UniPlace History

This family atmosphere is not something that just happens—a congregation must plan and work for it. To have an idea of how this came about, we need to take a look at the history of this congregation at UniPlace. Go back in time to 1874. It is after the Civil War. Rev. Andrew Nathaniel Page moved his family from Woodford County, Illinois to Champaign so his children could get an education Although Page had been raised a Quaker, he converted when he married and became a Disciples minister.

Page had studied the writings of Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone and liked the simplicity and reasonableness of the restoration movement. He had little formal education but he was an organizer. He studied the Bible diligently and was a forceful preacher. He bought two houses in the 300 block of South Wright, about a block north of the present church building. The two houses were converted into rooming houses -- one for men and one for women. A dining room was built between the two buildings connecting them. It was “Student House.” Across the street was Illinois Industrial University (now the University of Illinois) that opened in March of 1867.

Directly across from the rooming house was Main Hall, the main building of the school. The only other rooming house in the area was on the southeast corner of Wright and Springfield. It was owned by the White family and it was called the White House. The University Drill Hall was located just south of the rooming house on Springfield. The new University Hall was being built on the site of the present Illini Union. There were about 330 students enrolled in school.

A mule-drawn streetcar connected Champaign and Urbana, which were about 3 miles apart. There were pastures and fields between the two cities and the campus had a fence around it to keep out the grazing animals. Rev. Page was often criticized for bringing his family to that “godless university in the swamp.” He soon began a Sunday school and a communion service in the dining hall. There were no churches near campus and no Christian Church in either town. Very few members of the Christian Church were in the area and they hadn’t shown any interest in starting a church. However, Page was not discouraged. He had a dream of starting a church for his family and other Christians. So finally in the spring of 1883, in the dining hall of Rev. Page’s “Student House”, the Christian Church of Champaign-Urbana was formed with 14 charter members.

The church quickly outgrew the rooming house, so it was decided to purchase property for a church building. Rev. Page wanted to buy lots near the rooming house but another person wanted to buy lots along University Avenue. Rev. Page, being a strong-willed man, won. He began a building campaign in the community with some of the best givers being Catholics. Some refused to donate because they thought there were already too many churches in the two towns.

James Funkhouser, a local banker (and one of the charter members of the church) donated a lot at 606 E. White Street for the new building where a small building was built with church members supplying most of the labor. Members wanted to call it Page Chapel, but Rev. Page wanted to call it the Christian Church. Thus, in the fall of 1894, the first Christian Church in Champaign-Urbana was dedicated.

In 1885, the congregation decided to officially call a minister. Some wanted Rev. Page but others thought he was too old at 65. He would not accept the position unless the call was unanimous. It was not. The north wing of the Student’s Home burned in early 1885 and was not replaced. Rev. Page sold the Student’s Home property and he and his family moved to Bloomington, Illinois. He later moved and began preaching near Kansas City, Missouri. Later the family moved to Manville, Wyoming, while being too feeble to stand, he preached sitting in a chair. He died in 1892 and was buried at Manville but his body was later moved to Olympia, Washington to the Masonic Cemetery when his family moved there.

Following Rev. Page was B.R. Heffley who served for less than a year. Names also listed as serving were B.N. Anderson and James McMillian. During periods when there was no regular pastor, some members of the congregation filled in. Membership was thought to be about 100 persons at this time.

The Rev. Samuel Sylvester Jones took the pulpit in the fall of 1887. Known as “Sunday School Jones”, Rev. Jones oversaw seven years of growth of the Christian Church. The church outgrew its building and around 1890 was enlarged to about twice it’s original size. Youth groups were added even though some of the members thought they were unscriptural. Twenty-two girls formed the Sunflower Club to promote social life and Christian service. In 1892, Rev. Jones helped to organize the Christian Church in Rantoul. After much thought and prayer, Rev. Jones accepted a call to the Christian Church in Danville, Illinois, in September of 1894.

