| SELECT LIST OF EVENTS FROM MOODY CHURCH HISTORY |
| ca. 1858 |
Moody began his Sunday school work |
| 2/24/1864 |
Moody's Sunday school moved into building he had built for them on
the south side of Illinois Street, between Wells and Lasalle |
| 12/24/1864 |
Illinois Independent Church founded, J. H. Harwood pastor |
| 1871 |
Chicago fire |
| 12/24/1871 |
North Side Tabernacle dedicated at Wells and Ontario |
| 1873 |
Church building at Chicago and LaSalle begun, (called the Chicago
Street Church). First services held there 12/31/1873. |
| 6/1/1876 |
Church dedicated and free of debt |
| 10/1876 |
Moody holds an evangelistic meeting in Chicago in a wooden
tabernacle at the corner of Monroe and Franklin |
| 1878 |
First missionary dedicated, Frederick Franson |
| 2/5/1887 |
Chicago Evangelization Society organized (granted charter, 2/12/87) |
| ca. 1888 |
Pen and Scissors began publication |
| 9/29/1889 |
Bible Institute for Home and Foreign Missions of the Chicago
Evangelization Society opened |
| 1890 |
Church membership of seven hundred |
| 1893 |
Church was one of many participating in Dwight L. Moody's effort to
evangelize at World Columbian Exposition |
| 1896 |
G. Campbell Morgan preached at church |
| 1897 |
Moody conducted a series of evangelistic meetings at the auditorium |
| 1897 |
Our Field and Work began publication |
| ca. 1899 |
First fresh air camp held |
| 1899 |
Death of Dwight L, Moody |
| 3/21/1900 |
Bible Institute renamed the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago; around
this time the church began to be called informally the Moody Church |
| ca. 1902 |
Fresh Air work begun |
| 1902 |
Moody Church Herald began publication |
| 1903 |
Church membership of 1775 |
| 1908 |
Church formally renamed The Moody Church |
| 1909 |
Moody Italian Mission begun (1813 Milton avenue). Gospel Rescue
Mission was at 604 N. Clark |
| 1910 |
Church membership of 2453 |
| 1910 |
Moody Italian Mission began renting space in the Northside Holiness
Church at the corner of Elm and LaSalle |
| 1910 |
Moody Church News begins publication |
| ca. 1912 |
Moody Church Home for Young Women begun (1015 N. LaSalle) |
| 1914 |
Prophetic Bible Conference, sponsored by MBI, held at Moody Church |
| 1914 |
Church membership approximately 3000 (Sunday school enrollment
3800) |
| 11/7/1915 |
Moody Tabernacle opened on the corner of North Avenue and Clark |
| ca. 1916 |
Acquired Cedar Lake Conference grounds in Indiana (also called Rest-a-while) |
| 1918 |
MBI buys Chicago Avenue building and grounds |
| 1925 |
Church membership of 2436 |
| 3/15/1925 |
Last service in Moody Tabernacle; congregation moves temporarily
back to Chicago Avenue building |
| 11/8/25 |
New building dedicated. Church offices at 1605 LaSalle by 1939 |
| 11/22/25 |
Evangelistic services led by R. A. Torrey |
| 12/20/25 |
Evangelistic service led by Billy Sunday |
| ca. 1926 |
Sunday school changes from morning to afternoon |
| 1927 |
G. Campbell Morgan preached at church |
| 12/27 |
Gypsy Smith held meetings at church |
| 1928 |
Church membership of 3740 |
| 1929 |
Borden Library dedicated |
| 6/1929 |
Reuter pipe organ installed |
| 1930 |
Church membership of 3750 |
| 1933 |
A variety of activities at church to attract people attending the Century of
Progress fair |
| 1933 |
Gypsy Smith held meetings at the church |
| 1934 |
Billy Sunday held meetings at the church |
| 1934 |
Church membership of nearly 4000, Sunday school enrollment of 1700 |
| 1934 |
