Baptists subscribe $102,000 for church: Jubilee Dinner at St. Augustine's Parish House attended by 150 members of newest Wilmette church; Start construction soon; Announce building operation on Forest and Wilmette Avenue site will begin within few weeks

Wilmette and north shore Baptists, members of the Wilmette Baptist church are rejoicing over the achievement of the $100,000 mark in the financial campaign of the church which culminated Friday evening, March 26, in a jubilee dinner in St. Augustine's parish house, attended by 150 members. The dinner was given members of the church by the Wilmette Baptist church building committee. Announcement by chairman Charles H. Major, of the church building committee, of a total subscription of $102,000, an amount $2,000 in excess of the anticipated goal was greeted by enthusiastic cheering. It was promised that actual construction of the proposed church edifice on the site at Wilmette and Forest avenue would begin within a few weeks.

Features of the evening's program were the singing of songs composed for the occasion, an address by the Rev. James Madison Stifler of the First Baptist Church of Evanston and remarks by the Rev. Carl D. Case of the Oak Park Baptist church. Miss Marjorie Landre of the Chicago Conservatory of Music entertained with solos.

The phenomenal growth of the Wilmette Baptist Church, with its membership comprising residents in every north shore town from Rogers Park to Glencoe, was reviewed briefly by chairman Major.

"In December, 19 [..damaged] P. R. Finlay, A. E. White, [damaged] D. Greig, Edwin Phelps, and Charles L. Major decided there was need of a Baptist church in Wilmette and issued an invitation to the Baptist families in Wilmette to join with them in weekly prayer meetings looking forward to organization of a parish with the result that on April 6, 1913, a church was organized with a membership of sixty-five. This church became an an outstanding church at once by the way these members went about doing things, and has since continued to be an outstanding church in character. Whether or not a church is outstanding in character is determined by what it does and how it does it, judged by its numerical strength, its ability, and its financial resources. During the seven years of its history the Wilmette Baptist Church has never had one dollar's worth of financial assistance from an outside source and is the only church in the Chicago association organized without financial assistance from some other church or board. It was the first church of such small membership to call a high grade man of experience as pastor at a salary of $2,500 in 1913. Early in its history the church decided to negotiate business by unanimous vote rather than by majority vote and it has never settled any important matter in any other way. When Mr. Taber, its first pastor, resigned[,] the church called the present pastor, Rev. Francis Carr Stifler, with only a lapse of six weeks between pastors. In 1914 the beautiful site at Wilmette and Forest avenues was purchased with the intention of at once erecting a building, but the outbreak of the war prevented this, as the church thought all its energies that would be employed in building should be turned to winning the war. In June, 1919, at a church dinner $20,000 was raised for the building fund, now increased to $102,000 in cash and pledges extending over a period of five years. This was the most remarkable accomplishment of this remarkable church, establishing a new record in church efficiency and demonstrating what a small band of faithful workers may accomplish. The church has met every apportionment given it by the denomination for missionary and other purposes including the Million Dollar Drive and lending its pastor to direct [cont. p.16] this drive. It met the Victory Drive apportionment last year and will actively engage in the Interchurch World Movement Drive, which comes on in April of this year. Judged by its brief past history it promises to be one of the strongest churches in and around Chicago in the next few years. The erection of this fine new stone building will be begun in the next few weeks. When completed it will be an honor to the village."