From Abraham Lincoln's church to the oldest church in Kansas...

A friend and I were walking around Chicago and we came upon this sign...

Besides it being upside down, I wondered if it was a case of confused denominational identity. Is it Baptist or Congregational? Generally speaking, the Baptists, the Presbyterians, and the Congregationalists were three branches that grew out of the same trunk. 

As we got closer we could see that this is one of the grand church buildings of Chicago, on the National Register of Historic Places...

We met a church staff member who offered us a tour, and also learned about the history. Several churches came together and there were several name changes over the course of time: First Congregational Church, Union Park Congregational Church, Mozart Baptist Church, etc. At one time Abraham Lincoln attended one of the predecessor congregations, before the present building was built in 1869. It was all part of an evolution that led to the church being what it is now. Today it is basically a Baptist church; they have National Baptist hymnals in the pews (from the historically African-American denomination). And they have many vital and vibrant ministries in the heart of Chicago. 

The building includes a beautiful sanctuary that seats 1,500, a large adjoining chapel that is used for youth services, a HUGE pipe organ that was donated by the Dole family of pineapple fame, and some beautiful stained-glass windows...

On a related note... Several months back I remember reading that the oldest church in Kansas was the Presbyterian church of Highland -- up in the far northeast corner of the state. (By this I mean the oldest congregation, not the oldest building.) I had a chance to travel through Highland after our Chicago trip. I saw that this church had merged with the local Methodist congregation. There was also a memorial bell from an old Congregational church that had been on the site.

A concluding thought: One developing variable of Christian life in America today is the waning of denominational identity. Churches are looking to collaborate more, and the importance of denominational stripes seems to be on the decline. There's beauty in about every denominational tradition, but the most important thing is Jesus. He said, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (in Matthew 6:33). That's why whenever people ask me what denomination I'm with, I like to emphasize that I'm first a Christian and second anything else.