Broadcast of Sunday morning services over station WMBI begun |
| 1935 |
Billy Sunday's funeral held at church |
| 1936 |
Moody Church purchased the church at the corner of Elm and LaSalle
for the Italian Mission, under Antonio F. Scorza. The church became
known at the Elm-LaSalle Church |
| 1937 |
Celebrated Moody centenary with bible institute |
| 1937 |
Church membership of 3950 (Sunday school enrollment 1750) |
| 1/1938 |
Charles Fuller radio program broadcast live from the church |
| 1939 |
Old Chicago Avenue church building razed to make way for MBI
woman's dormitory |
| 1941 |
Gypsy Smith held meetings at the church |
| 1941 |
Moody supported missionaries traveling on the Zamzam, a ship sunk
by the German naval vessel Atlantic |
| 1942 |
Gypsy Smith held meetings at church |
| 1942 |
Home Missionary department formed |
| 12/31/1943 |
Church burned its mortgage |
| ca. 1944 |
Moody Italian Mission became the Elm-LaSalle Street Church |
| 1944-1945 |
Stained glass memorial windows installed in main auditorium |
| 1946 |
Hosted first annual convention of National Sunday School Association |
| 1947 |
Bob Murfin hired as youth director |
| 1947 |
Hammond electric organ installed in Torrey Chapel |
| 1951 |
Hosted Greater Chicago Sunday School convention |
| 1951 |
Billy Graham spoke at church |
| 1953 |
Church hosted its first Mid-America Keswick Convention |
| 1954 |
Moody Church purchases a campground on Loon Lake, near Antioch,
Illinois |
| 1955 |
Clyburn Gospel Mission begun (1307 N. Clyburn), although the church
had been using the Clyburn (or Clybourne) Avenue Hall since the 1890s |
| 1956 |
Hosted National Sunday School Convention |
| 1958 |
Held services at the Men's Grill of Carson, Pirie and Scott |
| 1960 |
Sunday school enrollment 1200 |
| 1961 |
Christian day school started |
| 3/23/1962 |
Three African Americans admitted into membership |
| 1966 |
Meeting held by Jack Wyrtzen |
| ca. 1967 |
Dial-a-story ministry begun |
| 1967 |
First Songs in the Night banquet |
| 1/21/1968 |
Songs in the Night became a Moody church radio program |
| 1968 |
First Moody Church Founder's Day |
| 1968 |
Moody Youth Camp changed its name to MoYoCa |
| 1968 |
History Center opened |
| 1970 |
First "Adventures in understanding " banquet for Christians and Jews |
| 1970 |
Elm-LaSalle Church became independent |
| 2/1970 |
Day care center begun |
| 1974 |
First broadcast of the Moody Church Hour radio program |
| 1976 |
Participated in Here's Life America campaign in Chicago |
| 5/16/1976 |
Festival Americana held at church |
| ca. 1980 |
"Women in the Working World" luncheons begun |
| 1981 |
REECH program begun (Reaching through Evangelism Explosion in
Chicago) |
| 1983 |
Operation Nehemiah campaign begun to refurbish the church building |
| 10/1983 |
Ray Bakke hosted a seminar on how to reach Chicago |
| 1/15/1986 |
Fire damages organ and main altar |
| SELECT LIST OF CHURCH STAFF AND OFFICERS |
| Aitchison, Robert F. |
Elder in the nineteenth century and early twentieth
centuries |
| Amstutz, Waldo |
Assistant treasurer in the 1920s |
| Anderson, Grant M. |
Christian education administrator, 1980s |
| Benson, Stan |
Director of the Sunday school after Peterson |
|
| Bickham, Arnold |
Director of Ushers, ca. 1984? |
| Bittokofer, T. J. |
Director of music in the 1920s |
| Blanchard, Charles |
Supply pastor, 1891-1893 |
| Borden, William Whiting |
Church member, ordained at Moody, member of the
board of trustees 1909-?, and gave $100,00 to the
church in his will |
