PhillipsWalter PhillipsMrs. A.H. ReinhardMary Pearl Reinhard (Kahle)John R. RiebeMrs. J.R. RiebeLydia D. RobertsJacob J. SchreiberMrs. J.J. SchreiberElizabeth Schreiber (Ekstrom)James SchreiberGeorge O. SchulerW. Harold SimonsMrs. W.H. SimonsGrant StrohMrs. Grant StrohRuth Sykes (Davies)Mrs. Mary SykesPaul SywulkaHawley O. TaylorMrs. H.O. TaylorAlfred H. Teich

Mrs. Alfred H. TeichClara TeichMary Jane TeichAnna E. TeichMrs. Charles TomsMargaret TomsJ.A. VanGorkomEdward P. WebsterMrs. E.P. WebsterO.B. WestleyMrs. O.B. WestleyArla Westley (Wright)Cyrus WestleyRoy WestleyFaith Williams (Reed)Mrs. S. Elizabeth WinsorAlice WinsorJ.B. WrightMrs. J.B. WrightPaul M. WrightM. Russell Wright

No place like home: The church’s fi rst building had an auditorium that could seat 400.


1936 First building dedicated

in March

1934–1939

1934 Kenneth A. Amsler named

fi rst pastor 1935 Social Security enacted in U.S.

1937 Amelia Earhart vanishes

1939 World War II begins8

After those 160 souls joined to form the Wheaton College Interdenominational

Church in the summer of ’29, the congregation began to thrive—but without a pastor. For fi ve years,

guest speakers served the pulpit of the new church.

Then in April 1934, the church called its fi rst pastor, Kenneth A. Amsler, a 1932 Wheaton College grad fresh out of Northern Baptist Seminary and with a new bride. Amsler began his duties in June 1934.

At about the same time, the membership decided on a new name: Wheaton Bible Church. Members agreed the church wasn’t so much “interdenominational” as it was simply independent. They also agreed to drop “college” from the name, because it was no longer

associated with Wheaton College. And the word “Bible” was a no-brainer for conveying the church’s main purpose, stated as such: “Its faith and practice stand on the foundation of the Bible, which is the inspired, infallible, and inviolable Word of God.”

A building campaignOn May 3, 1935, Pastor Amsler and the Board of

Deacons sent a letter to the congregation, urging them to give sacrifi cially toward a new building— while still maintaining its current budgets. In those days of the Great Depression, any giving was sacrifi cial, but remarkably, the congregation raised some $30,000 in a matter of months. By December—just seven months after the

Our First Pastor & Building Kenneth Amsler gets the nod, the congregation changes its name to Wheaton

Bible Church, and a new facility is built at the corner of Union and Cross. Pastor & Building

Our fi rst leader: The church called Kenneth A. Amsler to be its fi rst pastor in 1934. No place like home: The

church’s fi rst building had an auditorium that could seat 400.

Why I love Wheaton Bible’Twas 75 years ago was founded,A church whose mission was fi rmly grounded.One hundred and sixty people made quite an impression,By starting a church, prior to the Great Depression.Meeting together to serve Christ was their aim,The Wheaton Collage Interdenominational Church was the name.In 1934 Pastor Amsler was the man we sought,In 1935 Cross and Union property was bought.Pastor Macaulay came just six years after,The beautiful singing fi lling the rafters.Sunday school and service sizes were growing,With new believers as a result of the seeds they were sowing.The building made larger with educational facilitiesExpanding the church’s ministry abilities.Pastor Cronk’s love of the Word was so easy to tell,Growing our church and helping start others as well.A second morning service to meet the Gospel’s attraction,A new sanctuary for worship interaction.Pastor Seume, our fourth pastor served only a bit,Faithfully guiding us till health problems hit.For fi fteen years Pastor Lyons played a vital part,In building ministries, buildings and dedicated hearts.In those years we saw the church grow and expand,With a “Can do” attitude on missions, ministries, local helping hands Pastor Krentel served as the sixth pastor of ours,Adding Hispanic participation near and the Deva church far.Pastor Bugh arrived, with a renewed mission for lost souls,Sharing Christ’s love with all men would set as his goal. God has brought us so far in this 75 yearsCelebrating, laughing, worshiping sometimes shedding tears.So as Chris Lyons would say “I guess our time is short,”Compared to eternity with our blessed Lord.

—TIM DUNCAN 9

fundraising began—the cornerstone was laid on a new brick building at the corner of Union and Cross streets.

On March 22, 1936, the excited congregation met in the new building—and its 400-seat auditorium—for the fi rst time, dedicating it to God in a ceremony that featured Dr. William L. Pettingill, a widely known preacher and author, as the guest speaker.

Countless blessingsAt last in its own building,

the church experienced countless blessings under strong preaching from Pastor Amsler and notable guest speakers—including Dr. Walter L. Wilson, Dr. Howard A. Kelly, Dr. Charles Woodbridge, Dr. William R. Newell, Dr. J. Gresham Machen, Dr. Henry Thiessen, and Dr. A.W. Tozer.

Many people became Christians during these services, some giving themselves for missionary service. Meanwhile, the Christian education program grew to the point of overfl owing to the parsonage next door—and the Amslers moved to another location.

The church indeed was on the move.

Kenneth Amsler gets the nod, the congregation changes its name to Wheaton Bible Church, and a new facility is built at the corner of Union and Cross.

WBC’s 1935 BudgetPastor & pulpit supply $2180Musicians, choir music 530Occupancy 1200Bulletins, bulletin boards 375Printing, stationery, postage 100Flowers, social expenses 75Payments on parsonage,incl. interest, taxes 970Misc. & equipment 515$100 each for 8 missionaries 800Open Door Mission, Chicago 125

TOTAL BUDGET $6870

No place like home: The church’s fi rst building had an auditorium that could seat 400.


