History

1929-1933
In June of 1929 a group of 160 people signed a charter to form a new independent church called the Wheaton College Interdenominational Church. The church met on the campus of Wheaton College. This was just before the stock market crashed and at the front end of the Great Depression.

1934-1939
In 1934 we called our first pastor, Kenneth A. Amsler. Later we renamed the church "Wheaton Bible Church" because "(our)… faith and practice stand on the foundation of the Bible, which is the inspired, infallible, and inviolable Word of God." In 1935 and still during the Depression, we purchased property at the corner of Cross and Union Streets. Members sacrificially gave $30,000 toward the new building while not forgetting the missionary and current expense budgets. We dedicated our first building in March 1936. Very soon our Sunday school rooms overflowed. People often came forward after worship services to accept Christ.

1940-1966
In 1940 we called our second pastor, J. C. Macaulay. Four years later we started a Sunday school ministry that became Pleasant Hill Community Church. The Christian education ministry flourished and in 1947 a two-story education facility was added. In 1952 the church welcomed its third pastor, Rev. Malcolm Cronk. God used Dr. Cronk’s love of the Bible to grow the congregation and start others. Members left to start Countryside Chapel in 1955, Evangel Baptist Church in 1958, and The Village Church of Carol Stream in 1960. By 1958 we had added a second morning service. We continued to purchase homes around the church and in 1960 we dedicated a new sanctuary building on the corner of Main and Franklin Streets.

1967-1993
Dr. Richard H. Seume became our fourth senior pastor late in 1967. An excellent Bible expositor, Dr. Seume served faithfully until a serious kidney ailment ended his ministry with us in late 1970. In 1971 the church called Rev. Christopher Lyons to serve as fifth pastor. We soon added a 8:15 a.m. Sunday morning service and started our Vanguard Program for senior adults. In 1982 we completed a three-story Christian education building. Dr. Lyons left in 1986 and in 1987 Dr. David P. Krentel became our sixth pastor. While he was here we started a Hispanic Sunday school class that evolved into our Hispanic congregation. With the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, we also contributed significantly to the construction of a new building for a sister church in Deva Romania.

1994-Present
In 1994 we called Pastor Rob to become our seventh senior pastor. One of the first things Pastor Rob did was to clarify the church’s mission, vision, and values. Soon a contemporary service was added. By 1997 we were offering four worship services, including our Hispanic service. God has used Pastor Rob’s ministry to grow our church and His Kingdom. There’s an increased emphasis on reaching the world for Christ. Our Hispanic ministry has grown to a fully functional congregation of more than 400. The Children’s Sunday School continues to break attendance records. Student Ministries pack out Main Street Chapel, and we have about 20 Adult Communities. After a thorough study of future ministry options, we took a visionary step of faith by voting to purchase 47 acres of land for future expansion. The purchase agreement was finalized in October 1999 and we launched our Share the Light Capital Campaign in 2000. We made the fourth of five payments in October 2003.