WELS Documented - Facts on Glende's Savoy Coffee Bar Mission Disaster. Your Mission Dollars Wasted

Friday, December 19, 2014

Death of a Church: Could this church have been saved?

What went wrong that this church had to close only 5 years after building a new facility? What could have been done differently in order to save the church? What are the members doing now and who is serving them? What can be learned from this unfortunate situation so it doesn't happen again? [note: the information below was gathered from the Internet, if anyone close to the situation has otherdocumented information that we can use to fill in the timeline and other details, we will be happy to add it.]

Star of Bethlehem was founded in 1998 in Savoy, Illinois and serves the greater Champaign, Illinois area, also providing WELS Campus Ministry to the University of Illinois, Eastern Illinois University, Lakeland Community College, and Parkland Community College. They served WELS college students studying in the Champaign-Urbana area. The colleges and universities in the area are:

    University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign Campus
    Eastern Illinois University
    Millikin Univeristy
    Parkland Community College
    Lake Land College
    Richland Community College
    Danville Area Community College

Demographics for 702 E. Church Street, Savoy, IL 61874

Nothing happens without enablers like Uncle John Brug,
DP Disappearing Doug, and SP Mark Schroeder

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Pastors Serving the Church 

1998-2006 
Pastor Tim Glende, Bethlehem/Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church; Urbana/Savoy, IL (1998-2006) 
http://922church.com/church-staff

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2006- 2011
Greg Pufahl was born on January 4, 1979 in Lake Mills, WI. He graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2006. His first call was to a small mission church Star of Bethlehem Ev. Lutheran Church in Savoy, Illinois. He served as their Pastor until December 2011.  He served there for 6 years.
http://www.centennialwels.org/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=180013900&sec_id=180004026

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Church Timeline 

2001
Original Church (Bethlehem Lutheran) that was sold to St Nicholas Orthodox Mission. 312 W Elm St Urbana, IL 61801

Note on St Nicholas Orthodox Mission Web Site:
The building was purchased in 2001 and first used for Divine Services in Holy Week 2001.
https://www.stnicholascenter.org/galleries/gazetteer/234/

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March 16, 2004

03/16/2004

2004R07100

GLENDE

TIMOTHY

GRANTEE

CORPORATE DEED

http://il4laredo.fidlar.com/ILChampaign/DirectSearch/Results.aspx

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2008-2009 Projects WELS Church Extension Fund
Star of Bethlehem – Savoy, IL
www.starofbethlehem-savoy.org

http://cef.wels.net/news-updates/2008-2009-projects

 2008 assessed: $175,660 (Zillow)

Lenski and JP Meyer condemned the gimmick approach
dearly loved by Glende and WELS.

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May 12 2009 
Savoy, Illinois
Filed In: NORTH AMERICA

Star of Bethlehem

On April 25, 2009, everyone coming to the dedication at Star of Bethlehem, Savoy, Illinois, experienced the Illinois prairie winds as they pried open the doors of the church. The prayer is that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of many people and lead them through the doors as disciples of Jesus.

Savoy, immediately south of Champaign, is part of the Champaign/Urbana metro area. The original WELS church in Urbana was called Bethlehem. The congregation experienced a host of problems and was barely surviving. The group appealed for help to the Western Wisconsin District Mission Board. The decision was made to close the congregation, sell the property, and do a restart under the name Star of Bethlehem. Pastor Tim Glende from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary was assigned as the first pastor.

The group had a ministry center and worshiped in an office mall in another part of Urbana. They encountered many roadblocks in the search for land in the Urbana area. Eventually the decision was made to move to Savoy, a well-planned and expanding city directly south of Champaign. A near perfect location in an expanding housing area on Church Street was purchased. The small unit is the first stage of a building plan that will eventually make excellent use of the acreage.

Pastor Greg Pufahl serves the congregation. Assisting at the dedication were Pastor Tim Glende, liturgist, and Pastor Keith Free, preacher. Pastor Free is chairman of the Western Wisconsin District Mission Board.

The congregation is grateful to WELS Church Extension Fund for the loan to build the multi-use structure.