1948 Famous “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline

1941 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor

1939–1951

1950 “Peanuts” comic strip

debuts

1945 Germans surrender,

WWII ends

1947 Education wing built

1939 Joseph C. Macaulay

named pastor

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Kenneth Amsler, our fi rst pastor, resigned in 1937 to assume a pastorate in Ohio,

and WBC operated without a pastor for the next couple of years until Dr. Joseph C. Macaulay took

the job in March 1939. Two years later, WBC hired its fi rst assistant pastor—Joseph Bayly, a Wheaton College grad school student who would serve the church about two years before going on to become a noted author and columnist.

Meanwhile, World War II had begun, the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor, Hitler was trying to take over the planet —and Wheaton Bible Church continued to grow at a phenomenal rate. During Macaulay’s 11-plus years at WBC, membership more than doubled, growing from 321 to 684. The emphasis on missions grew even

more, as the missions budget grew from $2,000 in 1939 to more than $26,000 in 1951—a 1200 percent increase!

A spinoff congregationWheaton Bible not only grew, but it also began to multiply. In 1944, a group of WBC people started a Sunday school ministry in a remote area northwest of Wheaton. That ministry was the beginning of what is now Pleasant Hill Community Church on Geneva Road.

As WBC’s attendance continued to grow—averaging about 800 in church and 500 in Sunday school—it became apparent that another building was needed. A building committee, under the leadership

Calling Mr. Macaulay

Church experiences phenomenal growth—and even a spinoff congregation —under the leadership of Joseph Macaulay.Mr. Macaulay

Mac’s the man: Dr. Joseph Macaulay was named our second pastor in 1939.

If you build it: WBC, growing fast, built a new 2-story education wing in 1947.

1951 Macaulay resigns to teach at Moody Bible


t his year, we endured a huge

health scare for our kindergartner son. WBC people offered prayers and help in remarkable ways. One week before our son’s surgery, Pastor Bugh’s sermon was about praying through letdowns. “No one is immune to letdowns. Bring your bitterness and anger to God. Talk to God and wait. Praying and waiting are joined at the hip. Waiting in the Lord will renew our strength. Pray not to get stuff, but to get through the letdown.” He quoted a source saying that “steadiness, not the spectacular, is the greater accomplishment in life.” Brilliant. It got us through, and thanks to God, and all of WBC’s prayers, our son is fi ne.

–DAVID AND GINA KRAMAN

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of charter member Dr. Paul Wright, began to lay plans to expand the main auditorium and to build an adjoining two-story brick education wing on the north, facing Cross Street. The new structure—with a pastor’s study, church offi ce, and 10 classrooms on the second fl oor—became a reality in 1947 at a cost of $150,000.

Macaulay, who received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Wheaton College in 1949, resigned as pastor in October 1951 to accept a position as an instructor at Moody Bible Institute. And now the search was on for the church’s third pastor. Who would he be?

WWII Hits HomeOn September 16, 1945, WBC held a special memorial service for fi ve of its members who were killed while serving in World War II. They were:

• Lt. Glenn G. Read, killed in a plane crash over the English Channel, 6/11/44• Dr. Robert W. Hockman, killed by an explosion in Ethiopia, 12/13/35• Lt. Donald B. Moore, shot down over the South Pacifi c, 7/26/43• 2nd Lt. Neal D. Curtis, killed in a plane crash in South Carolina, 8/4/42• 2nd Lt. Paul O. Mortweet, died in New Mexico from D-Day wounds, 2/27/45

If you build it: WBC, growing fast, built a new 2-story education wing in 1947.

Music & Missions

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Music at WBC

Ask three people at WBC what kind of music or worship style they like, and you’re likely

to get fi ve opinions. And we think that’s just great! One of the distinctives of our church is our

commitment to doing multiple kinds of worship —and doing them all well! It’s not the easiest goal, but God has shown us over the years that He communicates to us and enjoys our praise in many languages, media and styles. Whether it be through the lovely string quartet that drew Mary Bechtel to choose our church in 1945 or through the lively Latin rhythms that draw hundreds of Hispanics to the second fl oor each Sunday, God is glorifi ed.

Throughout our history, we have enjoyed immensely talented worship leadership. From the early days, when the likes of Wendell Loveless, a charter member and founder of Moody Radio, helped lead the singing, our traditional-focused era enjoyed worship leadership by capable paid and volunteer staff, including Vernon Van Hovel, Dick Gerig, Jim Draper, and Dan Sommerville, who gave direction to fabulous choirs and musicians.

As we branched into contemporary worship, leaders such as Dave Kroeze, Don Duncan, and Dan Wagner helped us explore both styles and defi ne each service. With the addition of Hispanic

worship, the need for multiple leaders became evident, so that our current leadership staff includes Worship Pastor Brian Hogan, Hispanic Worship Pastor Juan Marcos Gomez, Choir Director Ross Heise, Orchestra Director Jim Cooper, and Media Arts Director Bill Swaringim, not to mention the numerous volunteers who fi ll out our ranks. While children’s music training has fallen by the wayside in many schools and churches, by contrast WBC’s program is gaining momentum. Vickie Wagner reestablished the Children’s Choir in the new millennium, and it fl ourishes today under the able leadership of Christy Chiodras, Nina Moring and other volunteers.

Our multiple language format has allowed us to grow into new media, such as video and drama. Yet our traditional worship experience, rich with excellent organ music provided by Marsha Foxgrover, is still reminiscent of the good old days when Alice Oury on the organ and Delores Draper or Ginny Heck on the piano would shake the rafters with rousing duets.

While our tastes may differ and change over time, may we always be one church united in our focus on worship of the one true God and bringing all glory to Him.

Music at WBC

Many styles, one purpose: No matter the style our aim is to worship the one true God.

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Going Into All the World

From the beginning, we worked to fufi ll Christ’s call in Acts 1:8, that we be His witness in our

local community “and to the ends of the earth.” Even our earliest church budgets included giving to missions. In 1933 we raised the support for the fi rst missionary family during the same time we were raising money for our fi rst building. But when Robert and Winifred Hockman, those fi rst missionaries, left for Ethiopia, traveling to the fi eld took weeks, months, and sometimes the better part of a year. Means of passage included trains, ships, and caravans (the old style with pack animals, not the new SUVs). There were certainly no jet planes.

