Naperville church spreads roots into Oswego

Bob Butler's destiny is to build, he says.

The new pastor of Wheatland Salem's Oswego Campus has spent his life building building a family, building a business and, after his calling to God, building his church.

“It's kind of been my history,” said Butler, of Bolingbrook. “It's like God said, ‘you can see the vision of what this could be, now you take it.'”

Butler definitely sees the vision of Wheatland Salem's new campus currently located in the former Oswego Prairie Methodist Church on Wolfs Crossing Road. And he has his work cut out for him.

Oswego is a community experiencing a great deal of change as it grows from a more rural community to a larger suburb, said Scott Field, Wheatland Salem senior pastor.

With that comes divisions of old Oswego vs. new Oswego, socioeconomic divisions and so on many of the same growing pains Naperville has experienced in past years, he said.

“We're familiar with those dynamics here in Naperville and think we can be of assistance to the community,” Field said.

Wheatland Salem's two campuses will operate as one church with two locations. The Naperville campus is at 1852 W. 95th St. However, the current structure at the Oswego campus, 1217 Wolfs Crossing Road, is too small to hold Wheatland Salem worship services.

Church leaders are searching for a new facility to lease or property to build a facility big enough for the church's second campus, which like the original Naperville campus will house a preschool and kindergarten.

In the meantime, the existing building hosts weekly meetings for groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and church programs like Alpha, Moms by Faith and the Marriage Course.

Church leaders say the Oswego campus could move to a new facility and be open for weekly worship as soon as Christmas or as far away as next September, coinciding with the fall school year.

While they're waiting, Butler has his proverbial hammer and nails handy as he begins his quest to build the parish from the ground up.

On behalf of the church that sees itself as missional, Butler said he's been polling the Oswego community about need.

“We've been out walking the neighborhoods, asking people, ‘What's the biggest need in Oswego? What's the best way that a church that could serve you?'” Butler said. “The answers to that are, ‘What can you do for the kids?'”

As a result, plans are under way for a youth program. The facility's current location near Oswego East High School is a prime area to begin such a quest.

“Oswego East is literally right next door,” Butler said. “So we have to follow God when God is speaking, and I think sometimes he's telling us here's a whole place that needs some of your help besides letting all the cars from Oswego East park in your parking lot.”

As the church's facilities planning committee continues its quest for a new building for the Oswego campus, Butler plans to keep building in his own way.

A Southern Illinois University graduate who went on to build an office supply distribution business that began in his garage and grew to $3.5 million in annual sales, Butler said it's always been a calling.

When God called him to become a pastor, he finished seminary and took over a smaller Manhattan church part time and built it until its size warranted a full-time pastor.

He hopes past success carries over into Oswego.

“It's just been a gift of mine,” he said. “It's been amazing when you just follow him.”