History of Maywood EFC: Watching God Work

It was the summer of 1943, World War II was at its height and families drawn to Rockford for war-related factory work needed housing. In Rockford, the government provided affordable housing at the corner of Harrison Avenue and 20th Street called the Victory Homes.
Rev. Elmer Johnson	It was to this new development that God called two men from First Evangelical Free Church, Rev. Elmer Johnson and Gunnar Johnson, to conduct tent revival meetings to reach these young families with the Gospel. By fall the two began conducting Sunday school in the administration building at the Victory Homes.
Mr. Gunnar Johnson	For almost ten years, these faithful servants continued to teach and reach men, women and children for the Lord. In 1952 the Lord placed it on the hearts of two visionary men, Marvin Palmquist and Nils Olson, to purchase and donate three lots on a hill overlooking southeast Rockford. This area at Pershing Road and 16th Street was known as Silver Hill.
On December 15, 1952, at the annual meeting of First Evangelical Free Church, the congregation voted to build a chapel on this site. Construction began in Spring 1953, with much of the labor being donated by the men from First Evangelical Free Church. By November the building was ready for services. In December Don Larson was installed as the first pastor of the new Silver Hill Evangelical Free Church. Pastor Larson graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1951 and was serving at First Free as a Youth Pastor when he received his call to Silver Hill.
	In 1954 the building received a much needed face-lift. G. W. Aldeen constructed a steeple and new pillars were added at the front entrance, making the building much more attractive.
Two years later, a Constitution was approved, and the church’s charter was closed with 52 charter members, 16 of which were associate members from First Evangelical Free Church. Wally Bleed was elected the first church chairman of the now officially organized Silver Hill Evangelical Free Church (EFC). The entire church budget that first year was $6,000.
A church parsonage was constructed in 1961 adjacent to the church by the men of Silver Hill. From 1958 through 1973, the church was served by three different pastors: Rev. Phil Johnson, Rev. William Pinkernell and Rev. Ed Kimball.
In 1973 this small but faithful congregation faced a challenge. The neighborhood had changed, and the people moving in were already established in their own churches and showed little interest in this twenty-year old church. A decision needed to be made on whether or not to merge with Alpine Evangelical Free Church, located on East State Street just east of Alpine Road, or perhaps just close the doors and send everyone on their way to find another church in which to worship.
	God was still at work in the lives of these 50 or so believers. Don Wernberg stepped forward and offered the church five acres of land in southeast Rockford, land which his father had set aside to one day build an Evangelical Free Church. Trusting God and following the leadership of their Church Chairman, John E. Carlson, Silver Hill EFC stepped out in faith, accepted the gift of land, and put the Silver Hill building and parsonage up for sale.
Within 30 days, both buildings were sold, leaving the body of believers with no place to worship. Using the interest money from the sale of the property, the church rented the Howard Johnson Convention Center on Eleventh Street for Sunday school and worship. During the next year and a half, Sunday school classes met in the coffee shop, the cloak room, and even the 12-passenger church van. Rev. Roy Gibbs began his interim ministry and ultimate full time ministry during this transition time when the church became affectionately (but not officially) known as the “HoJo” Evangelical Free Church.
	Four additional acres were purchased adjacent to the original 5-acre gift, and under the careful supervision of building chairman, Lamont Emery, construction began on this nine-acre site, located on another hill in southeast Rockford known as the Maywood Subdivision.
On Palm Sunday of 1975, the first service of the Maywood Evangelical Free Church was held at the 3621 Samuelson Road site. The new facility attracted much attention. By Dedication Sunday in mid-May, the 200 seat sanctuary was nearly full. Pastor Charlie Firman served as interim pastor for the first seven months of 1976.
	After only a few months in the new church, the Lord led a young pastor to Maywood, Rev. Mark Wold. Under his five-year ministry, attendance doubled necessitating two worship services. Pastor Rick Farney was called as youth pastor, and in 1979, the now expanding church began another building program to include additional Christian education (C. E.) space and a full junior high size gymnasium.
Rev. Lee Hotchkiss served as Senior Pastor from October 1981 until August of 1984. During the summer of 1983, the church called Pastor Tom Clinton as Youth and C.E. Minister and Dr. Rick Anderson as Minister of Evangelism.