The way we support and build relationships with our servants overseas has changed, too. Missionaries used to wait weeks and months for letters and prayer requests to make their way back and forth across oceans. Today, email keeps us in

near-constant communication, offering real-time prayer support and enjoying a steady stream of progress reports. For years, the faithful, prayerful Women’s Missionary Circles carefully packed barrels of supplies—bandages, clothing, and other necessities—to send by sea. Today, dozens of options are available for shipping supplies—the most exciting being carrying them ourselves as we visit on short-term trips. The missions budget in 1931 was $600. In 2003, we invested almost $1.7 million.

Some things, however, remain the same. Today, we continually pray for the safety of our missionaries, who sometimes serve in hostile environments. It was no different back then. Bob Hockman was killed in Ethiopia in a war-related explosion in 1935. Dr. Hockman’s sister Kay and her husband Paul Friedricksen were captured by the Japanese in the Philippines and spent six months in a concentration camp. Irl and Flo McCallister, other early missionaries, were enroute to their mission station in South Africa in March 1941, when their ship was sunk by a German raider boat and all passengers taken captive. (After their release, they went on to serve with TEAM for 40 years before retiring, and Mrs. McAllister was an active part of WBC until going home to the Continued on p. 31

Charter Member Dr. William Hockman: Two of his children were among our earliest missionaries.


1952–1967

1952 Malcolm Cronk named pastor

1958 Second service added

1959-60 New sanctuary built

1955 McDonald’s

founded

1959 Castro becomes dictator

of Cuba

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For the better part of the next two decades, if you had walked into WBC’s empty sanctuary

on a weekday, you might have found its new pastor, the Rev. Malcolm Cronk, wandering up and down

the aisles, thinking and preaching silently to himself.

Al Sloat, one of Cronk’s colleagues, said when the pastor was pacing the aisles like that, deep in thought, “We staff members knew not to disturb him.”

Cronk, who started at WBC in August 1952, was widely known for his preaching ability and his gift for expounding on God’s Word. He almost never used notes, yet his rich expository sermons delivered in an authoritative, stentorian voice attracted increasingly large audiences for services—including radio listeners on WAIT—and sent

listeners, Bibles in hand, searching the Scriptures. Sloat called Cronk “a great idea/great concept preacher, using the biblical text as a launching pad to build truth upon truth to a motivational conclusion.”

Under Pastor Cronk’s leadership, WBC families were instrumental in starting Countryside Chapel, north of Glen Ellyn (1955), Evangel Baptist Church in Wheaton (1958), and The Village Church of Carol Stream (1960).

A New SanctuaryIn 1958, WBC added a second morning service and purchased Bartlett Hall, a college dormitory just west of the church at Main and Union. But it was evident the church needed more space, especially for worship, so a new sanctuary was planned for the corner of Main and Franklin—

Cronk It Up!Known for his superb preaching, Malcolm Cronk oversaw great growth and the construction of a new sanctuary—our current place of worship.

Powerful preacher: The Rev. Cronk was known for his authoritative preaching from the Word.

Rev. Malcolm Cronk: Greeting worshippers


i n 1982, I was a new Christian

in a new marriage. My wife and I were looking for a new church. We heard Chris Lyons preach and knew we had found our church home. We couldn’t have known how signifi cant the church would be in our lives. Diana has sung in the choir, taught children’s classes, and, while serving with Women’s Ministries under Nancy Barton, has blossomed as a person. I was blessed to have served in many ministries and on missions trips to Spain and Bolivia.

Now more than 20 years later, we look forward to the preaching of Rob Bugh and the contemporary worship service. We wish we spoke Spanish so we could hear Al Guerra pastor the Hispanic congregation. We’ve enjoyed the worship time lead by Dan Sommerville, and now Brian Hogan, and the superlative organist Marsha Foxgrover.

We know God, through WBC, can change lives, it changed ours.

–TOM & DIANA MCCLOW1967 Cronk resigns, moves on

1963 JFK assassinated

1964 The Beatles break

big in U.S. 1967 First heart transplant 15

with an announced seating capacity of 1,300 (it actually ended up seating about 1,100).

Ground was broken in April 1959, and about a year later, the new $500,000 building was ready for worship

services and Christian education. The new facility was dedicated in September, highlighted by songs from George Beverly Shea and messages from Dr. Carl Armerding, Dr. Lehman Strauss, Dr. Harold J. Ockenga, and Dr. Alan Redpath.

Other HighlightsDr. Cronk also adopted the

single board concept, dissolving the Board of Deacons in favor of only the Board of Elders, believing one board would give greater stability to the ministry. The youth ministry was also developed at this time, capped by Missionary Orientation Program (MOP), and the number of Wheaton College students at the church continued to increase.

Cronk left in November 1967 to teach at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He later served churches in California and Arizona before moving to Freeport, Illinois.

Rev. Malcolm Cronk: Greeting worshippers

Strong foundation: A new sanctuary—our current house of worship—was built in 1959, and God’s Word has been faithfully preached within ever since.

Letter from France

Congratulations from Overseas

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Dear Wheaton Bible Church Family,

hearty congratulations on 75 years of ministry!

Truly, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place

in all generations!” Ps. 90

Memories fl ood my mind, especially of my early

childhood years at WBC, the early 1950s… I believe

it was during a Missions Week. Little model airplanes

hung throughout the old sanctuary (perhaps in

memory of the Ecuador martyrs?)... Pastor Cronk

preaching about the message going behind the “iron

curtain” (which I vaguely associated with the green

curtains that separated the adult Sunday school class

rooms). So often, the emphasis that stays in my mind

was that of the HOPE of our calling, and of Christ’s

return. There were often a lot of wet eyes...

It was an Easter Sunday (1953?) when Pastor

Cronk came to the “opening exercises” of our

Primary Department and explained why Christ had

died on the cross. I was very impressed by the fact

that, on this most important of Sundays, the PASTOR

of the church would come and tell us fi ve-year-olds

personally about salvation. I realized how important

the message must be, and I was convicted by my

sinful state. Later at home, my mother sensed my

restlessness. It wasn’t just chocolate bunny–overload;

I needed Jesus’ forgiveness, and that afternoon, I gave

my life to Jesus Christ, at her knee. A few years later,

I publicly testifi ed of this commitment before the

WBC congregation, as Pastor Cronk baptized me.

