O God, you have been our dwelling place from one generation to another.
Psalm 90:1
Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church was formed in 1966 by the merger of the
Fullerton and Christ Presbyterian Churches. The Fullerton Church was itself
the result of a merger in 1932 of the Covenant and Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian
Churches. The roots of these predecessor churches date back as early as
1843 as shown in our family tree below.
Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church inhabits the building that was originally
the second home of the Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Church. This building
was erected in 1888 using Michigan buff sandstone and contains red oak pews,
a historic Johnson & Son tracker organ (Opus 690,
1888), and unusual stained glass (some of which is featured on the secondary
pages of this web site).
The following section provides highlights of the history of Lincoln Park
Presbyterian Church from the time of its formation in the merger of 1966.
Other sections follow which give brief summaries of the histories of the
predecessor churches and sabbath schools.
| 1966 | Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church is officially formed on October 11 when the Presbytery of Chicago approves the merger of the Christ and Fullerton Presbyterian Churches. Rev. Eldon Lindberg, pastor of the Fullerton Presbyterian Church, continues as pastor at Lincoln Park. The Fullerton Church building becomes the new home of the Lincoln Park congregation. |
| 1968 | Beginning of period of strong social activism. Involvement in issues concerning: civil rights, Vietnam War, draft counseling, hunger, environment, farm workers, gay/lesbian rights, desegregation, public education. Demonstrators at the Democratic National Convention are provided shelter. |
| 1969 | The Chicago Police are illegally spying on activities of the congregation and church building tenants. |
| 1970 | Emphasis on reconciliation in congregation and community. Low-income community housing projects are funded. |
| 1971 | Innovative and participative worship style developed. The heating system is converted from coal to gas. |
| 1972 | Alternate Space Committee studies possibility of relocating congregation and eventually recommends staying in the present building. Strong involvement in Olivet-DePaul tutoring program. |
| 1973 | Renovation Fund Campaign raises $53,000 for building repairs and improvements. |
| 1976 | Congregation helps start the ecumenically-based Night Ministry organization. |
| 1977 | A period of strong focus on young adult ministry. Church building serves as drop-off station for handguns. |
| 1979 | Congregation has highest per capita pledge in the Chicago Presbytery to the denomination's Major Mission Fund. |
| 1980 | Resettlement of Vietnamese refugees. Congregation adopts position paper on ordination in the local church. Help form Lincoln Park Seniors. |
| 1981 | Session declares Lincoln Park Presbyterian a More Light Church with full membership and participation open to all Christians. |
| 1982 | Lincoln Park Calendar/Guidebook and Mental Health Resource Book are published as a form of mission outreach to the community. |
| 1983 | Capital Campaign raises $85,000 for major building repairs. |
| 1984 | Successful church judicial action to install to the Session an openly gay elder who had been relected by the congregation ensures full membership rights for lesbian and gay members. Commitment to Peacemaking statement adopted. |
| 1985 | Help start Lincoln Park Community Shelter for the Homeless with other area churches; church basement is used as one of the Shelter sites during the winter. The Endowment Fund and Dorothy Allen Organ Fund are established. Representatives attend the first More Light Churches Conference. |
| 1986 | Exterior of building cleaned and Johnson & Son tracker organ restored. Congregation joins the Northside Sanctuary Consortium. |
| 1987 | Another period of strong involvement in young adult ministry. 100th Anniversary of Laying of Cornerstone of present church building. |
| 1988 | Chicago House volunteer program begins. Building Centennial celebrated. |
| 1989 | Associate pastor position created and filled by Ann O. Johnson, the first woman to be called to a pastoral position. |
| 1990 | Inclusive Language and Affirmation of Ministry statements adopted. |
| 1991 | Sanctuary open midweek evenings for prayer during Persian Gulf War. Session
