Pastors who built 'church in a barn' to move on

She calls it retiring. He calls it "repositioning."

Pauline and LeRoy Kennel, the founding co-pastors of Christ Community Mennonite Church in Schaumburg, will step down from their leadership roles Sunday, June 7, after 21 years with the church and 60 in ministry.

The church began with a first meeting at Schaumburg High School in October 1988. Services were then held at the Schaumburg Barn until the congregation acquired its current property on Roselle Road, which also includes a large dairy barn.

While a smaller building on the site was initially used for services, a volunteer project from 2002 to 2005 converted the barn itself into the larger house of worship now used.

The church, its 100 adult members and their children will now be led by Interim Pastor Michael Zehr until a new permanent pastor is chosen sometime in the next year, said LeRoy, 79.

In the meantime, he and Pauline, 78, will live temporarily in Elkhart, Ind., with one of their four children until they decide what to do next.

That could be moving back to Schaumburg, Pauline said. But the future may hold something entirely new.

"I wanted to slow down," she said. "But he's so energetic and can't imagine not being busy."

Preparations for their departure began about a year ago. Their final worship service as co-pastors will be at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, followed by a noon meal and a time of music and reflection for the congregation at 1:30 p.m.

LeRoy and Pauline decided to become church founders in Schaumburg after a feasibility study revealed that a number of graduates from Mennonite colleges lived in the area.

Nevertheless, the majority of the congregation they built did not come from Mennonite backgrounds, LeRoy said.

LeRoy, who once challenged former U.S. Rep. Phil Crane for Congress in the 1980s, added that those who choose the Mennonite faith prefer its emphasis on a simple life, peace and justice. Its mission includes following Jesus, building a caring community and working for reconciliation, he said.

Mennonites are part of a larger Christian expression called Anabaptism, which means "baptized again."

Other sidelines of Christ Community Mennonite Church are its Big Barn Preschool, Transitions Counseling Center and the Gifts of the World Store, which sells the works of artists in 40 developing countries and helps support them in their communities.