Following Rev. Jones were four pastors in eight years. First was B.L. Allen, a young, recently married young man. His wife helped organize the Junior Christian Endeavor Society.

W.H. Cannon took the ministry January 1, 1896. Little information is available as to how long Mr. Cannon preached, but it was 1896 and part of 1897.

E.C. Stark followed Mr. Cannon as minister and he served until 1899. Some surviving treasurer’s books showed Mr. Cannon was paid $650 (an average of $12.50 per Sunday). About 200 giving members were listed for 1899. Total expenditures for the year were $781.48. Fifty-two dollars were for janitor services, $6.17 for State work, $5.86 for Foreign Missions, leaving a remainder of $68.55 which was used to pay for coal, lights, repairs, etc.

In the fall of 1899 the congregation decided not to hire Mr. Stark for the following year and a search was begun for his replacement. During the period of December 1899 through February 1900, four men were paid small sums probably for preaching trial sermons.

W.P. Shamhart became the new pastor of the church in March of 1900. Mr. Shamhart had a large family of 11 children. Again the congregation had outgrown its building, so it was decided that it was time to build a bigger church. A lot was purchased at the southwest corner of Springfield Ave. and Wright St. for $2,000. The change in location was unanimous in spite of the fact that the little White Street Church was very dear to the hearts of many of the members. With plans moving along for a new building, Rev. Shamhart was compelled to resign due to “throat trouble.”

In December of 1901 the Rev. J.W. Knight of Minier, Illinois, was called. He gave up a successful practice as an attorney to go into the pulpit. He is said to have been a great orator who made friends easily. Two members of the congregation made substantial donations, and along with the proceeds of the sale of the old building, Rev. Knight raised about $5,000 for the new church building. Rev. Stephen Fisher of Gibson City, Illinois, a friend of Rev. Kinght’s, assisted in the laying of the cornerstone. Rev. Fisher returned in October 1903 to deliver the dedicatory address when the new building was dedicated.

Rev. Knight contracted typhoid fever and had to resign. The Rev. Stephen Fisher was called. The first years of his pastorate were extremely successful and the church soon became the largest church in the twin cities. In 1911, the new addition was dedicated and the sanctuary could now seat 800 people. Every Protestant church in the town canceled services that Sunday in honor of the event and their members attended the dedication service. It was around this time that the name of the church was changed from Church of Christ, University Place to University Place Christian Church.

The church also was a meeting place for the community. Religious Leadership Schools, the State Sunday School convention and meetings of children’s workers were held there. On one occassion the women of the church served a banquet for over 400 religious workers. The church took a lead in the fight for prohibition. Visitors were always warmly welcomed and made to feel at home.

Sunday School became very important in the life of the church. There were six classes for the children. Between 1920 and 1928, the average Sunday school attendance was about 550. The high attendance was October 2, 1927 when 933 people attended Sunday School.

The low point in the life of the church occurred on Sunday, March 6, 1932 when the church building burned. Because of the 6-degree weather, the custodian built a fire in the furnace about 4 a.m. The fire was discovered about 6 a.m. but it had too much of a start. The building was destroyed as many members stood by and watched.

The loss amounted to $125,000. Insurance coverage was $26,000. That afternoon, members filled Trinity Methodist Church. Four members joined the church that afternoon. Russell Duncan and his fiancée, Faye Jessee, were two of those joining. Russell once jokingly remarked that the congregation even burned the church building to keep him from joining, but he joined anyway. Temporary church offices were set up in McKinley Foundation. Church services were held in Smith Music Hall on campus for which the church was charged a very nominal fee.

Offices were soon moved to the Illinois Disciple House on the corner of Wright and Springfield. Church offices were on the second floor, the Illinois Disciples Foundation offices were on the first floor and the basement was remodeled as the kitchen. Many chicken dinners were cooked there to be served upstairs. The money earned went into the building fund.

The lot was too small to rebuild on so they bought lots to the northwest of the old church. A building drive was begun and raised $75,000 to go with the insurance money. This was in the middle of the Great Depression so money was not easy to come by.

