In 1914, Rev. L. C. Schmidt was appointed
to Kimball Avenue and served five years. During his years, the
membership increased to 197, and Sunday School attendance fluctuated.
In 1919, the Sunday School reported 180 in average attendance.
During his tenure, World War I took many of the young men from
the church. Some did not return. During his years, a monthly
magazine was produced called "The
Kimball Ave. Herald." The 16 page magazine included
information about the church services and organizations, news
about people in the church and advertisements for local businesses.
In addition to Kimball's role in the establishment
and support of the Irving Park Mission described above, the church
recognized the urgency of the need to expand its own facilities.
In 1915, the church trustees offered to purchase the two lots
immediately south of the church for $1,600. However, the owners
of the property raised the price to $1,800 and the plan was put
on hold until 1920, when Harvest Home and Benevolence funds were
used to purchase the land. The intent was to build a new church
building, which never materialized. (Harvest Home was instituted
in October, 1915, as a means of raising funds to retire the considerable
debt on the property.)
From the time that the work was known as the
Humboldt Park Mission until 1919, the Annual Conference had granted
appropriations the church ranging from $200 to $500 per year.
In March, 1919, the church officially action to become a self-supporting
station, meaning that it would not ask the Annual Conference
for additional grants.
Rev. H. W. Lambert was appointed to the Kimball
work in 1919 and remained as pastor through March, 1922. During
his first year, church membership reached its peak of 208 members,
but due in part to much controversy over the proposed merger
of the United Evangelical Church and the Evangelical Association,
membership had decreased to 176 by 1922. The Sunday School also
declined to an average of 164 in 1922.
In 1922, Rev. F. W. Deutsche, a son of the
congregation, was appointed pastor of the church. Rev. Deutsche
was personally in favor of the proposed merger of the two denominations,
but the church lay leadership was staunchly opposed. In March,
1922, the congregation voted unanimously against the merger and
instructed their delegate to Annual Conference, Mr. M. W. Barber,
to vote against union. It is interesting to note that the Annual
Conference appointed a pro-merger pastor to a church that had
expressed its opposition. It is likely that the Conference hoped
that a son of the congregation could persuade the church to remain
united with the majority.
Rev. Deutsche served Kimball for one year,
but statistically, the work showed little progress. Much of the
vitality was sapped with the proposing and opposing of the merger.
At a special Congregational meeting, held on January 10, 1923,
the church voted 50 to 30 to remain with the United Evangelical
Church. Application was made to the East Pennsylvania Conference
of the United Evangelical Church to be included in their boundaries.
Other Illinois churches opposed to the merger were doing the
same.
The trustees approached Rev. Deutsche about
continuing as pastor, but he declined, preferring to unite with
the merged church. At the Annual Congregational Meeting in March,
1923, the church voted that all Quarterly Conference records
be kept at the church and that Rev. Deutsche leave his church
keys with the Trustees before leaving for Annual Conference.
Interestingly, the Lockwood Avenue Church voted in favor of the
merger, and Rev. Deutsche was assigned to the Lockwood congregation
in 1923.
Miss Grace Linden, a member of the church
who was only 12 at the time of the merger discussions, remembered
this period of the church's history as a time of great confusion
as some people left Kimball to attend the Lockwood church and
others from the Lockwood and Adams Street church began attending
Kimball.
The East Pennsylvania Conference assigned
Rev. C. G. Unangst as pastor of the Kimball Avenue Church in
March, 1923. It was the second time that Rev. Unangst would lead
the congregation. In 1924, an extensive renovation of the sanctuary
was undertaken at a cost of $15,445. Alterations included a new
entrance, new pews and the installation of a baptistery beneath
a new choir loft. The baptistery was an unusual addition for
a United Evangelical Church at that time. The interior of the
church has remained virtually the same since that renovation.
While the church maintained its ministry to the community, it
never again experienced the phenomenal growth of its first 10
years. (Link to see a picture of
the church in 1924)
The
Kimball Glee Club (Pictured on the concert program cover March
13, 1913) Members of the club are Julius Jensen and Olaf Norum
(1st tenor); Carl Hanson and Harold Gronseth (2nd tenor); Joe
Gunderson and Russel Royer (1st bass); Osburn Hanson and Arthur
Friei (2nd bass). The group was accompanied by Ben Price. The
program also included a reading by Ralph E. Unangst, a solo by
John Olsen and a violin solo. The program consisted of sacred
and secular music including the finale, "Kentucky Babe."