| Browne, Baynard B. |
Church clerk, 1928-1930 |
| Burch, J.H. |
Superintendent of Moody's first Sunday school, 1859-1860 |
| Burkholder, Samuel R. |
Organist in the 1940s and 50s |
| Buske, Stab |
Director of ushers, 1980s |
|
| Cady, George |
Church clerk in the 1980s |
| Campbell, Henry D. |
Assistant pastor in early 1920s, acting pastor in 1921-1922, assistant pastor, 1922-1924 |
| Campbell, Joseph P. |
Treasurer, 1900-? |
| Campbell, William |
Head usher, 1909-? |
| Carbaugh, Helen |
Organist, 1958-1969 |
| Carbaugh, Robert |
Choir director, 1958-1969 |
| Christiansen, Avis |
Poetess of church |
| Church, E. W. |
Church clerk, 1898-1899, Financial secretary, 1899-? |
| Cox, Sydney E. |
Sunday school director, 1925-1926 |
| Craig, Paul S. |
Visitation pastor in the 1980s |
| Crichton, Eric |
Associate pastor, 195?-1960 |
| Crofts, T. J. |
Director of the Sunday school, 1926-1928 |
| Crossell, E. J. |
Financial secretary in the 1890s |
|
| Dahlstrom, Richard |
Director of ushers in the 1980s |
| Davis, Ralph |
Missionary to Africa supported by church, ordained at
church in 1928 |
| DeGloger, Watts |
Preached and took on other pastoral responsibilities at
times during the church's pre-1876 period |
| Deyneka, Peter Sr. |
Converted under Rader, later founded the Russian
Gospel Association (Slavic Gospel Association), which
the church supported |
| Dinwiddie, Richard D. |
Director of Music, 1971?-? |
| Dixon, Amzi Clarence |
Pastor, 1906-1911 |
|
| Edmunds, Gerald H. |
Minister of music in the 1980s |
| Edwards, William |
Church clerk, 1890s |
| Ehrenkrook, Courtenay J. |
Director of Sunday school ca. 1953-ca. 1955 |
| Erdman, William J. |
Pastor, 1876-1878 |
| Erickson, Arthur F. |
Church clerk, 1918 |
| Erickson, J. E. |
Church clerk in 1910 |
| Ewing, John Jr. |
Assistant treasurer, 1928-1929 |
|
| Farlin, J. W. |
Bible teacher at the church until his death in 1893 |
| Farwell, James |
Superintendent of Dwight L. Moody's Sunday school,
1860-1867 |
| Ferguson, J.S. |
Missionary to Africa supported by church |
| Filkin, Warren |
Minister of visitation and adult ministries, 1972- |
| Franson, Frederick |
First missionary of church, dedicated in 1878 |
| Frisbie, F. S. |
Head usher, 189?-190?, Financial secretary in the
1890s, Treasurer in 1910 |
|
| Gaylord, Aymer Frank |
Superintendent of the Sunday school, 1892-1904,
member of executive committee, trustee 1900-1918 |
| Genn, Merle J. |
Director of ushers in the 1940s and until ca. 1954 |
| Gibbs, Robert H. |
Assistant to pastor of Elm-Lasalle Church under Rill |
| Goss, Charles F. |
Pastor, 1885-1890 |
| Gotaas, David S. |
Pastor's assistant, 1948-1952 |
| Gowman, Daniel J. |
Church clerk, ca. 1952- |
| Gray, James M. |
Served briefly as supply pastor in 1898 and during the
early years of the twentieth century |
| Guidone, James |
Building superintendent, 1980s |
|
| Hachtel, Fred C. |
Director of ushers from ca. 1917-ca. 1931 |
| Hammontree, Homer |
Assistant pastor under Philpott and minister of music,
1925-? |
| Harper, John |
Preached at the church in the early 1910s; invited to
become pastor, but died on the Titanic |
| Harwood, J. H. |
Pastor, 1866-1869 |
| Hayward, J. Keesey |
Singles and outreach pastor in the 1980s |
| Heistad, Wallace |
Director of ushers, 198?-1984 |
| Herald, Charles |
Choirmaster, 1890s? |
| Heard, Matthew B. |
Minister of singles and evangelism, 1980s |
| Hermansen, Howard |
Pastor's assistant in 1920s, associate pastor, 1946-1968
(fulltime), acting pastor 1948-1950 |