In 1933 construction finally began. The footings and basement walls were poured by Mr. E.N. DeAtley (Hilah DeAtley’s father-in-law and Jack’s grandfather) at a cost of $4,600. He also constructed the interior walls for $8,900.The WPA provided much of the labor. Congregation and community members also purchased “baby bonds” which paid 5% interest and provided much-needed funds.

Rev. Fisher spoke at the laying of this cornerstone also. The new church was dedicated on Palm Sunday, April 5, 1936 and had a debt of $136,000. During the four years since the fire, 365 new members had been added.

In 1947, after 45 years as pastor and in his 77th year, Dr. Fisher sent his letter of resignation to the Board, effective July 1, 1948. It is said of him that he was a Minister to the community, not just the church. He was a hard worker who never said, “quit.” His leadership guided University Place Christian Church through good times and bad. He was like a father to some, and a brother to many. He effectively established the concept of a church family in the congregation.

Dr. William Jackson Jarman began his ministry on August 1, 1948. He assured the congregation that “all present orders will remain in effect.” They rejoiced at this declaration. There was still $50,000 owed on the building. Average attendance was 488 people per Sunday. Attendance dropped to 434 in 1951, nearly causing a panic. To increase attendance they tried something new—2 services—a short service at 8:00 and a full service at 10:45. The all-time high was an average of 522 in 1955.

Dr. Jarman was a worthy successor to Dr. Fisher. People came to hear sermons, membership development was stressed, fellowship dinners were begun and a group was organized to call on shut-ins and visitors. He was very active in the Ecumenical Movement and served on several national brotherhood committees. He left the congregation with an extended concept of family to include people of other denominations by working for Christian unity.

Dr. Jarman’s greatest achievement was probably the building of the Illinois Disciples Foundation. A drive for funding was begun in 1944. In 1952 a building would cost $400,000. Assets on hand were $150,000. Ground was broken on October 12, 1952. Work was slow and progressed only as money became available. Finally, in 1957, the building was completed.

In August 1965, Dr. Jarman resigned his position at UPCC after 17 years of service to take a similar position at Park Avenue Christian Church in New York City. The congregation was much richer because of the leadership of Dr. Jarman and his work for Christian unity.

The next minister was Rev. Raphael Miller, Jr., coming in May 1966. Rafe, as he was known by most of us, was a true minister. If you were in the hospital, Rafe was there to visit or to sit with the family during surgery. His concern for people led him to serve on the Champaign County Mental Health Board where he was elected its first president. He also had a question-answer column that ran for several years in our national magazine, The Disciple. Outreach in the form of sponsorship of two refuge families occurred in the early eighties. Rafe’s sermons were thought provoking and his warmth was different from the formality of Rev. Jarman. Rafe retired in 1983, just after the celebration of the church’s 100th anniversary. He gave 17 years of service to UPCC, leaving us with a legacy of love, warmth and concern for others.

Our next senior minister was Rev. Roger Jenks. Roger came to UPCC in August 1984. He had a love of music, and was talented in both composing and conducting. The Contemporary, Children, and Bell Choirs were initiated under his tenure to further and broaden the musical experience in our worship services.

It was during Roger’s tenure that the interior refinishing of the building including renovation and restoration of the Sanctuary was completed.

Roger delivered challenging sermons and had an ability to make everyday events into a learning experience was another strength. Many new programs were begun including an an annual Pastor’s Academy, a Summer Academy for adults, and a Youth Summit event. Roger led us with enthusiasm until his resignation in February 1999 to take a new position.

In October 2000 Rev. John Faircloth came to UPCC. John helped to develop the successful LOGOS program for youth. Various study groups were implemented for furthering biblical knowledge. A series of outreach concerts was conducted, drawing considerable interest from the community.

Also during his tenure a capital building campaign was started for renovating the offices and creating a gathering area with a new entrance. The Sanctuary got new air conditioning and the original roof was replaced. The organ also went though a major renovation with a new console. John concluded his ministry in the church in January, 2006.

