Covenant News

Oakdale Covenant to Celebrate 100 Years in November

CHICAGO, IL (September 4, 2002) - Oakdale Covenant Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a Founder's Day banquet at 5:30 p.m. November 9 in Chicago's Hyatt Regency Hotel, 151 E. Wacker Drive.

Oakdale Covenant began its ministry by worshiping in the homes of parishioners, formally organizing in July 1902 and building its own facility on Chicago's south side a year later. A.F. Youngdahl was the first pastor of the church.

For 60 years, the church was active in a mostly Anglo area, growing from 15 to more than 100 members in the 1930s under the leadership of pastor O.W. Carlson. According to a 50th anniversary document, the church increased to 155 members in 1952 under pastor William Peterson. However, as the neighborhood became more diverse, the church made a decision to become a racially inclusive congregation under pastor Melvin R. Walker and later under Paul H. Erickson.

As Oakdale Covenant began to evolve into a predominantly African-American congregation, ministries began to thrive under the direction of Willie B. Jemison, who became a co-pastor with Craig E. Anderson in February 1970. Anderson left Oakdale later that fall for another pastorate and Jemison, a former construction worker, assumed full-time duties. He immediately helped the church establish itself as a community church that cares. Within seven years, the church membership increased from 44 in 1970 to 529, according to a Chicago Daily News story.

A new building was constructed and a dedication was held in March 21, 1982. Clarence Winstedt, superintendent of the Central Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church and a previous pastor at Oakdale Covenant, was one of the guest speakers that day. Funding from Frontier Friends grants and National Covenant Properties loans played a significant role in the project. An educational wing was constructed in 1990 - the wing now houses the Oakdale Covenant Church Childcare and Christian Academy, which has more than 300 students.

Currently, Oakdale Covenant, under pastor Darrell Griffin, has an average worship attendance of more than 900.

Tickets for the November 9 banquet are $100. For more information about the banquet and other centennial events at Oakdale Covenant, call pastor Griffin at 773-779-9440.

Printable version of this page.