Our History:
The first religious services held in or about Glenwood were conducted by Rev. Tobias of the Thornton Methodist Church about the year 1871, in the Glenwood schoolhouse which was then located on the Glenwood-Dyer Road half a mile east of Cottage Grove Avenue. As the village grew there was a desire by the people to have religious services and sometime between the years 1875 and 1880 the Rev. E.R. Davis who was the minister in charge of the Presbyterian Church at Homewood, volunteered to come to Glenwood every Sunday afternoon. Services were held for a few years in the old Howarth place, later known as the home of M.K. Sweet at the corner of Main and Young Streets, and subsequently in the public school up to about the year 1912. Meetings and Sunday School classes were conducted there, the ministers donating their services for the attendance was never large enough to support a minister. Among the ministers who served in the old Glenwood School were Rev. Parkinson, Rev. Edmindson and Rev. Gates from the Thornton Methodist Church, followed by Rev. Wennermark from the Trinity Lutheran Church. Services later were held in various store buildings but the people felt this was a drawback and in 1914 it was decided to build a church.
Rev. Newland, filling the pulpit at Thornton Methodist Church and also giving his services to the people of Glenwood took active steps to create a building fund but his best efforts secured subscriptions to the amount of only ten or twelve hundred dollars and this sum was decided insufficient to put up a suitable building. The lots on which the present church is located were donated by the late Merrill K. Sweet, who was very anxious that a church was built. However, the funds were not forthcoming and the people were about to give up in despair when the late Leo A. Philips, then Superintendent of the Glenwood Manual Training School became interested and through his influence induced the late Edward B. Butler of Butler Brothers, Chicago to donate $500.00. Mr. Butler did this with the single stipulation only that the church be nondenominational. After this latter donation, building operations were started in the summer of 1915 by Mr. Philips and the Glenwood boys who scraped out the basement, put up the forms and poured the concrete.
On January 24, 1915, the congregation was organized with the following charter members: Mr. and Mrs. Lee Philips, Mr. and Mrs. Harper Prentice, Mrs. Laura Rugg, Mrs. C.S. Griffin, Miss Joyce Griffin (Mrs. Storrs), Mr. Louis Patrick, Miss. Ruth Rugg, Miss M.B. Noble, Mrs. George Allen, Mrs. Minnie Hemingway, Miss Eva Wanvig (Cahl), and Mrs. Matazewski
A constitution was adopted exactly nine months before the new building was dedicated (October 24, 1915). On April 4, 1915, Rev. Newland was called as the first pastor and then in the following order came: Rev. Shook, Rev. Merrifield, Rev. Hoffman, Rev. Swope, Rev. Howard, Rev. Peebles, Rev. Petznick, Rev. Woodard, Rev. Chester A. Diehl, Rev. C. Arthur Riddle, Rev. Delbert Krooswyk, Pastor Richard W. Griffin, Pastor Dan Waters, Pastor Patrick Kamm, Pastor Cary Hansen, Pastor Jack Mielke, and Pastor Herbert Searfoss.
At the dedication, Mr. Philips statement showed the church free of debt except for one note of $420.98. This note was finally paid in May, 1919, and on July 13, 1919, a note burning service was held in the church. This was during the pastorate of Rev. Swope.
In May, 1937, Rev. A.E. Petznick, then a student at Moody Bible Institute began a temporary pulpit supply at $3.50 per Sunday. In June, 1937, he was asked to become permanent pastor of the church and upon his graduation in August 1937, he and his wife moved to Glenwood and took up their residence here. On October 1, 1937, his salary was raised to $15.00 per week, and, of course, as soon as the people could meet the needs of the church, his salary was increased. On October 3, 1937, the church had its first morning service, which has since proven very beneficial in the lives of the saints. On September 22, the first mid-week prayer service and Bible Study was begun where those who love to pray may come and join in united intercession and communion with the Lord.
February 10, 1938, the church ordained its pastor, A.E. Petznick into the Christian ministry. Rev. Wm. McCarrell gave the ordination address.
The church grew and more space was needed for the congregation, so about the year 1940 an addition was built at an approximate cost of $10,000.00. This money was raised partly through the kind donors and the balance was covered by a loan. However, the donations and gifts came in with such regularity that the loan was paid off, I believe, within a five year period.
In February, 1948, the congregation joined the Independent Fundamental Churches of America (I.F.C.A.), whose headquarters are in Westchester, Illinois. Rev. Bryan Jones is our national executive director.(1975)
The United Church of Glenwood became "The Glenwood Bible Church" in October, 1967. Another name was changed in September, 1972, when "The Little Brown Church" as called by Glenwood residents became "The Little White Church" with the installation of our new siding.