| Herring, Harry |
Visiting pastor, 1919-?, associate pastor in the 1920s
and 30s and superintendent of the Moody Gospel
Mission; teacher of the Sword and Trowel and
Brotherhood Bible classes |
| Herring, Robert H. |
Clerk in the 1940s and until ca. 1952 |
| Hitchcock, Bensen E. |
Youth pastor 1953-? |
| Hitchcock, J. M. |
Superintendent of the Sunday school 1870-1891, elder,
?-1912 |
| Holzworth, Alfred |
Organist in the 20s |
| Hoells, Edward |
Organist, 1897- |
| Hubbard, John M. |
First choir leader of the Illinois Street Church, 1864-? |
| Hutton, Harry |
Church clerk, 1899- |
| Hyde, Thomas B. |
Assistant to Charles Goss and acting pastor for part of
the period between Goss and Torrey (1890-1894) |
|
| Innes, John |
Pianist played frequently at church in 1960s and 70s |
| Ironside, Harry Allen |
Pastor, 1930-1948 |
| Ironside, John |
Assistant pastor, 1941-? |
|
| James, Edward P. |
Church clerk in 1910; treasurer in 1917; director of the
Sunday school, 1918-1925; chairman of the board of
trustees in the 20s |
| James, P. C. |
Membership Secretary, 1917-? |
| Jacoby, Walter S. |
Pastor's assistant to Torrey and Superintendent of the
Moody Gospel Mission. 1895-? |
| Jensen, James |
Director of ushers, ca. 1932-? |
| Joseph, Albert |
Treasurer, 1980s |
| Johnson, Edward L. |
Director of Sunday school in 1940s and until ca. 1952 |
| Johnson, James |
Pastor Elm-LaSalle Street Church, late 1950s-1961 |
| Jones, Bruce W. |
Associate pastor in the 1980s |
|
| Kappeler, ? |
Director of the brass band under Dixon |
| Kappeler, Eugen |
Elder, ?-1904 |
| Karnath, Richard |
Director of Sunday school, 1980s |
|
| Lane, H. S. |
Treasurer, 189?-1899 |
| Langston, John W. |
One of the first children in Moody's Sunday school and
later a teacher there and secretary of the school under
Hitchcock |
| Leslie, Bill |
Youth pastor, 1959-1961, became pastor of Elm-Lasalle
Church which then became independent of Moody in
1970 |
| Lindh, Victor E. |
Financial secretary in 1910, Treasurer in the 1920s |
| Loes, Harry Dixon |
Life long member of the church, composer |
| Logsdon, S. Franklin |
Pastor, 1951-1952 |
| Lorenz. Robert W. |
Church clerk, 1917 |
| Lowden, A. H. |
Head usher in the 1880s |
| Lowman, Rex |
Treasurer |
| Lutzer, Erwin Wesley |
Stated pulpit supply 1978-1979, pastor, 1980- |
|
| MacMillian, Thomas C. |
One of the first children's in Moody's Sunday school in
1860, later a state legislator |
| Mains, David |
Assistant pastor, ?-1967 |
| Martin, Neil |
Church clerk, 1920s |
| Mason, J. D. |
Church clerk at the turn of the century |
| McDill, Samuel R. |
Sunday school visitor, 1940-1942; pastor of the Elm-LaSalle Bible Church, 1942-? |
| McKee, Arthur |
Song leader and soloist under Rader |
| McKown, J. Bryson |
Clerk, 1880s |
| Meeker, George |
Executive committee member, first elected in 1904,
served more than 50 years; church clerk in 1910 |
| Meyer, E. D. |
Financial secretary, 1900-1901 |
| Miller, F. O. |
Treasurer in the 1940s and until ca. 1951 |
| Moody, Dwight Lyman |
The church grew out of his efforts and he remained a
strong presence in it, even though for most of the latter
part of his life he did not live in Chicago; served as
elder and trustee from the church's founding until the
1890s |
| Moon, R. H. |
Pastoral assistant, 1918 |
| Morrison, John |
Usher, 1870s |
| Morrison, John |
Pastors Assistant, 1910s and 1920s |
| Morton, Charles |
Pastor, 1878-1879 |
| Murfin, Robert |
Youth minister, 1940s-ca. 1951, assistant pastor, ca.
