CHURCH HISTORY

• The Minooka United Methodist Church was created over 153 years ago, in a village called Minooka. Minooka is 10 miles west of Joliet and 10 miles east of Morris, IL.

• Minooka Methodist Episcopal Church was first organized in 1856, where it held its first services in Ferguson’s store on Mondamin and Osceola Streets. Later it was moved to the school. Ten years later, the first church building was built on the present sanctuary site. It stood until a tornado flattened it on May 26th, 1917. The day after the tornado, members of the church as well as a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, joined efforts to rebuild the church. Even the women of the Ladies Guild joined the efforts to salvage materials to be reused in the building of the new church. The new church was ready for occupancy by the following Dec. The stained glass windows we see today in the sanctuary were given in memory of a doctor, a blacksmith, a prominent businessman, a war hero, a minister, a little girl, a little boy, and another minister and his wife. The church underwent major remodeling in 1972 with the bell being removed from the tower due to leaks. In 1982, the sanctuary was expanded as we see it today.

• The bell seen outside the church on the north-west lawn was originally placed in the first church building in 1866. It survived the tornado and was re-hung in the brick church tower in 1917. The bell was removed from the tower due to leaks in 1972 and stored on the Holt Family farm until it came to its current resting place in time for our Nation’s Bicentennial on July 4, 1776.

• The parsonage seen today is the second one built on the current site. In 1989, while the old parsonage (built in 1868) was occupied, a new brick house was erected directly behind it. Members of the church completed the majority of the labor. It took just six months to build the parsonage. The original parsonage was moved directly south on the other side of the railroad on W. Wapella Street toward the end of the construction of the new structure.

• The educational wing/fellowship hall was built in 1960-61. In the Fall of 2007, the Crook Fellowship Hall was renovated to create more fellowship space and gathering area utilizing volunteered labor of several of our church members.

• The annex was built in 1949 as a school bus garage. It was originally on land the church owned, but later sold to the school district. The church repurchased the land and the building in 1968 and by 1973 it was converted into a youth room, kitchen, and dining-meeting hall.

• The Minooka Church grew from 19 members in 1856 to the current membership of 485 people. The name change from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist occurred in 1939, then to Minooka United Methodist Church in 1968. Both changes reflected growth and merger with the denomination.

• In the beginning, until 1969, the pastors of Minooka UMC were shared with either Channahon and the former Aux Sable churches or both. Until that time it had a “circuit rider” program. By 1956, the Aux Sable Methodist Church closed and many of its members joined Minooka UMC. In Sept 2001, land in southwest Minooka bordering Ridge Road was purchased from the Davidson Family, longtime members of the church. They also graciously donated 5 acres of the land to the church. With a total of 15 acres of prime land in the middle of new housing development, Minooka United Methodist Church continues to grow, 153 years later after its birth. While there is corn or beans growing on the land now, plans are in the process now to continue our growth along with Minooka community by erecting a new building in the near future to serve the Minooka/Channahon community.

• In 2006, we celebrated 150 years in Minooka, continuing our tradition by working in the church, in the community, and the world. Come join us and be part of our family and watch us GROW!!