Churches of the Anglican Communion, serving the Chillicothe, Henry, North Peoria, Alta, and Dunlap communities
The Right Reverend Francis William Lickfield was anxious to begin a new mission in the Diocese of Quincy. When he confirmed a class of young people at St. John's Episcopal Church in Kewanee on December 21, 1958, there was a young man presented to him who lived with his parents in Chillicothe. Following the service, the bishop asked to meet with this young man and his parents. From this meeting the planning and organization of a new mission in Chillicothe was begun.
In May of 1959 the first meeting of interested Episcopalians in the Chillicothe area was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Gleich. Bishop Lickfield was present to talk with those who were there and help them get started. On Tuesday, December 8, 1959, the group met again with the Bishop at the Gleich's home to form the first new mission in the Diocese under the episcopate of Bishop Lickfield. At this meeting the Bishop introduced the Reverend Howard W. Brummitt who had been appointed with his wife, Marian, and was serving as Pastor of St. John's Church in Henry. Before the evening ended, plans had been made to hold our first service on Christmas Day at the Plymouth Congregational Church, who had offered their facilities for our use. Father Brummitt was in charge of this service and those attending were:
Mr. and Mrs. William Bawcombe; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Boyer; Mrs. Howard Brummitt; Mrs. Elbert Duckworth and son Rick; Mr. and Mrs. Worth Daniels; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Gleich and sons, Jim, Jack, Ron, and Bill; Mrs. Thomas Rawlings; Mr. and Mrs. Claude Scott, Sr; Mr. Kendall Sweenev, and Mrs. Robert Truitt.
Following that first service on Christmas Day, services were then held every Sunday at the North Chillicothe Village Hall. In March a formal petition was presented to the Bishop. Those signing this petition were Mr. and Mrs. Bawcombe, Mrs. Boyer, Mr. and Mrs. Daniels, Mrs. Duckworth, Mr. and Mrs. Gleich, Mrs. Kingsley, Mrs. Rawlings, Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Mr. Kendall Sweeney, Mrs. Truitt, and Mrs. Lucy Witte. In May 1960, at the annual Synod of the Diocese of Quincy, St. Francis Church was admitted as a newly formed mission. The name St. Francis was chosen for the beloved St. Francis of Assisi and because it was through the efforts of our Bishop, Francis W. Lickfield, that the new mission was formed.
In June 1966 the Reverend D. Edward Emenheiser was appointed Vicar of St. Francis and also of St. John's in Henry where he and his wife Ann would live. During the time Father Emenheiser served as vicar of St. Francis, we took part in a major fund raising drive for the Diocese. This fund, started in April 1968, was to be a means by which the Bishop could help any church in the Diocese when financial assistance was needed. Each church had a goal set by the Diocese. St. Francis was asked to raise $1,750, but under the guidance of Father Emenheiser and with a team of faithful workers our small congregation pledged $3,108. Only ten out of twenty-one churches in the Diocese were able to exceed their goal and help the Diocese reach their goal of $350,000. This Episcopal Advance Fund has been at work in the Diocese since the drive was completed. St. Francis has received money from it during three stages of our building program.
Another big step for St. Francis took place the same year. During the eight years we held services at the village hall, we had not grown as the Bishop and our members had hoped. Realizing the congregation was anxious to try other facilities, the Bishop's Committee discussed with the Bishop the possibility of renting another church. This seemed to be a reasonable course of action and an agreement was made with the Plymouth Congregational Church. On the first Sunday in July 1968, we held services in their lovely new church on Cloverdale Road. This provided us with a place for worship, meetings or special services and served us well for several years.
Finally, on Sunday, October 3, 1971, the first worship service was held in our own church building. With the Reverend Donald Harris as priest, the congregation had purchased a basement house located at 616 Wilmot Street. Andre Trulin served as contractor and with the help of the members a small one-room structure was completed. This room now serves as the parish hall in our present building. In the early months of 1973, the Reverend Jared Foster served at St. Francis while our new Bishop, The Right Reverend Donald J. Parsons, was trying to find a vicar for our church.