1951-ca. 1953 |
| Needham, Charles |
Pastor, 1879-1881 |
| Nicholls, Mary |
Pastor's assistant, 1940s and 50s |
|
| Oliver, R. J. |
Band director and choir leader in the 1910s and 1920s |
|
| Pagenta, Dan |
Assistant treasurer, 1917 |
| Palm, Charles |
Head usher, 190?-ca. 1910 |
| Persson, John |
Camp director, 1980s |
| Peters, A. E. |
Head usher in the 1890s |
| Peterson, Elof W. |
Director of the Sunday school after James |
| Peterson, Gilbert C. |
Director of music in the 1940s and 50s |
| Philpott, P. W. |
Pastor, 1922-1929 |
| Playfair, Guy W. |
Missionary to Nigeria supported by Moody Church |
| Porter, Charles A. |
Associate Pastor, 1927-?; director of Sunday school,
1928-? |
| Pugmire, Herbert |
Member of pastoral staff under Philpott and/or Ironside |
|
| Rader, Paul |
Pastor, 1915-1921 |
| Rasmusssen, Rose |
Secretary to E. Y. Woolley, 1911-1918 |
| Redpath, Alan |
Pastor, 1953-1962 |
| Reiner, E. L. |
Financial secretary, 1901-?, superintendent of the
Sunday school, 1905-1908; president of Christian
Endeavor |
| Revell, Fleming |
Served as elder in the 1890s, and probably earlier as
well |
| Rill, Robert E. |
Pastor of Elm-Lasalle Bible church in the 1940s and
until ca. 1952 |
| Rodeheaver, Homer |
Assistant pastor at Moody, 1930s |
| Rowland, Lawrence |
Assistant to Rill, then Pastor Elm-LaSalle Bible Church,
ca. 1952-? |
|
| Samorajski, Dorothy |
Early Childhood Center director, 1980s |
| Sandberg, M. Sandie E. |
Director of ushers, ca. 1931-ca. 1932 |
| Sastrom, Ken |
Played in the brass band when he was growing up in the
1910s |
| Schuaubert, Everett G. |
Treasurer, ca. 1952-? |
| Schuler, George |
Choir director in the 20s |
| Scorza, Antonio F. |
Pastor of the Italian Mission from at least 1922 into the
1940s |
| Sellers, E. Oo. |
Assistant chorister, 1910s |
| Shaubert, Everett G. |
Assistant treasurer, 1940s and 50s |
| Shufelt, John Stratton |
Music director in the 1940s |
| Slichter, Morris |
Missionary to China, supported by church, killed in
1926 by bandits |
| Smith, Donald H. |
Assistant pastor, 1968-1978, in charge of Songs in the
Night |
| Smith, Oran A. |
Director of the young people's program, 1945-? |
| Soderstrom, W. G. |
Treasurer in the late 1920s |
| Springer, Joseph A. |
In charge of songs in the night 1978-1984 |
| Stewart, David |
Financial secretary, 189?-1900 |
| Streeter, Tom |
Assistant pastor in charge of youth, 1970- |
| Stuecher, Henry C. |
Director of the Sunday school ca. 1955- |
| Sweeting, George |
Pastor, 1966-1971 |
|
| Taylor, Herbert Hudson |
Son of James Hudson Taylor, missionary to China
supported by church |
| Tollberg, Maynard William |
Member of church, killed at Gudalcanal in 1943,
received Navy Cross |
| Torrey, R.A. |
Pastor, 1894-1906 (also head of MBI during the same
time); elder in the 1890s |
| Towner, D. B. |
Choirmaster, 1893-? |
| Tucker, A. L. |
Treasurer, 1880s |
|
| Van Der Naalt, Herman |
Director of ushers, ca. 1954-ca. 1961 |
| Van Kley, Albert E. |
Pastoral assistant in the early 1940s |
| Vaughn, Byrl |
Chairman of board of elders in 1970s |
| Vaughn, Robert P. |
Pastor of the Mission Church of Ravenswood in the
1920s |
| Vogel, E. L. |
Church clerk, 1890s |
|
| Walworth, Winona |
Executive secretary of Christian education, 1950s and
1960s |
| Ward, Dan |
Building manager, 1980s |
| Wedeking, Frank L. |
Assistant director of the Sunday school in the 1940s and
50s |
| Wheeler, Charles H. |
Pastor sometime during the church's first twelve years |
| White, Paul |
Minister of music, ca. 1951- |
| Whittle, J. D. |
Elder, 1890s |
| Wiersbe, Warren W. |
Pastor, 1971-1978 |
| Wininger, Zoe |
Organist, 1930s and 1940s |
| Woolley, E. Y. |
Assistant pastor under Dixon; acting pastor, 1911-1915;
associate pastor, 1915-1919; director of the Sunday
school, 1908-1918 |
| Worman, Theresa |
"Aunt Theresa" of Dial-A-Story, begun in the late 1960s |
| Wright, Gaylord |
Superintendent of the Clyburn Gospel Mission, 1956-? |
| Wyzenbeek, Andrew |
Longtime member |