Two theologically progressive churches in Oak Lawn plan to merge in January, with the coming together bringing about a new name and mission statement.
Pilgrim Faith United Church of Christ, at 9411 S. 51st Ave., will give up its building and pastor to merge with Salem United Church of Christ at 9717 S. Kostner Ave., said the Rev. Dan Sather, pastor at Pilgrim.
“My people learned awhile ago that the building is not the ministry,” Sather said Monday. “There’s more to the faith community than a building. It’s what we do. It’s how we interact.”
Pilgrim Faith approached Salem United Church of Christ about merging after Sather began working to increase collaboration between the two churches about two years ago.
“We both needed to look at a more faithful way of using our ministry,” Sather said.
He invited members of Salem to join Pilgrim Faith at a retreat in Michigan, and the two congregations “really got along well.”
“We had a lot more in common than we had different,” Sather said.
Both churches have struggled with a decline in attendance over the past few decades, leading to fewer donations to keep up with costs to maintain their buildings and staff, Sather said.
As New Hope United Church of Christ, the seperate churches will be able to bring together the individual strengths of their congregations, said the Rev. Steve Hoerger, pastor at Salem. Hoerger will continue as pastor of New Hope.
“They were very good at outreach to the community,” Hoerger said about Pilgrim Faith. “And so that’s what they really bring — a strong sense of mission. In our place, we’ve tried to make a worship situation that’s attractive.
Hoerger said Salem has recently overseen small growth in its congregation, as the church modernized its worship style, shortened its service length and updated its music “to fit the mold more of what people are attracted to today.”
“We didn’t just sing all the old songs with a pipe organ,” Hoerger said.
Meanwhile, Pilgrim Faith has maintained more traditional worship but worked hard to serve the greater community, managing a food pantry and speaking out on progressive social issues.
Hoerger said construction is in progress at Salem’s building for the Pilgrim Faith food pantry to be included as part of New Hope, and those in the community “can expect a church that is committed to doing ministry outside of our walls.”
The vision statement for New Hope United Church of Christ imagines “a faith community committed to living out the gospel through compassionate service, inclusive welcome and purposeful outreach.”
“Our mission is to share God’s love by embracing all people, regardless of race, background, gender identity or life’s circumstance, and by working together to meet the spiritual and practical needs of our neighbors,” according to the statement.
“We strive to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world, building relationships across boundaries, standing for justice and serving with humility. Through worship, discipleship and community engagement, we seek to create a church where everyone belongs, and every life is transformed by the power of God’s grace.”
Sather said despite optimism about the merger, there is a sense of sadness among members of Pilgrim Faith, as the church has maintained the same building since 1891. Its service at 10 a.m. this Sunday will celebrate the church’s legacy of mission outreach programs, featuring speakers from various local organizations.
Sather said the church is working with a real estate agent to sell its building, and its final service will be Jan. 11. He said some of the money the church receives from the sale will likely be donated locally.
“We have loved out loud, and we just need to continue that,” Sather said. “And I’m hoping that with the merger we can be more courageous and we can be more bold. We can be a community of faith that really understands that ministry is about meeting the needs of the community.”
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