I remember too, Children’s Church with the

Adairs and Liljas... Pioneer Girls with Mrs. Steele...

Junior Choir with Miss Harrison (Timko) (we even

sang on radio!)... rollicking laughter in Mrs. Scull’s

junior high Sunday school class... They and many

other leaders and teachers stimulated us to true

worship, love and knowledge of God’s Word, a sense

of our worth in Christ, and of Christian community.

WBC played such an important part of my

life in the high school years... those all-nighters in

Fellowship Hall on December 31... Our youth choir

from Overseas

Tom and Margaret (Cording) PettyWBC Missionaries to France

17

that sang

EVERY Sunday

for the 9:30

services (the highlight being the Hallelujah Chorus),

with directors like Vernon Van Hovel that mentored

us not only musically, but also in our Christian

commitment, service to the church, and missionary

vision... In 1966, the church’s fi rst “short term” teen-

age missionaries that we ourselves sent out from our

WBC high school department, for one-year terms,

and all our car washes and bake sales that it took to

raise money for the project..

Into my adulthood, women of WBC chipping in

to help me when I lost everything in a gas explosion

that destroyed my residence and belongings out in

New York state…WBC taking on a large share of my

mission support when, as a single woman, I joined

Greater Europe Mission in 1977 to go to Spain...

Pastor Chris Lyons marrying Tom and me in 1978...

The continued support and prayer for our ministry

in Europe... The love and care that has been given

to my parents by members and pastors of WBC,

especially in their fragile years...

Wheaton Bible Church is not a building, nor a

place, nor a club; it is a community of people who

love the Lord, and where the Lord abides, and

blesses, and by His Spirit indwelling, keeps fi lling with

His love for each other and for the world that He

wants to redeem.

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring

it to pass.” –I Thess. 5:24Our prayers and love are with you, and especially

on this joyous occasion!


1967–1970

1969 Neil Armstrong fi rst man on moon

1967 Richard Seume named pastor

1970 Rev. Seume resigns

1968 Martin Luther King,

Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy assassinated

18

Next up in our pulpit came a man who didn’t occupy the position long, but left a

legacy—not only with Wheaton Bible Church, but later with two men who went on to become among

Christianity’s most respected pastors and authors.

Just weeks after Rev. Cronk’s resignation, Dr. Richard H. Seume became the fourth senior pastor of Wheaton Bible Church. A 1937 Wheaton College graduate, he came to WBC from Emmanuel Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., where he had been known as a gifted preacher and writer. A tall, stately man and an excellent expositor of the Bible, he served WBC faithfully until a rare and serious kidney ailment struck, forcing him to live on a dialysis machine six hours a day, three to four days a week. His health

declining, he ultimately resigned in late May 1970.But that wouldn’t be the last the world would

hear from Richard Seume . . .

Jabez, Anyone?Despite his failing health, Seume accepted a position as chaplain at his alma mater, Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where he would have a profound effect on two men—Chuck Swindoll and Bruce Wilkinson. Swindoll, now a well-known author and the president of DTS, cited Seume as an inspiration in his book, David: A Man of Passion and Destiny. In a chapter titled “When God Says No,” Swindoll recounts a time when Seume, ill and jaundiced, said he’d

The Seume Resume

Richard Seume pastored the church for just three years before a kidney ailment forced him to resign, but his legacy would outlast him.

A brief stay: Dr. Richard Seume was our pastor for only three years.

High praise: Swindoll refers to Rev. Seume as “a great man of God.”


a t fi rst, we felt WBC

was “too big.” But, on our fi rst visit, in Adult Community, we were asked to pray for Pastor Doug & Christine Christgau. I didn’t know them but contacted them and was amazed at their openness to share prayer requests. After the service, we sent a note of appreciation to Pastor Rob Bugh and were surprised to get a personal response. We felt so welcomed and “at home” at WBC even during the fi rst few months of visiting!

After a year, we learned that all the WBC pastors are amazing preachers! Even our teenage son looks forward to the sermons! In Adult Community, we see the genuine care and love for those in need, especially the African refugees we serve. We feel so blessed to see the Holy Spirit working.

– ANNA MOVIDO (FOR SAM, TIM & MIKE MOVIDO)

19

like to write a book to encourage others. Swindoll would write, “What a great man of God was Dr. Seume! . . . The man whose dreams for his own life had been shattered,

chose to invest his last years in the lives of younger men. He embraced God’s alternate plan with all his might.”

Meanwhile, Wilkinson was at DTS when Seume preached a message on Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9–10)—a message that later inspired Wilkinson’s best-seller, The Prayer of Jabez. Dr. Seume served at the seminary until he went home to the Lord after an automobile accident in Virginia in March 1986.

After Dr. Seume’s departure to Dallas, the WBC Board began a search for the church’s fi fth senior pastor.

A Person of Infl uence: A Seume sermon inspired this best-seller.


1971–1986

1972 M*A*S*H premiers on TV

1977 Elvis Presley dies

1974 Nixon resigns1973 U.S. legalizes abortion

1971 Chris Lyons named pastor

20

As the Board considered numerous candidates for a new pastor, a fi ll-in speaker

in December 1970 caught their attention. It was the Sunday before Christmas, and the Rev. Chris

Lyons preached a sermon titled, “Switched Price Tags”—a memorable message about how Satan causes many believers to switch values. The Board immediately sensed that the Lord had sent His man for WBC. It wasn’t long before the church invited Lyons to take the job, which he accepted in April 1971.

Pastor Chris, a wiry Rhode Islander with a delightful New England accent, attracted a growing number of visitors and new members. In time, an 8:15 Sunday morning service was added,

and at that service he preached to a relatively small gathering of early risers, as well as later to the larger congregations at 9:30 and 11:00.

New education buildingAs the church continued to grow, the Elders reviewed various ideas for larger and improved facilities. Plans were drawn up to make use of the entire block east of the church, but leaders ran into roadblocks, including zoning restrictions. Ultimately the church would come to own nine of the twelve parcels in that block, some of which were used for housing missionaries and staff and some of the houses were used as classrooms.

