Help Save Our Historic Church!

Help rescue and restore historic Reformation Church-Chicago (“Young Barack Obama’s community organizing sanctuary”)!

Help create a Word and Sacrament  center for Chicago's struggling Africana artists and activists!

Help build common ground for the next generation of young Barack Obamas!

Please openhandedly and openheartedly support the Capital Campaign of Reformation Church-Chicago by making a generous gift!

Three Reasons to Support Reformation's Capital Campaign

First, until recently, one of the best kept secrets of the Far South Side's Reformation Lutheran Church-Chicago (ELCA) is the burning fact that from 1985 to 1987 plus, our African American Lutheran house of worship  served as the community organizing sanctuary of young Mr. Barack Obama.  We did so as an in-kind-support-service to Mr. Obama's then employer, Calumet Community Religious Conference (to which we were members) and its inner-city outreach arm, Developing Communities Project-DCP-(in which we were key participants).

“In 1983, I decided to become a community organizer...When my classmates in college asked me just what it was that community organizers did, I couldn’t answer them directly.  Instead, I pronounced on the need for change...Change won’t come from the top, I would say.  Change will come from the mobilized grassroots.  That’s what I’ll do, I’ll organize black folks.  At the grassroots for change.” Barack Obama-“Dreams from My Father” P. 133 (1995)

Today, through Reformation's newly created YOUNG BARACK OBAMA FELLOWSHIP HALL FOR RACIAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, our ministry seeks to provide common ground for other young Obama's (chronologically or at heart) to have a continuing, inter-generational conversation on the role of the Black Church, and other inner-city Churches, in addressing current and ongoing critical issues confronting the African American, and other inner-city communities, all for improving Black community engagement and advancing the public good.

Second, an additional key mission of Reformation is to spiritually and practically minister to Chicago's socially disadvantaged Africana artists and activists communities (our own La Vie Boheme) who struggle on the margins of the City's economy, politics, and culture for the sake of their respective callings in serving the Black community and the public good.  Our mission, then, is offering Reformation's sanctuary as Chicago's Africana artists' and activists' house of worship, house of meeting, house of learning, and house of pastoral care.

"Let envoys come out of Egypt; let Ethiopia hasten her gifts to God."  Psalm 68:31

The final reason to support Reformation is that our Church sanctuary is a historic community diamond in the mud.  We are badly in need of basic rescuing and restoration via receiving concerned and caring support morally, actively, and financially.  We are, at once, a forgotten and neglected house of worship landmark, architectural treasure, and engineering marvel.  We are also integrally related to the historic Pullman community (recently declared Chicago's first National Monument and Historic National Park by President Barack Obama).

How so?  A) The Swedish Lutheran workers of the 1894 Pullman Strike-a major labor upheaval in U.S. history-once formed the backbone of Reformation Church-then organized under its predecessor name: Elim Swedish Lutheran Church.  B) Solon Spenser Beman, the world class architect of both the Pullman plant and houses, also originally designed Reformation Church's historic house of worship.  C) George Pullman himself both financially facilitated and practically engineered the physical moving of our church building to its present location-in order to make room for the creation of adjacent Palmer Park.

"Francis, go and rebuild my church."

-The Franciscan tradition of sacred architecture-

This said, with generous giving support from our friends,  Reformation can once again step back on Chicago's non-profit, community service stage as a vibrant African American, faith-based community center serving both Chicago's Black and other inner-city neighborhoods and the public good.  

Help rescue and restore historic Reformation Church-Chicago (“Young Barack Obama’s community organizing sanctuary”)

Help create a Word and Sacrament  center for Chicago's struggling Africana artists and activists!

Help build common ground for the next generation of young Barack Obamas!

Please openhandedly and openheartedly support the Capital Campaign of Reformation Church-Chicago by making a generous gift!

Go to: http://www.gofundme.com/reformation
and  give heartily

Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma), Lead Pastor and Thrivent Financials' Reformation Congregational Advocate, ELCA. 

Contact: Deacon Marsha Cherry Washington, Council President, C/o Reformation Church-Chicago, 11310 S. Forest Avenue, Chicago IL 60628.

Google: Reformation Lutheran Church in Chicago for more information.

Post Script

“At the banquet table of nature, there are no reserved seats.  You get only what you can take and you keep only what you can hold.  If you can’t take anything, you won’t get anything.  If you can’t hold anything, you won’t keep anything.  And you can’t get or hold anything without organization.”

-Asa Philip Randolph (1889-1979), Founder (1925) of the Pullman, Chicago-based Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, Black America’s first successful trade union- 

Please support and give generously to Reformation Church-Chicago’s uniquely organized, crowdfunding, capital campaign!