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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE PARK RIDGE COMMUNITY CHURCH AS IT CELEBRATES ITS 175TH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, the Park Ridge Community Church was the first church established in Park Ridge and is the oldest Congregational Church in Cook County; and
WHEREAS, the Park Ridge Community Church provides its members a great opportunity to practice, demonstrate, and share their developing Christian faith through worship services, exceptional music offerings, outreach programs, Christian education, and a wide variety of service and fellowship opportunities; and
WHEREAS, in the summer of 1841, a small group of Christians-in an area newly opened to settlement between Norwood Park and the Des Plaines River-decided to worship together despite their different religious backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, eventually those informal gatherings on Sunday mornings led the group to officially organize as the Monroe Congregational Church on January 22, 1843; and
WHEREAS, in 1868, the first permanent minister, Rev. J.H. Laird, was hired, and the church became formally affiliated with the Congregational Church. The first structure was completed in 1873 with donated land, labor, and brick from local brickyards; and
WHEREAS, after World War I, the church enjoyed a period of stability and growth, beginning with Orvis Fairlee Jordan's 35-year pastorate; and
WHEREAS, in 1957, Rev. Tom Maurer became Senior Minister and served until 1969. During his tenure, the intellectual life of the congregation was deepened through his preaching as was the fellowship of the church through his implementation of small community groups; and
WHEREAS, over the next several decades, leadership at Park Ridge Community Church continued to expand the congregation and its ministries; and
WHEREAS, the Reverend Brett McCleneghan served from June 2001 through August 2017 and worked to create a welcoming and inclusive place to worship, learn, serve, and grow in faith-and significantly enhanced programs for childre...
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