After several years of continued growth, planning and building, at last, in October 1982, a new three-story 55,000-square-foot Christian education building—part of our current facility—

Popular New Englander attracts more newcomers; third service added; new education wing built.

Lyons- hearted!Lyons- hearted!Lyons- hearted!Lyons-

Pastor Lyons: He left a lasting impression as a guest speaker.

Classes for the masses: A new 55,000-square-foot Christian ed building opened in 1982 – a facility which we still use today.

1981 AIDS identifi ed


w heaton Bible Church has

been our spiritual home for more than 25 years, honoring the biblical basis of our faith. We have made many friends who have sustained us in our times of need, and to whom we have ministered in return. We enjoy the pastors and staff who provide mature spiritual leadership and the small groups and adult communities where we uphold each other in Bible study and prayer, share our growing pains, and exercise our spiritual gifts.

One of the things we will never forget is how our adult communities rallied around our need for assistance in digging a trench around three sides of our old house to thicken its foundation. Pick and shovel work may not sound like spiritual ministry, but it was just that to us! This was the only way we could correct our frequent basement fl ooding, and it has held beautifully!

–PAUL AND CAROL NEVIN

1986 Challenger space shuttle

explodes

1986 Lyons resigns

1982 New Christian ed

building opens

21

became a reality. To make room for the new facility, the fi rst two WBC buildings had to be demolished, to sadness of some who had very special memories in those places. The spacious Atrium that relieved the extremely crowded narthex was in itself worth the $4 million expenditure for the entire expansion program—an expansion that almost doubled classroom space, in addition to new fellowship and administrative facilities.

Meanwhile, Chris’s wife, Connie, who had a gift for entertaining and arranging dinners, was instrumental in launching the church’s Vanguard Program for senior citizens.

Farewell to LyonsIn April 1986, Chris Lyons preached his farewell message, after announcing that he believed the Lord had other plans for him after 15 years. He moved on to a pastorate in Virginia, and later to Redwood Chapel Community Church in Castro Valley, California.

And the search was on once again for a new senior pastor.

Classes for the masses: A new 55,000-square-foot Christian ed building opened in 1982 – a facility which we still use today.

Our Youth

22

Reaching & Teaching Children and Students

From our earliest days, strong Christian Education was a key goal. An easy way to

see that commitment is to look at our buildings. We dedicate a lot of space to classrooms for teaching God’s Word to ensure there is room for everyone to

learn more about what it means to follow Christ.

To give all the leaders and teachers who have served throughout the years their due would take several volumes, so perhaps the best way to relive what has taken place in our classrooms is to take a trip back with someone who grew up and grew in faith at Wheaton Bible Church. (See the letter from WBC Missionary Margaret (Cording) Petty, pages 16–17).

Student MinistryIn the days since Margaret attended WBC, the high school and junior high ministries have continued their strong mission involvement. In the 1980s, under Ridge Burns students got a taste for mission service in overseas trips. He also honed the core group ministry. Under Bob Johnson the “Project Serve” trips were refocused stateside so that more students could participate and learn about the need for service in our own nation. “Under Rob Rienow,” Pastor Johnson says, “the model has been perfected, broadening the focus to include a leadership development track.”

Pastor Rienow stresses that student ownership of ministry is a primary goal. “We want students to come to church to see what they can give,” he stresses, “not what they can get.”

Pastor Rienow has served longer than any other youth pastor at WBC, even though his beginnings were somewhat inauspicious. As a sophomore, he approached Pastor Johnson about volunteering

Reaching & Teaching Children and StudentsReaching & Teaching Children and StudentsReaching & Teaching

Vibrant Worship: Student-led worship is a hallmark of Student Body.

23

in youth ministry, hoping that would lead to an internship. “His very fi rst night to attend as a volunteer he was showing off for high school

students in the gym,” Johnson recalls, “and he dunked a basketball, shattering the backboard. He was so scared that we would fi re him. We said no, but he would have to pay for the

glass backboard. Being a broke college student, he nearly went into shock…until we told him we were kidding!”

Children’s MinistryMark Senter, now a professor at Trinity, was the Director of Christian Education in the 1970s and

shaped much of what we benefi t from today. During his tenure, Boys Brigade and Pioneer Girls made way for Awana to engage more children from the community. Under Joan Whitlock’s able leadership, we expanded from the summer Vacation Bible School model, which served our children well but rarely drew more than a dozen newcomers, to the wildly popular Neighborhood Bible Clubs. In 2003, more than 1200 children who don’t attend WBC came to NBCs. And, of course, the fantastic Great Family Fun Fair has become the largest outreach event hosted by the church. Caring for the hurting in our community has become an increasingly important way to bring new families into the church, so new ministries include support groups for parents and children experiencing separation, divorce, disabilities, or other struggles.

Reaching children and young people for Christ continues to be a primary means for ensuring the future of the church, and at Wheaton Bible, with God’s continued blessing, the future is in very capable hands.

Sowing Seeds: From the earliest ages, children at WBC learn about God’s love.


1993 Krentel resigns

1987–1993

1987 Dave Krentel named pastor

1992 Debt for CED building

paid off

1989 Berlin Wall falls

1991 First Gulf War begins

1992 Rodney King verdict, LA riots24

The Krentel Era Dave Krentel put a renewed emphasis on the missions program—including the annual festival

and special projects abroad—and oversaw the launch of the Hispanic Church.

About a year and a half after Chris Lyons’ departure, David P. Krentel became WBC’s

sixth pastor. A tall, friendly Pennsylvanian with an athletic build, Krentel, a graduate of Dallas

Theological Seminary with two previous pastorates, came with a zeal to increase the church’s infl uence at home and abroad.

Just prior to his arrival, WBC had purchased the Christian Science Church at Union and Main—which soon became headquarters for our Student Ministries. As WBC’s attendance continued

growing, so did giving, and during Krentel’s pastorate, the church paid off ten years of debt on the new Christian education building, shredding the mortgage papers in a 1992 celebration service.