In December 1973, the Reverend Eugene Combs took over as our priest. He and his wife Diane moved into the vicarage at Henry, where he was to serve St. John's as well as St. Francis. This was a good time for our church. Under the love and spiritual guidance of Father Combs, St. Francis grew to be an active and concerned church in the community. Realizing the need for expansion would have to be faced before too many years had passed, a lot adjoining the church property was purchased with a loan from the EAF (Episcopal Advance Fund) and was made into our present marking area.
With Father Combs' encouragement, the women of the church, directed by Jane McNeil and Margaret Scott, opened a thrift shop in December 1978. This venture has provided over $13,000 in funds to assist our building program. A small group of women continue to donate their time and energy to keep the shop operating.
For the next several years St. Francis continued to grow. We were blessed with several new young families who were devoted to their faith and most enthusiastic about their church. When it became evident that an addition to our church was needed, a building committee with Paul Robison as chairman was appointed. This committee, consisting of Joe Boyer, Frank Brooks and Jim Hale, began making plans. With approval from the Bishop and the Board of Missions, a loan was secured from the Episcopal Advance Fund and in May the work was started. Gleich Construction Company was responsible for designing and building the addition with volunteer help from many members. The new, yet traditional, sanctuary more than doubled the size of our church and made St. Francis a most attractive addition to the community. On Wednesday, August 29, 1979, the dedication and consecration of our new building was held.
As the work in Chillicothe demanded more and more time from Father Combs, the Diocese felt it would be best if he could devote his full time at St. Francis. With this in mind, a house on Hollybrook Drive was purchased by the Diocese and in February 1980, Father Combs and his family moved to Chillicothe. He continued to serve the church in Henry several months until they were able to hire Father Schaffer. For the first time the people of St. Francis had a full time vicar. Father Combs was anxious to offer mid week services to those desiring them, and with him and Diane leading, the Sunday School flourished.
In February 1984, Father Combs left St. Francis to become rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Alhambra, California. For more than ten years he had been a devoted and faithful pastor to us, our families, and even our friends. It was a sad time for the members. They were all happy for the great opportunity offered to Gene and Diane, but many felt we were losing our leader at a most crucial time. The next five months were difficult, but as always the people of St. Francis met the challenge. During this period of transition we found St. Francis had a true and dear friend in our beloved Bishop Parsons. He made sure we continued with our regular services, and the Reverend Roy Schaffer, the Reverend Donald Langstraat and the Reverend George DeGraff were all serving us well during this time. Also to be commended was the Bishop's Committee, guided by Warden Joe Boyer, who all served faithfully during the search for a new priest.
Finally, the search was ended and the Reverend Russell Oechsel was hired as the new vicar. Father Oechsel and his wife, Rita, had served in Momence, Illinois, for eleven years before moving into the vicarage here in Chillicothe. On the first Sunday in August 1984, Father Oechsel held his first service at St. Francis. It appears that we have a great future. Attendance has been at a record high for both Sunday services as well as our mid week services. A nursery has been provided so parents with small children can attend church. The Sunday School is thriving with pupils as well as faithful and enthusiastic teachers. Youth groups have been formed and meet regularly at the vicarage. Most recently an adult discussion group was started. A few months ago work was completed on a lovely new all-purpose room in our basement. Money for this was received as a gift from the Elsie Martin estate.
As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of St. Francis, we thank those who had faith in us .... most especially, Bishop Lickfield and Bishop Parsons. All the priests who served us so well as our friend and pastor, our many friends in the Diocese who have helped to support us through the years, and finally all the members, past and present, who have been faithful and willing servants striving to do the job asked of them whether it be serving as a lay reader, teaching Sunday School, painting, a room, typing the weekly bulletin, ironing the altar linens, working at the Thrift Shop or merely washing the coffee cups. We think St. Francis has become a vital part of the spiritual life of the community and the Diocese. Hopefully, St. Francis will continue to grow and prosper; living as a Christian family doing God's work, we look forward to the time when St. Francis will be a self-supporting parish in our Diocese.