approves Covenantal Ceremonies for same gender couples. 25th Anniversary celebrated in October. |
| 1992 | Capital Campaign receives $124,000 in initial pledges and grants to fund building repairs and improvements. Congregation hosts the More Light Churches Conference at which the More Light Churches Network is organized. |
| 1993 | 150th Anniversary of Christ Church Sabbath Schools celebrated. [See history of the Sabbath Schools below.] |
| 1994 | Church cookbook debuts. The Session votes to place a rainbow flag on outside signboard as a sign of welcome and affirmation. |
| 1995 | Building accessibility project begins. Church helps organize the Northside Presbyterian Parish, a consortium of Presbyterian churches which pledge to undertake some joint ministry and mission projects. The Capital Campaign extension raises another $36,000 for building improvements, including the second phase of the accessibility project. |
| 1996 | Development of internet homepage. First phase of the accessibility project, the new rear entrance with lift, is completed. |
|
1997
|
Session adopts a Covenant of Dissent against the 1996/97 Amendment B and 75 individual members and friends also sign the Covenant. The second phase of the accessibility project is completed with a ramp connecting the two main levels of the building. A Strategic Working Group is created to study the congregation. |
|
1998
|
The Strategic Working Group conducts an extensive survey of congregational life and ministry. |
|
1999
|
The Strategic Working Group releases its report which contained recommendations on the church building, worship and program, finances and stewardship, comunity life and member care, and mission and outreach. The Session reorganizes its committee structure into "ministry teams" and begins an 18-month "visioning" process to formulate a new statement of faith. An architect is hired and works with a Building Needs Working Group to assess the state of the church building. |
|
2000
|
The Building Condition Assessment report is released and recommends repairs and restoration to church building totaling approximately $2 million. The Session adopts new Vision Statement. A grant is received from the denomination to hire a Director of Redevelopment for one year to assist in presenting ideas and programming that will lead to church growth. |
|
2001
|
The Session votes to begin a capital campaign for building restoration within 18 months and affirms continued and possibly expanded partnership with the Lincoln Park Community Shelter for the Homeless. |
| 1843 | Young Men's Mission Sabbath School organized on October 3 by three men from Second Presbyterian Church. One hundred fifty students from the rural north side are enrolled in a small building on Kinzie Street. This was the first Mission Sabbath School in Chicago as well as the third Presbyterian enterprise in the city. |
| 1844 | The School moves to Bethel Church and becomes known as the Bethel Mission Sabbath School. |
| 1857 | The school moves to a new building and changes its name to the Erie Street Mission Sabbath School. |
| 1866 | Further north, students of McCormick Seminary organize the Orchard Street Mission for 137 pupils in a dilapidated beer hall. By year end, the North Presbyterian Church is supporting this Mission. |
| 1868 | The Orchard Street Mission moves to new, more spacious quarters on Howe Street, near Armitage, and is renamed the Howe Street Mission. |
| 1871 | Back south, the Erie Street Mission Sabbath School is now being supported by Fourth Presbyterian Church. In October, the School building is destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire. The Sunday after the Fire, services are held at the ruins of the building; the School soon relocates to temporary quarters. At the same time, the Howe Street Mission just escapes the western edge of the Fire. |
| 1872 | The Erie Street School consolidates with the Howe Street Mission at the Howe Street location, with the continued support of Fourth Presbyterian Church. The name becomes the Howe Street Mission Sabbath School. However, attendance soon exceeds the capacity of the building. Fourth Church resolves to erect a new, spacious building. |
| 1887 | Christ Chapel built at Armitage and Orchard at a cost of $45,000. The Sabbath School marches in procession to its new home. Name of school changes to Christ Chapel Sabbath School. |
| 1893 | 50th Anniversary of the founding of the first Sabbath School is celebrated. There are now 1,400 students in the Christ Chapel Sabbath School. |
