Moody Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Moody Church |
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Moody Church
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| 41°54′42″N 87°37′57″W / 41.911654°N 87.632491°W | |
| Location | Chicago. Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Nondenominational Christianity |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Illinois Street Church, Chicago Avenue Church |
| Founded | December 30, 1864 |
| Founder(s) | Dwight L. Moody |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | November 8, 1925 |
The Moody Church is a famous Christian church in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, Illinois. It is known for its long history and large building. People sometimes call it the Moody Memorial Church to honor its founder.
Contents
The Church Building
The Moody Church building is located where North Avenue, Clark Street, and LaSalle Street meet. It was designed by architects Fugard and Knapp. Construction started in 1924 and finished just one year later. The church officially opened on November 8, 1925.
Design and Size
The building is very large, covering an area of 140 feet by 225 feet. Its design mixes styles from Romanesque and Byzantine buildings. It is one of the biggest Romanesque churches in the United States. The church was meant to look like a mix between a traditional Catholic cathedral and the Protestant churches of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The main meeting area, called the auditorium, is the largest without pillars in Chicago. It can seat 3,740 people. About 2,270 people can sit on the main floor, and 1,470 can sit in the balcony. The curved balcony was built using a special method called cantilevered construction, which was new at the time. The whole room was designed so that everyone's attention would be on the pulpit, where the speaker stands.
Sound and Air System
The church was built before modern sound systems existed, but it has amazing acoustics. This means sound travels very well, and people can hear clearly. The only thing that makes the sound a little less perfect is the carpet on the floor.
When the church was first built, it had a unique way to stay cool in the summer. Large amounts of ice were dumped into a big pit behind the building. Air was then blown over the ice and sent into the auditorium through mushroom-shaped vents under the seats. This system could refresh all the air in the church in just six minutes! Today, a modern air system is used.
Windows and Organ
Around the balcony, there are 36 large stained glass windows. Each window is unique, and they were all given as gifts to remember people.
The church did not have an organ when it was first built. Later, a large Reuter organ was added. It has 4,400 pipes! The pipes you can see in the church are just for decoration. The actual organ instruments are hidden behind a black screen.
Recent Updates
In 1986, a fire caused about $500,000 worth of damage to the pulpit, choir area, and organ. During the repairs, a new audio-visual system was installed. The church now has two very tall motion-picture screens. These screens are currently the tallest in the United States.
Church History
The Moody Church began because of the hard work of a famous speaker named Dwight L. Moody in the mid-to-late 1800s. Moody focused on growing his Sunday school. By 1860, over 1,000 children and their parents came each week. It became the biggest and most well-known religious group of its kind. Even President Abraham Lincoln visited one Sunday!
Early Buildings
Moody's group needed a permanent home. So, they built a church with 1,500 seats at Illinois and Wells Streets. It was called the Illinois Street Church and opened on December 30, 1864.
Sadly, this building was completely destroyed on October 8, 1871, during the Great Chicago Fire. That same year, a temporary building called the North Side Tabernacle was put up. A new, much larger building that could hold up to 10,000 people was finished in 1876. The church was then renamed Chicago Avenue Church in June 1876.
New Name and Pastors
Dwight Moody passed away in 1899. In 1908, the church was officially renamed The Moody Church to honor him. Many important pastors have led the church over the years.
In 1912, a pastor named John Harper from Scotland was traveling to Chicago to speak at the church. He was on the new ocean liner Titanic. Sadly, the ship sank, and John Harper died. His daughter and niece were rescued.
In 1925, the church moved to its current large building. Harry A. Ironside became the pastor in 1930 and served until 1948. Later, Alan Redpath from Britain was pastor from 1953 to 1962. George Sweeting served from 1966 to 1971, and then Warren W. Wiersbe took his place.
On January 20, 1980, Erwin Lutzer became the 16th senior pastor. He retired in 2016. The current senior pastor, Philip Miller, was appointed in 2020.
Christian Life Center
In 2007, a new three-story building called the Christian Life Center was added next to the original 1925 church. This addition provides more classroom space for Sunday school and helps with the church's growing activities.
Senior Pastors of The Moody Church
Over its history, 17 different men have served as the senior pastor of The Moody Church. Dwight L. Moody was the founder, but he never officially served as the pastor.
- J.H. Harwood (1866–1869)
- Rev. William J. Erdman, D.D. (1876–1878)
- Charles M. Morton (1878–1879)
- George C. Needham (1879–1881)
- Charles F. Goss (1885–1890)
- Charles A. Blanchard (1891-1893)
- Dr. Reuben A. Torrey (1894–1906)
- A.C. Dixon, D.D. (1906–1911)
- Paul Rader (1915–1921)
- Rev. P.W. Philpott, D.D. (1922–1929)
- Dr. Harry A. Ironside (1930–1948)
- S. Franklin Logsdon (1951–1952)
- Alan Redpath (1953–1962)
- George Sweeting (1966–1971)
- Warren W. Wiersbe (1971–1978)
- Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (1980–2016)
- Philip Miller (2020–Present)