Pastor Wayne Schulz
http://blogs.wels.net/missions/2009/05/12/savoy-illinois/


Property Details: 
702 E. Church Street, Savoy, IL 61874
3,499 SF
Year Built: 2010
Lot Size: 4.19 AC

Highlights
    New Construction - Weger & Associates Architects
    Large Lot
    Developing Residential Neighborhood
    Convertible to Day Care Operation

Built in 2010, this 3,499 SF structure features metal steel studs with steel exterior siding and asphalt shingled roof, on a concrete slab. Mechanicals consist of a Forced Air Natural Gas furnace with Central Air and 225 amp electrical service. Site is adjacent to Prairie Fields Subdivision & Prairie Meadows Subdivision in East Savoy with agricultural fields directly east and south. Subdivisions are detached single family homes and duplexes.
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18739223/702-E-Church-Street-Savoy-IL/

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May 20th, 2012 
A very important congregation meeting will take place following the service on Sunday, May 20th. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this meeting to help make decisions about the future of Star of Bethlehem.
http://www.starofbethlehem-savoy.org/wp-content/files/May_2012_Newsletter_Complete.pdf

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2014
Real Estate For Sale Ad - Listing Price $595,000
http://cbcdr.com/champaign/property/savoy-area-churchday-care/

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July 28th, 2014

Star of Bethlehem, RIP

Cornerstone Baptist Church Writes:
The new location, viewed from the corner of Old Church and First, in Savoy, looking to the northwest.

This building is the former home of Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. We pray God’s blessings on that congregation as they move to a new location.

After 4 years in a rented location, we are purchasing an existing church building in Savoy! Beginning on Sunday, August 3, 2014, we will worship at

702 E Church (corner of Old Church Road and First Street), Savoy.
http://cornerstonechampaign.org/welcome/

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August 14th, 2014
Star of Bethlehem Writes:
After sharing God’s holy Word and the life and love of Jesus in the Champaign-Urbana area for over 40 years, Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church held its final worship service for the foreseeable future on Sunday, August 10, 2014.
http://www.starofbethlehem-savoy.org/?p=278
 

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Champaign County Illinois Land Records Search
http://il4laredo.fidlar.com/ILChampaign/DirectSearch/Results.aspx

Recorded Date	Document Name	Last Name	First Name	Party Type	Document Type
09/10/2014	2014R16874	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH		GRANTEE	RELEASE
09/10/2014	2014R16873	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH		GRANTEE	RELEASE
12/26/2008	2008R31023	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH		GRANTEE	AGREEMENT
12/26/2008	2008R31022	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH		MORTGAGOR	MORTGAGE
12/26/2008	2008R31021	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF URBANA		GRANTEE	RELEASE
12/26/2008	2008R31020	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF URBANA		GRANTEE	RELEASE AGREEMENT
05/19/2004	2004R14904	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERAN CHURCH	GRANTEE	AGREEMENT
05/19/2004	2004R14903	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERAN CHRUCH	MORTGAGOR	MORTGAGE
05/03/2004	2004R12671	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERAN CHURCH	GRANTOR	WARRANTY DEED
02/10/2004	2004R03798	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERAN CHURCH	GRANTEE	RELEASE
03/06/2000	2000R04654	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERN CHURCH	GRANTOR	WARRANTY DEED
07/01/1998	1998R19509	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERAN CHURCH	GRANTEE	WARRANTY DEED
08/19/1993	1993R23344	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERAN CHRUCH	GRANTEE	OTHER MISCELLANEOUS
08/19/1993	1993R23343	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERAN CHURCH	GRANTEE	RELEASE
08/18/1993	1993R23153	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN	CHURCH OF C-U	GRANTOR	WARRANTY DEED
03/15/1978	1978R05194	BETHLEHEM EVAN	LUTHERAN CH	MORTGAGOR	MORTGAGE
02/28/1978	1978R04168	BETHLEHEM EVANG	LUTHERAN CH	GRANTEE	WARRANTY DEED
07/14/1975	1975R09996	BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL	LUTHERAN CHURCH	GRANTEE	WARRANTY DEED