Man on a missionPastor Krentel was always asking, “How can we do things better? Let’s fi ne-tune it.” That attitude led to growth in the men’s ministry, beginning with a weekly Bible class, and a sharper focus for WBC’s missions program. The annual missions festival became a highlight as Pastor Dave spearheaded interest in special projects —like raising funds for an improved water system for the AIM mission compound at Kijabe, Kenya. He also sparked greater interest in short-term missions.

Meanwhile, the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe opened the doors for a sister church relationship with a Baptist church in Deva, Romania. Growing out

The Krentel Era

New Student Min. Building: WBC buys Christian Science building.

Beyond the Iron Curtain:WBC gives $250K and many man hours to build a sister church in Deva, Romania.


a s a high school teen living in the dorm at Wheaton Academy, I visited

WBC. As a student at Wheaton College, I reveled the wonderful music and in hearing God’s. One of the things that drew me to my husband, Jim, was that he loved WBC so much.

WBC supported Jim and me as missionaries through 5 years in Peru and 15 years at TEAM’s home offi ce. Our children benefi ted from all WBC offers. I still enjoy the ministries in which I have participated for 40 years. My daughters, son-in-law and grand-children attend. How I love seeing them loving our church and spiritually growing.

To say I love WBC is to put it too mildly. WBC has been one of the greatest gifts God has given me in my 63 years of life. The tears fl ow in gratitude as I write.

–NITA NEWING

25

Dave Krentel put a renewed emphasis on the missions program—including the annual festival and special projects abroad—and oversaw the launch of the Hispanic Church.

of interest generated in our college ministry, WBC would eventually give more than $250,000—and send several short-term missions teams, even through today—to help them build their church and ministries.

Hispanic church foundedDuring the Krentel years, Rodrigo Chavarria, a Costa Rican grad student at Wheaton College, asked WBC to provide a Sunday school class for local adults who primarily spoke Spanish. Space was provided, and those simple beginnings soon led to a fully functioning Hispanic congregation with its own pastor. (See more on pages 26–27.)

Differences ariseIn the early ’90s, differences arose concerning Krentel’s leadership style. After months of prayer and various attempts to bring reconciliation, Krentel resigned in January 1993, taking a leadership position in a Pennsylvania home for handicapped children.

After his departure, a sizable number of his supporters also left the church, many of them joining with others to form a new church—Community Fellowship. As God had done in earlier splits in our church history, he blessed both congregations. Community Fellowship is now a thriving church on North Avenue, about a mile west of the land WBC has purchased for a future relocation.

And now the search was on for our seventh pastor.

Beyond the Iron Curtain:WBC gives $250K and many man hours to build a sister church in Deva, Romania.

Celebrar!

!26

Iglesia Bibilica de Wheaton

It all started in Pastor Gary Dausey’s offi ce in 1990. Rodrigo Chavarria had previously been the

Coordinator of the Association of Bible Colleges in Costa Rica and was studying at the Graduate School at Wheaton College. He asked Pastor Dausey if a room was available where he might get 10 or 12 people together for a Sunday School class in Spanish.

As the numbers of Hispanics in DuPage County grew, so did the needs of the growing group that came to WBC to study the Word in their native tongue. Early on, we realized the importance for leadership to come from within the Hispanic community. A pastor was called, and the group soon took the form of a church.

The Hispanic Church will celebrate its 15th Anniversary next year. Under the leadership of Pastor Al Guerra since 1998, the church has more than tripled in size, nearing 400 attenders on Sunday. The early offerings were often less than $5 a week. Last year, they contributed more than $230,000—almost $40,000 more than budgeted. In recent weeks, the ministry made a contribution of $125,000 to the Share the Light Campaign for the purchase of our new property—an incredible sacrifi ce for a congregation with more than one-third of its members making less than $16,000 per year.

The church has become such an integral part of WBC that we have elected an Hispanic Elder to the Board twice in recent years. With a heart for raising up strong Biblical leaders from within the Hispanic community, Pastor Guerra has initiated a leadership training course for men, and the church has developed a youth outreach program to draw younger immigrants. Efforts are also made to incorporate Hispanic attenders into the larger fold of WBC, such as providing Spanish translation at events like the Women’s Retreat.

Through our “One Body: Two Arms” style of ministry, remaining one church rather than maintaining a sister- or mission-church relationship, we seek to demonstrate the work of Christ by being one, just as the Father and Son are one. The approach is innovative, and Pastor Guerra is often invited to present our model and his leadership curriculum to other churches who seek to refl ect God’s call to be one multicultural body.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20–21

1990–2004

Iglesia Bibilica de Wheaton Iglesia Bibilica de Wheaton Iglesia Bibilica

Passionate Preaching: Pastor Al’s sermons are energetic to the point of gymnastic but always biblically based!

27

From the U.S. to Latin America and Back AgainOur ministry to Hispanics is just one example of the 75-year metamorphosis of approaches to fulfi lling the Great Commission. Over the years we have sent many missionaries into Latin American countries. Today, we have men, women and children from more than 15 Latin American countries coming to WBC to worship.

Missionary Perspective from VenezuelaI love that when I’m back here, I have the option of worshiping in either language. I keep my Spanish up and enjoy that spirit of worship I’ve grown acclimated to down in Venezuela.

This summer I was back in Wheaton and got involved in the Hispanic church. I saw what deep love they have for the Lord, and their growing love of missions.

I love that our cultures are getting more access to one another. When I was speaking to one of the American children’s classes this summer, a little girl (Victoria Rojas), came up and said, “I’m from Venezuela!”

–Linda Batz, Missionary to Venezuela

A Venezuelan PerspectiveWhen I came to America six years ago, I left behind 35 years of my life, my friends, my family. I was a single mother and a professional in the oil industry at home, but I saw the decline and wanted a better life for my baby daughter. So I came to America. But here there is a big wall between the immigrant and the American culture. I was very lonely, spoke almost no English, and worked in a restaurant.

My brother and his wife invited me to WBC. I was impressed by Pastor Guerra’s passion and preaching. I had been a Christian since my childhood but had strayed far from the Lord. What a joy it was to fi nd Him here!

