Friday, December 19, 2014

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





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

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


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/




March 16, 2004

03/16/20042004R07100GLENDETIMOTHYGRANTEECORPORATE DEED
http://il4laredo.fidlar.com/ILChampaign/DirectSearch/Results.aspx


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.



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/


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


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


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/


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
 


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


Recorded DateDocument NameLast NameFirst NameParty TypeDocument Type
09/10/20142014R16874BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTEERELEASE
09/10/20142014R16873BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTEERELEASE
12/26/20082008R31023BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTEEAGREEMENT
12/26/20082008R31022BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHMORTGAGORMORTGAGE
12/26/20082008R31021BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF URBANAGRANTEERELEASE
12/26/20082008R31020BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF URBANAGRANTEERELEASE AGREEMENT
05/19/20042004R14904BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTEEAGREEMENT
05/19/20042004R14903BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERAN CHRUCHMORTGAGORMORTGAGE
05/03/20042004R12671BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTORWARRANTY DEED
02/10/20042004R03798BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTEERELEASE
03/06/20002000R04654BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERN CHURCHGRANTORWARRANTY DEED
07/01/19981998R19509BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTEEWARRANTY DEED
08/19/19931993R23344BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERAN CHRUCHGRANTEEOTHER MISCELLANEOUS
08/19/19931993R23343BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTEERELEASE
08/18/19931993R23153BETHLEHEM EVANGELICAL LUTHERANCHURCH OF C-UGRANTORWARRANTY DEED
03/15/19781978R05194BETHLEHEM EVANLUTHERAN CHMORTGAGORMORTGAGE
02/28/19781978R04168BETHLEHEM EVANGLUTHERAN CHGRANTEEWARRANTY DEED
07/14/19751975R09996BETHLEHEM EVANGELICALLUTHERAN CHURCHGRANTEEWARRANTY DEED