In 1977, Father Eugene Combs had the good fortune to be in Bishop Parson's office when the Bishop received a call from the Restoration Committee of Jubilee College. The committee needed a home for some sanctuary furniture and Father Combs accepted .... for future dreams of expanding St. Francis.
The dusty and broken pieces were stored by one of our parishioners at the Peoria Union Stockyards for one year. Some of it was then loaned to the newly formed Y.M.C.A. in Chillicothe for their chapel.
Our new church was completed in August 1979. These furnishings, after being refinished and restored, were placed in our sanctuary. Special accompaniments were crafted by Paul Robison, and the purchase of the pews from an old Wenona church completed our ties with the beginning of the Anglican Church in Central Illinois.
St. Francis Church opened its Thrift Shop in December 1978. It was first located on Second Street in downtown Chillicothe, where it remained until November, 1980, when it moved to 313 Pine Street as larger facilities were necessary.
Special events such as a bag sale, half-price sale marked down specials and a yard sale are held during certain times of the year to move old stock and make way for new. Many times destitute families have been given clothing free of charge, and all of the good used clothing that does not sell is then donated to the Salvation Army or another charitable organization.
Fr. Howard Brummitt, the founder, came to Diocese of Quincy in 1951, serving missions in Henry, Wyoming, and Tiskilwa, Illinois until 1959 when Bishop Lickfield asked him to start services in Chillicothe, Illinois. 1959-1966
Fr. Edward Emenheiser 1966-1969
Fr. Donald Harris 1969-1973
Fr. Jared Foster 1973
Fr. Eugene Combs Shared with St. John’s, Henry, Illinois until 1980, when he moved to Chillicothe, Illinois, and became full time priest at St. Francis. 1973-1984
Fr. Russell Oechsel 1984-
Lovingly compiled by Paul Robison, 1984.
The preceding history of St Francis was written and published in 1984.
As this is written in 2001, there have been many changes in the congregation. Priests have come and gone, new faces have arrived and old faces have left. This will attempt to capture some of those happenings.
Under the leadership and ministry of Fr. Oechsel and his wife, Rita, the church experienced its largest growth period. The church was full every Sunday and a large Sunday School was serving the youth of the congregation. An average Sunday would see over 100 people at St Francis. The church Family was very active, both socially and spiritually. The long standing Thrift Shoppe did a very big business and many hands helped do this critical community outreach project. There were fun social activities in place. We had parties and had rotating dinners. There was a progressive dinner held every year. We even went so far as to form a slow pitch softball team. Bill Gleich acted as the sponsor of the team and furnished the shirts that we wore. Each shirt had our name as a saint. Some of the more humorous were Bernie Camp’s “ St Bernard” and Fr Oechsel who chose “Our Father”.
The finances of the church also flourished. The mortgage was paid off after a large capital fund drive and the matching generosity of a long time friend of Fr. Oechsel. At the end of Fr Oechsel’s time at St Francis, the church was very nearly self sufficient and parish status was in the foreseeable future.
The following years presented many challenges and a decline in membership. With the recent addition of Fr Spencer and his wonderful wife, Candy, the congregation is now coming back to life and great things are on the horizon.
During the tenure of Fr Combs, the congregation was growing and the small church building was stretched to capacity. As related earlier, the church facility started life as a basement house. The congregation built a “house” above the basement to serve as a temporary church building. Being built as a “house” the property would then be an attractive sell to a potential buyer. Parking was a very big and continuing problem. There was no parking lot and people parked on the street. Many of the neighbors objected to this arrangement and were vocal in their objection. There was a very small house due south of the church that we thought we could buy reasonably and use for parking facility. As always, this made a lot of sense, but where was the money to come from?
