Chicago | An imposing brown brick building at 1356 N. Rockwell Street may be changing hands, but will continue as a center for ministry to the northside neighborhood. The North American Mission Board (NAMB) has expressed interest in purchasing the three-story building, more than 100 years old, that has served as home to Chicagoland Baptists for just over a decade.
Before that it was used as a church building, and was deeded to the local association when the church closed. Originally, the facility was a neighborhood school.
In its new incarnation, the building will become a ministry center for NAMB’s Send Relief work in Chicago. The local association will continue to have an office in the building.
Messengers to the Chicagoland Baptists annual meeting (formerly called Chicago Metro Baptist Association, or CMBA) approved a resolution supporting the sale of the building, and received NAMB’s letter of intent during their fall meeting Nov. 12. The purchase price is $1,000,000, with half to be paid on closing and the remainder paid in annual installments for the following ten years. Included in the agreement is a “ministry cooperation agreement” between NAMB and the local association.
Soon after CMBA acquired the facility, the pipes froze and burst during a frigid Christmas break, causing considerable damage. With the insurance settlement, the building was renovated. It has been home to several church plants and many visiting mission teams.
If the sale goes through, proceeds will be used by the local association to further its work with Chicagoland churches.
—IB staff