The next two years, beginning in the fall of 1984, was another me of testing for this congregation. Dr. Cal Hanson, Rev. Ted Loy and Dave Bates ministered from the pulpit while Rick Anderson’s leadership united the church in preparation for a glorious new era of ministry for Maywood. The pastoral search committee worked for almost two years, and interviewed many candidates, until God opened the door to the man He had chosen to be the next pastor for Maywood. What the church did not expect was that he would be a Youth Pastor who had only preached occasionally, and who was younger than all the members of the committee.
	On August 3, 1983 Pastor Scott Nesse began his ministry as Senior Pastor, and the attendance, as well as the attendees, once again began to grow. Don Gillaspie was called as Youth Pastor and served the congregation with Pastors Rick and Scott. An additional 2.6 acres of land was purchased in 1988, and plans were approved for a 10,000 square foot addition to include a new sanctuary and Christian education space. Ground was broken on June 3, 1990, with construction beginning in August.
Greg Barr served an internship during the summer of 1991 and Paul Rathke served as an intern in 1992. Pastor Mark Landerdahl was called to serve as Chris an Educa on Pastor in 1991 and Pastor Larry Seagren joined the staff as Youth Pastor in 1992. Jeff Lovell served as youth intern in the summer of 1996 and David Clinton during the summer of 1997.
On August 14, 1994 services were held in the completed 475-seat sanctuary. With more space, the Sunday morning attendance grew to over 600 in two services with nearly 500 in Sunday school. Pastor David Currie joined the staff full time as Associate Pastor in August 1999. Gary Page also served his TEDS (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) internship at Maywood beginning in 1999 and continued on the pastoral staff until 2001.
Two young adults who grew up at Maywood also served internships: Erica Larson, during the summer of 2001; and Nate Lundstrom beginning May of 2002. Rob Petrie also served as youth intern from 2000 to 2002. Melanie Derr received a call from the church to be Children’s Director in May of 2001.
Pastor Larry Seagren was called to be Administrative Pastor in March of 2001 but agreed to continue working with the youth until a replacement was found. Pastor Kyler Welch began his ministry as Worship and Music Pastor in January of 2003, and Pastor Paul Corp was called as Student Ministries Pastor in August of 2003. With Pastor Paul’s arrival on staff, Pastor Larry Seagren was able to complete his transition to his new ministry as Administrative Pastor. In April of 2001 the church made its last mortgage payment on the addition built in 1990, and a mortgage burning celebration was held to acknowledge God’s goodness!
In January 2005 Maywood called Gary Kniseley to serve as Pastor of Children’s Ministries. Rick Warren was called to serve as Student Ministries Pastor in 2006, and Steve Huhta served as Pastor of Worship from 2005 to 2007. After 20 years of faithful service, Pastor Scott Nesse resigned as Senior Pastor to pursue a new ministry endeavor in 2007.
The church broke ground for the new Andrew G. Patten Center for Leadership Development in 2007 to meet the growing needs of the congregation. This new facility will be dedicated to reaching out to the community through leadership conferences, training seminars, athletic events and ultimately, worship services. Our plan is to link the multi-purpose facility to the current building through a connecting walkway and beautiful courtyard. The completion of this building will create a whole new dimension of ministry for Maywood in the Twenty-first century.
	After a three-year pastoral search, the congregation called Dr. John Strubhar as the new Senior Pastor. He began his ministry at Maywood on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. Since his arrival, he has led the church in formulating and communicating new core values, mission and vision statements. He has realigned the pastoral staff so that their strengths are maximized for over-all ministry impact. Pastor Gary Kniseley now serves as our Executive Pastor, Pastor Dave Currie as our Discipleship and Body Life Pastor and Pastor Larry Seagren as our Outreach Ministries Pastor. Soon a search for a new Student Ministries Pastor will commence.
Currently, we are seeing evidences of God’s blessing as we reach out to our “mission field” here in Rockford, the surrounding areas and the world. As a community of committed Christ-followers, we are seeing evidences of God’s faithfulness and love to a body whose ultimate desire is to glorify God and build His kingdom. To God belongs all the glory!