| 1897 | Plans are made to convert Christ Chapel into a full-fledged Presbyterian Church. [See history of Christ Church (Presbyterian) below.] |
| 1900 | Christ Church (Presbyterian) organized on February 8 with 183 members. Rev. David Creighton is called as first pastor. Fourth Presbyterian Church continues financial support. |
| 1912 | Election of officers postponed due to internal difficulties. |
| 1914 | Fourth Presbyterian Church donates its Johnson & Son tracker organ. Building is remodeled and sanctuary redesigned. |
| 1922 | Congregation becomes self-supporting. Senior basketball team wins league championship. |
| 1943 | 100th Anniversary of founding of the first Sabbath School. |
| 1946 | Membership reaches all-time high of 505. |
| 1950 | 50th Anniversary of church organization celebrated. |
| 1958 | Election of first women elders: Charlotte Engquist and Evelyn Kirchner. |
| 1960 | Period of increased ecumenical involvement with neighborhood churches. |
| 1966 | Congregation votes on June 26 to merge with the Fullerton Presbyterian Church to form Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church. The sale of the Christ Church property provides $100,000 to help launch the newly merged congregation. [See history of the Fullerton Church below.] |
| 1864 | Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Church organized with 22 members as an "Old School" congregation by McCormick Seminary professor Dr. Willis Lord. A simple frame building is erected at 530 W. Fullerton. |
| 1870 | First building enlarged. |
| 1871 | Great Chicago Fire stops several blocks from church building, but has devastating effect on many members. |
| 1872 | Congregation calls first pastor: Rev. William Young. Women's Missionary Society formed. |
| 1879 | Ladies Aid Society formed and gives valuable financial and program assistance for many years. |
| 1887 | Cornerstone laid for second building at 600 W. Fullerton on August 31 and original property sold to Church of Our Saviour. |
| 1888 | Johnson & Son tracker organ purchased for $3,000. New building completed at cost of $60,000 and dedicated on April 22. |
| 1893 | Depression causes financial hardship. |
| 1898 | Sanctuary enlarged westward at a cost of $10,000. |
| 1909 | Fullerton Church known as "Mother of Churches" for its role in helping form the Belden Avenue, Covenant, Endeavor and Lake View Churches. |
| 1913 | Church reaches largest membership: 534 with 890 in Sunday School. |
| 1914 | 50th Anniversary celebrated. Strong fundraising leads to burning of mortgage. |
| 1924 | Endowment Fund established. |
| 1927 | Internal strife leads to resignation of pastor and loss of many prominent members. |
| 1929 | Congregation hit hard by Great Depression and forced to remortgage building. |
| 1932 | Merger with Church of the Covenant (Presbyterian) to form the Fullerton-Covenant Presbyterian Church. [See histories of the Covenant Church and the merged Fullerton-Covenant Church below.] |
| 1885 | Church of the Covenant (Presbyterian) organized with 88 members on May 7. Rev. David Breed called as first pastor. Chapel erected at Belden and Halsted for $26,000 |
| 1888 | Johnson & Son tracker organ purchased for $4,600. Permanent edifice completed at a cost of $47,000 and dedicated on April 8. |
| 1900 | Extensive building improvements. |
| 1910 | 25th Anniversary celebrated. Membership is 504. |
| 1927 | Internal disagreement leads to resignation of pastor and Session. |
| 1928 | McCormick Seminary takes over church property and name of church is changed to "Seminary Church, Church of the Covenant Foundation." |
| 1932 | Merger with Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Church to form the Fullerton- Covenant Presbyterian Church. The merged congregation uses the building of the Fullerton Church. [See history of the Fullerton-Covenant Church below.] |
| 1934 | Ladies Aid Society and Women's Missionary Society merge to form the Women's Association. |
| 1942 | Congregation votes to use Endowment Fund to pay off burdensome mortgage. |
| 1950 | Church sponsors a World War II refugee family from Latvia. |
| 1952 | First woman elder elected to Session: Dora Stringer. |
| 1961 | Name of church shortened to Fullerton Presbyterian Church. |
| 1964 | 100th Anniversary celebrated. Centennial History published. |
| 1966 | Congregation votes on September 17 to merge with Christ Church (Presbyterian) to form Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church. [See top of this page for the history of the present Lincoln Park congregation.] |