More than 200 turn out for Addison Bible Church reunion

Addison Bible Church may not have survived as a congregation, but it has survived the test of time.

The church held its final service nearly 10 years ago at its building at Addison Road and Fullerton Avenue, after serving parishioners since the 1950s.

On Sunday, more than 200 former members showed up for a reunion at Medinah Baptist Church and it was clear that memories of the church remain vibrant.

Former Pastor Don Lake came up with idea, and expected about 40-45 people to show up. Organizer Barb Fuja said they had 220 people turn out Sunday.

“I’ve been on the computer and phone for the last two-and-a-half months,” Fuja said. “Praise the Lord, it’s so good to see all these guys.”

Those attending included Albert Kurz, who founded the church in 1954 after moving to Addison, where he attended school and worked for a local printing company, and was voted its founding pastor in 1956 by a membership that initially included 19 adults and seven children. By the time Kurz left in 1967, there were 400 members.

Kurz said the first services were held in his home on Iowa Street. Eventually, they moved to the dance hall and bar attached to a fire station on Lake Street.

“Some would come on Sunday morning and stand at the bar and drink during the sermon. Some of them became converted to Christianity,” he said.

The church was built according to Kurz’s own plans. He said the church could only afford to pay the building contractor, while church members themselves raised the structure.

“We starting building, and God provided the money. Some of our guys were putting the roof on and they were fine when they went up there, but when it was time to go down, they were scared to go down the ladder,” Kurz said.

Over the years, the church grew in popularity, which Lake said was reflected in the number of weddings that took place.

“There were some Saturdays when I had a wedding in the morning, a wedding in the afternoon and a wedding in the evening,” he said.

“It was a blue collar church,” added Judy Dunscomb, of Lombard, who attended services there for more than 40 years. “We had it going to two services at one time, it was so well attended.”

Dunscomb said the church had a strong club program for children that attracted toddlers to teens from other Christian denominations who participated in stories and games.

The seeds of the church’s demise were sown in 2004, when, in an effort to attract younger members, the church’s leadership was turned over to Harvest Bible Chapel in Glen Ellyn. By 2005, Harvest had closed the church, citing “disunity.”

“We thought they were going to help us,” Dunscomb said. “There is no sense stirring up nasty press. But they promised us they would keep the church open, and so forth, and they did not. So, of course, we signed all our property over to them. And they took it and they sold it.”

The gathering chose to dwell on happy memories, rather than the church’s sad demise.

Ernie Reynolds, of Bartlett, a church member in the 1960s, recalled how his late wife, Trudy, played piano during the services, including some memorable Christmas and Easter cantatas.

“It was just a great Bible church. They would teach the word of God,” said Mary Bubar Davis, whose mother played the church’s organ. “That’s where I felt the call to missions. I was a missionary after that.”