Woodburn Bible Church "Serving the Lord Since 1838"
Woodburn Bible Church"Serving the Lord Since 1838"



     May 24, 1964 - Work was started by the John Edsall Corporation to raze the old church. It was leveled by Decoration Day. At a later date men came with tractors, trucks and shovels to fill the basement with dirt from Guy Baker's farm. The ground was soon prepared for landscaping. This project of the Growing Christian Guild was finished in the fall. The Youth Fellowship bought grass seed for the lawn and rock for the parking area.

    March 12, 1965 - It was voted to join the Southern Conference of Illinois. The church was received into the Southern Conference at Millstadt on May 2, 1966.

December 5, 1965 - "Gift Day" for the reduction of the church debt. Each member and friend of the church, representatives of Sunday School classes, and church organizations placed his gift on the open Bible at the close of the worship service. The Lord richly blessed us with a debt free church.

 April 17, 1966 — Rev. C. Miller entered St. John's Sanatorium, Springfield, Illinois. The membership received and accepted his resignation as pastor in July 1966 with deep regret. From April 24 to November 20, the pulpit was supplied by guest speakers.

    On November 27, 1966, David Hein, student of Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, was called to serve as pastor indefinitely.

    September 3, 1967 - The first vesper service was held and will continue on the first Sunday evening of each month in addition to the regular Sunday morning and Wednesday evening services.

The members and friends of this church have received many blessings here, and are deeply grateful to the Lord for preserving this His church these past 130 years.

    November 22, 1967 — A combined organ dedication and Thanksgiving service was held. The organ was presented to the church by the late Mrs. Gladys Foulon Curtis and her husband, Mr. Orson Curtis, in memory of her mother, Mrs. Anne Beatty Foulon.

    1969 - The church received a memorial of $5,000 from the W. W. Heal estate. The purpose of the memorial being to provide the general fund of the church with perpetual income received from interest and/or dividends resulting from the investment of the memorial.

    November 1970 - The Ladies Society met to commemorate the 123rd year of its existence.

    April 4, 1971 - During the quarterly business meeting, the congregation voted to withdraw the church's membership from the General Synod of the United Church of Christ, the Illinois South Conference of the United Church of Christ and the South Illinois Association of the Illinois South Conference of the United Church of Christ.

    March 25, 1973 - The 135th anniversary of the church was celebrated with a remembrance program, special music, and readings given by members of the church. The new belfrey tower just south of the church was also dedicated at this time.

 

    In 1974, after pastor Vance left, LeRoy Fahnestock was called to fill in for 2 weeks until the new replacement pastor showed up.  The "new" pastor never arrived, and Pastor LeRoy faithfully served this congregation for 34 years until he retired in 2008.  It was during Pastor LeRoy's final year of service that the church name was formally changed to Woodburn Bible Church.
 
    July 1977 - A $1500 Certificate of Deposit was presented to the church by the Philathea Class. The interest from the certificate to be transferred to the general fund and used as needed.

 

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