Called to the UniPlace pulpit in the fall of 2006 was Rev. Terry Ewing, a Disciples pastor with lengthy experience in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. He arrived at UniPlace most recently from service as chaplain at Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, bringing with him an enthusiasm for working with youth. Under his leadership, church youth become more active with mission trips to California, Minnesota, and Costa Rica. The congregation similarly expanded its mission focus with regular “outreach weekends” and sponsored service trips to the U.S.-Mexico border region. Under Rev. Ewing’s guidance, UniPlace initiated a wedding ministry to enhance use of the church sanctuary and the ministerial staff. In a similar spirit it opened church doors more widely to student-related groups and activities. Meanwhile, the congregation expanded its ministry to the homeless and others in personal need.

The Illinois Disciples Foundation sold their facility and moved, deeding over the Fisher Chapel to UPCC July of 2008.

Rev. Ewing’s tenure included extensive efforts to accommodate the sale by the Illinois Disciples Foundation of its building, as IDF reorganized financially and revised its strategic initiatives. The IDF building, physically connected to the church building in many ways, was acquired by owners of JSM Apartments, who restored the brick building to its original, handsome appearance and converted it to high-quality apartments. As part of that effort, UniPlace gained ownership of IDF’s magnificent Fisher Chapel, thus opening up new opportunities for worship and service. Planning efforts were quickly begun to upgrade the chapel’s utilities and prepare it for expanded church use. The sale and remodeling of IDF’s building also brought a new handicap-accessible restroom, a new air conditioning system for the church parlor, and an expansion of the UniPlace parking lot. At the same time, major work continued on the church building, ensuring its long-term viability for congregational use made possible by a capital campaign and generous bequests.

On May 1, 2011, Rev. Ewing as anticipated announced that he would depart UniPlace at the end of June to move to Texas, where his wife had taken a new professional job.

Congregation leaders moved quickly and were fortunate to attract, as interim minister, Rev. Brittany Barber. Barber was concluding her time on the staff of the Disciples Divinity House at the University of Chicago, following parish ministry in Youngstown, Ohio, and was able to begin service at UniPlace at the end of July. She immediately took on a leadership role, helping the congregation in its ministerial search process and inviting it to consider new ways to carry on its collective Christian life. She helped church elders develop a more effective, congregationally led program of ministry to local people in need. She stepped forward to lead adult education classes.

The ministerial search process–an effort rarely concluded in less than a year–quickly found a new Senior Minister, Rev. Kristine Light Branaman of Georgia whose prior service included an extended pastorate in Michigan. Acting with enthusiasm and unanimous support the congregation on November 13, 2011, called her to serve beginning January 1, 2012.

Our family has been blessed with Associate Ministers who have led and inspired us. Joe Bryan, Karen Martin, Mary Alice Mulligan, Deborah Owen, Avis Barker, and Ralph Deal all have served this congregation.

UPCC has had the reputation of holding to a high degree of excellence in its music. The pastors of UPCC have understood and loved good music. Being near the School of Music of the University of Illinois has blessed this church with great singers and organists. Numerous members of the Chancel Choir have had musical careers, appearing in major opera houses around the world. This history would not be complete without mentioning Paul Pettinga, professor emeritus of the U. of I. Organ Department, who beginning in 1950, served this church faithfully for over 40 years as organist and choirmaster.

To learn more about the Disciples of Chirst, go to a brief history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

As the scripture from John said, “They live within my love.” They were and are the pillars of the church. They received the gift of love and are passing it on to us.

We have taken to heart the command of Jesus when he said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

We celebrate a wonderful heritage and a caring family and if we want to know where we are going in the future, it helps to know where we’ve been. From the very beginning, we have struggled, built, celebrated, buried, prayed, sung, supported, argued, questioned, forgiven and loved just the way most families behave. We have a great past. May God help us make the future even better, to love Him and to walk humbly with Him.