Worshiping and learning the Bible in my own language helps me to understand God more perfectly. I have many friendships now with Christian women, deeper friendships because we pray together, sisters in the Lord. I am also thankful for the children’s programs in the American church. Vicky loves them.

– Annabel (Rojas) Garza, mother of Victoria (Annabel is now married to Jesse Garza and has a three-year-old son, Jesse)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20–21

Victoria Rojas: Connecting with Linda Batz in Venezuela


1994–present

1994 Rob Bugh named pastor

1997 Expand to 4 Sunday services

2000 Rob earns his doctorate

1994 Mandela elected

president 1995 Oklahoma City

bombing

1997 Princess Diana dies

28

After David Krentel’s departure in January 1993, we went for 18 months without a

senior pastor. A number of guest preachers fi lled the pulpit—primarily Donald Cole, radio pastor of WMBI, whom God used in a signifi cant way to bless the congregation. Don’s low-key manner of preaching and his strong messages uplifted worshipers, who fell in love with Don and his wife, Naomi.

All the while, though, the search continued for our next pastor. The pastoral search advisory committee screened more than 80 prospects, seriously considering 20 of them. On Sunday, July 17, 1994, Chuck Stair, the committee’s chairman, and

Dr. Glenn Heck, the Board of Elders chairman, enthusiastically announced the Board’s top candidate—the Rev. Robert B. Bugh, the preaching pastor of First Evangelical Church in Memphis, Tenn. Rob came and preached at WBC services on

two Sundays, and the membership extended a call to him at a business meeting on Sunday, August 7.

Pastor Rob was formally installed on Sunday, September 25, with Wheaton College President Dr. Duane Litfi n and Moody Bible Institute President Joseph Stowell—who had both recommended Rob to the search committee—on hand for the big occasion. Dr. Litfi n, one of Rob’s best friends and a former colleague at the church in Memphis, gave the formal charge, reminding the congregation and Rob that “God is our boss.” Dr. Stowell, meanwhile, challenged the congregation to give the new pastor “the gift of love.”

After 18 months without a senior pastor, WBC calls Rob Bugh in 1994—and very quickly, the church explodes with innovation and unprecedented growth.

Bugh Takes the HelmBugh Takes the HelmBugh Takes the HelmBugh Takes

The Bugh Family: From back left to front: Alissa, Shannon, Kyle, Carol, Ryan, & Rob.

Pastor Bugh: A barefoot waterskier with a passion for the lost.

2004 Wheaton Bible’s 75th anniversary


w heaton Bible

Church has been a place of spiritual heritage for my family. My dad, Dr. Donald Hockman and his parents, Dr. William and Kate Hockman were charter members, as were my Dad’s siblings: Dr. Robert, Charles, and Kay (Friederichsen). Dr. Robert and his wife, Winnie, were the fi rst missionaries supported and sent by WBC.

Pastor Malcolm Cronk preached sermons that convicted our hearts. Following an evening service when I was six years old, I accepted Christ. Miriam Harrison Timko, director of the Junior Choir, taught us love for music and to pursue the highest quality, as we were doing so unto the Lord. We grew tremendously through Pastor Chris Lyons’s passion for the Word. There were so many special people, I could not begin to mention them all.

From the beginnings, those who faithfully served the Lord, prayed and lived the testimony they professed, wove a rich heritage for Wheaton Bible Church. God has blessed their gifts to us and the future generations to follow.

–RAYNIE HOCKMAN SMITH2001 Terrorists attack U.S.

2002 U.S.

invades Iraq

2003 Saddam Hussein captured 29

A changed manAt the age of 19, Rob Bugh would not have seemed like a man on track to pastor any church, much less a Bible church and one of the largest congregations in Chicago’s suburbs. As a freshman at Southern Methodist University, he was a non-believer without a care for the claims of Christianity. But as a sophomore, through the encouragement of a classmate, Rob began his search for truth. After reading C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, he became convinced that God indeed exists. Soon thereafter, while reading John Stott’s Basic Christianity, Rob decided to trust Christ as his Lord and Savior, and God began to radically change his life. Two seminary students started mentoring him, and he became involved in a solid Bible-believing church.

A few years later, Rob felt challenged to consider seminary and the pastoral ministry. In 1976, he enrolled in Dallas Theological Seminary. While there, he met Carol Ann Weichmann, a nurse from Deerfi eld, Ill. They were married on May 26, 1979, and Rob earned his Th.M degree a year later. (Twenty years later, in 2000, Rob added a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Seminary.)

Pastor Rob came to WBC with a wide range of experience. He had worked with Young Life in Dallas in the mid-1970s. From 1977 to 1980, he served on the youth

Continued on p. 30

1994–present

30

staff of Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas. From ’80-89, he ministered in Neenah,Wis., at the Calvary Bible Church, then it was off to First Evangelical in Memphis until he got the call from WBC.

Today, Rob and Carol have four children—Shannon, Kyle, Alissa and Ryan Robert.

Vision and growthOne of Pastor Rob’s fi rst priorities at WBC was to work with the Elders and pastoral staff to fi nalize work they had begun to sharpen and clarify the church’s mission, vision, and values. A longtime staff member describes him as “a visionary leader who believes in building a strong team around him and then valuing their input and counsel.” He constantly asks, “What would the Lord have us do?”

Before Rob’s arrival, the Elders were planning to add a contemporary service on Sunday mornings. Rob embraced the idea, and three weeks after his arrival, the new service began, drawing more than 350 that fi rst Sunday in Fellowship Hall. In a matter of months, it outgrew that room and had to be moved to the sanctuary. Two and a half years later, a second contemporary service was added, so that by 1997 there were four Sunday morning worship services—one traditional, two contemporary and one Hispanic service.

Under Pastor Rob, we’ve further sharpened our worship ministry with commitments to excellence in all of our services. WBC began a program with small group meetings in homes on alternate Sunday evenings.