Fr Combs approached Bishop Parsons about the idea and asked him to join us at a Bishop’s Committee meeting to discuss the plan. Ultimately, the congregation was in need of financial assistance and Bp Parsons was to be requested to help out. The night of the meeting came and we all gathered in the basement for our regular agenda. The meeting was going fairly well, but Bp Parsons was not fully buying into the need and seemed somewhat skeptical. About that time, a knock came at the door in the presence of the local police. He was reporting a car parked illegally in front of a neighbor’s house and that it must be moved. As luck would have it, that evil person violating the local ordinance was none other than the Rt. Rev. Donald J. Parsons.
The point was made and Bp Parsons was most benevolent in his support of our plan and successfully encouraged the Diocesan Council to grant a low interest rate loan for the purpose of securing the property and creating a parking facility. To this day, Bp Parsons accuses Fr Combs of setting up the sting, which the meek and mild Fr Combs vehemently denies.
Another story involves the Lord’s guidance in bringing Fr Oechsel to St Francis. When Fr Combs announced his decision to leave St Francis, there was great concern within the congregation. The church had prospered under his leadership and there was a great concern that this big momentum would flounder. The search for a new Vicar was very critical to continuing God’s work at St Francis.
Fr Oechsel had been a successful Rector in Momence, Illinois. He had heard of an attractive opening in the Diocese of Northern Indiana, which he was interested in pursuing. He wrote a letter to the Bishop to express his interest and list his credentials. When he went to mail the letter, however, he sent it to Bp Parsons of the Diocese of Quincy instead. Bp Parsons was Dean of Nashotah House during Fr Oechsel’s seminary days and thought very highly of him. Recognizing the error in sending the letter, he approached Fr Oechsel about the small mission of St Francis in Chillicothe. As the saying goes, the rest is history.
This is the story of a church. Many people have lived and died in the making of this story, a few now bring it to you. Our great and deep gratitude goes to all those who have left us and those who are with us, who have made this history possible. I can not conclude this project without a word of personal and heart felt thank you to Bp Parsons for all that he has meant to St Francis. Though he would deny any partiality, he has taken St Francis under his wing and guided our small church though the years. It was his action that brought Fr Combs and, later, Fr Oechsel to St Francis. He knew the needs of the congregation and the leadership that was necessary to accomplish those needs. He put his faith in St Francis when he decided to bring Fr Combs to Chillicothe and “un-yoke” with St John’s in Henry. He went to the Diocese to secure funds for a rectory to house the new Vicar and his family. He was instrumental in securing the funds for the capital projects of acquiring the parking lot and construction of the new church nave. He has filled in through the years as a supply priest in times of need. Between the departure of Fr Usher and the arrival of Fr Spencer, he served our pastoral needs on a weekly basis.
Bp Parsons has been a true friend to our congregation and I would like to call him a personal friend as well. His charming wit with that twinkle in his eye is a real delight. Fr Combs once told me that Bp Parsons secretly always wished to be a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. Bp Parsons, between you and me, let's keep that as an unfulfilled expectation. I went to college with a guy who was drafted by the Packers in 1968. During training camp, Ray Nitschke hit him on the blind side dislocating his shoulder and having him see stars for a solid week. Believe me, you are a much better Priest than you would ever be as a linebacker.
Fr. Howard Brummitt 1959-1966
Fr. Edward Emenheiser 1966-1969
Fr. Donald Harris 1969-1973
Fr. Jared Foster 1973
Fr. Eugene Combs 1973-1984
Fr. Russell Oechsel 1984 – 1989
Fr. John Throop 1989 – 1995
Fr. Thomas Gimple 1996 – 1997
Fr. Guy Usher 1997 – 2000
Fr. John Spencer 2000 – present