Outreach mindedDuring Rob’s tenure, there has also been an increased emphasis on global and local outreach. Our youth groups have taken multiple missions trips locally and throughout the U.S. Many adult short-term teams have gone abroad, and Rob himself has made several overseas trips to preach and encourage missionaries. WBC continues to maintain contact with our sister church in Deva, Romania, sending short-term mission teams annually.

At home, Rob’s leadership and superb preaching more than doubled our total attendance at Sunday worship, from a low of about 1,000 in 1993-94 to its current rate in the mid-2,000s, an all-time high. Our Hispanic ministry grew from its modest beginnings to a fully functioning congregation of just over 400, and the children’s Sunday School now draws an average of more than 800 per week. Student Ministries grew to full capacity in Main Street Chapel, and Adult Communities fl ourished, with four of them meeting in rented space at Franklin Middle School. Most notably, the Women’s and Men’s Ministries became major new entry ports into the church, and both ministries became centerpieces of evangelism and discipleship. In addition, our weekday preschool continued to serve and minister to families inside and outside the church.

There are reasons for this unprecedented growth, of course. The Lord is clearly at work, and people clearly recognize that. As one visitor to our church commented, “You can just tell that God is doing something special in this place.”

Continued from p. 29

31

Lord in November 2003.) The stories of great courage and sacrifi ce are too numerous to recount.

Today, our 85 missionaries and their families serve in 44 countries doing everything from church planting, evangelism, and teaching of nationals in schools of every sort to many kinds of support ministries, such as working in mission agency offi ces or teaching missionary children.

Of our missionary families, 45 have deep roots at WBC by virtue of having grown up here, having lived here for many years before going to the fi eld, or by being second generation WBC missionaries.

In recent years, through substantial counsel and fi nancial and prayer support,

we have helped to send new missionaries to Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, South Asia, The Dominican Republic, France, Costa Rica, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Austria, and the Middle East. We have recently learned that WBC supports the most Wycliffe missionaries (10) of any church in the U.S. — helping to ensure the translation of the scriptures into many more languages. We have teachers, evangelists

Going Into All the World

and church planters, as well as accountants, graphic artists and photographers among our missionary family, spread across every continent and more than 30 agencies. The sun never sets on our missionary impact around the world.

In the past seven years we have sent out dozens of short-term mission teams, 11 in 2003 alone. Our unique twist is that most of our teams were invited by one of our missionaries to serve a particular need, running the gamut from construction, to university teaching, to ESL, to working with children at Christian summer camps. Our missionaries relish the opportunity for their new community to meet their American community, and our ties grow stronger as both communities work together to meet local needs.

For 75 years and counting, WBC has truly gone into all the world to preach the gospel. Until the Lord returns, may it always be so!

Continued from p. 13

MOP means missions: Paper drives were just one of the many activities pursued by young men in the Missions Orientation Program begun during the Cronk era.

Short trips, big dividends: Short term missions change lives—both ours and those of the people we serve.


2004–future

32

By the mid-1990s, it was clear that we had to fi gure out how to accommodate the growing

numbers. A committee looked into the options at our current site but concluded there was no good

long-term solution. In January 1998, the church decided to look for a new location.

An extensive search led to a prime 47-acre site—the beautiful Morton Estate at the corner of North Avenue and Morton Road in unincorporated DuPage County. On April 18, 1999, the membership voted to buy the land for future expansion. That October, an agreement was signed for WBC to buy the land over the following fi ve years, and a capital campaign—Share the Light—was launched to raise the funds.

In September 2000, the DuPage County Board gave formal approval for our proposed use of the land. Since then, our Building Steering Committee, pastoral staff and Board of Elders have been giving considerable time to projecting our ministry plan into the future and translating that plan into an architectural design that can support and enhance every phase of our ministry.

A glimpse into the futureWhat will our new church look like? The natural beauty of the site will provide a warm welcome—a winding entrance lined by ornamental trees, tiered parking areas divided by grassy swales, and the peaceful infl uence of beautiful ponds, connecting waterways, and walking and jogging paths.

The building itself will be attractive, approachable and inviting. When entering the main doors you will be greeted by a spacious Atrium that will be fi lled with natural light and punctuated by casual seating areas and rich foliage. The Atrium will be a major gathering place where one can meet with friends, garner information, join others for coffee, or browse the nearby bookstore, library or media center. It will be the entry point to the main West Worship Center, the East Worship Center (accommodating our Hispanic Ministry), or the Chapel.

From the Atrium, you’ll see the entrance to the Children’s Ministry Center, catching the eye of

As our phenomenal growth has continued, we’ve had to look elsewhere for more room to grow—and we found it: a beautiful estate on North Avenue in DuPage County.

What’s Next?What’s Next?

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Just fi ve miles away!: WBC is purchasing 47 acres.

God-preserved estate: God-willing, beautiful Morton Manor will be our new home.


i love Wheaton Bible Church

because I see the people in the church reaching out to people because they love Jesus. I see the members caring for the sick and lonely. I see people quietly going the second mile by driving people to church or work or doctor appointments. I see the good news shared form the pulpit and in the large variety of ministries. People at Wheaton Bible are being the hands and feet of Christ.

–RUTH GIBSON

33

children of all ages. Beyond that, you’ll fi nd a state-of-the-art Student Ministry Center for junior and senior high students. Comfortable and inviting Adult Community rooms will be situated throughout the facility, and there will be a number of large meeting areas for big gatherings or sharing meals together.

Phase 1 will roughly double our present square footage to approximately 212,000 square feet, and our fi nal build-out will increase the new facility size to about 340,000 square feet. Our main Worship Center will seat 1,400 people initially and expand to 2,400 in the fi nal phase.

Challenges aheadAs a congregation, we now face some big decisions regarding what God has in mind next for Wheaton Bible Church. Purchasing the land has been a huge step of faith for us, and the challenges ahead will be even greater.

But as Pastor Rob says, “We serve a big God who has called us to minister in big ways. We must continue to dream big, pray big, ask big, and give big for the future of Wheaton Bible Church. Then, like those who have gone before us, we can continue to Share the Light of Christ in DuPage County and around the world.”

God-preserved estate: God-willing, beautiful Morton Manor will be our new home.

75 years for his glory, we are wheaton bible church

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