Former St. Peter UCC blesses designated ‘legacy’ recipients
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Marc Profanick, President of the CCBA, accepts a donation for the organization’s food pantry from Greg Reichenbacher, Chairperson of the St. Peter UCC Legacy Committee.
Most of the Legacy Committee members met on July 2, 2024, to present their outreach check to CCBA officers outside of their building, including Ray Draper (Treasurer of CCBA); Vonda Draper (Secretary of CCBA); Members of the Legacy Committee including Norma Borgmann, Jeanette Storck, Diane Brinkman, and Karen Smith; Marc Profanick (President of CCBA); and Greg Reichenbacher (Chairperson of the Legacy Committee). Bo and Luke Brinkman were included to represent the younger generation as grandsons of Diane Brinkman. Absent from the photo were Mike Chontofalsky and David Stedelin, also on the Legacy Committee.
Sentinel Staff Report
lifestyles@morningsentinel.com
The former St. Peter United Church of Christ recently blessed designated “legacy” recipients. St. Peter United Church of Christ in Centralia held its special closing worship service on the afternoon of May 7, 2023, which also was the church’s 160th anniversary.
According to their historical records, it was known as the German church on the corner of Third and Cherry Street with its original denomination being Evangelical. Then in 1934, it became an Evangelical and Reformed Church in the same location. After the merger with the Congregational Christian denomination sixty seven years ago, the local church was then affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Illinois South Conference (formerly South Illinois Synod when E&R) is an “association” of the UCC that assists eighty churches via the office in Highland, Illinois.
Throughout its 160 years of being a house of worship at 318 W. 3rd St., the church was always “mission-minded” as evident in the congregational and its various organizations’ minutes and financial records. Two not-for-profit agencies affiliated with the South Illinois Synod and the Illinois South Conference for years and are located in neighboring county (Washington). Hoyleton Children’s Home, which was organized in 1895, benefitted from many financial and in-kind donations throughout the years from the members of St. Peter Church. In fact in the mid 40’s, according to archival records the church took out a loan to contribute a monetary donation to Hoyleton Children’s Home (which was repaid three years later) as an anniversary gift to that institution housing and helping many orphans from Illinois and celebrating their golden anniversary.
Since DuBois Center opened in 1965 officially with different rustic camping opportunities and in the following year when the main camp side buildings (including permanent cabins) were completed too, monetary and volunteer support from the members of St. Peter UCC Church has been appreciated. In addition to the camp and retreat registrants, many of the church members have certainly donated food, cash, and labor to support the DuBois Center’s Country Store at Fall Festivals since 1978 as well as those being in the crowd buying from the various vendors.
St. Peter UCC utilized the denomination’s United Church Fund for investing special monetary gifts, bequests, etc. for the past three decades. The various appointed Mission Committees (later named Teams) were authorized to designate a specific year’s amount of interest for financial distributions to a particular mission outreach, either locally or via Illinois South Conference’s ministry partners.
The words from Matthew 25: 14-30 were mindful to share with those in need of food, shelter, basic essentials and building God’s kingdom for contributions’ decisions amongst the Mission Committees/Teams. Several local non-for-profit agencies, Hoyleton Children’s Home, DuBois Center were specified as “mission outreaches” in the past decades plus a few others.
The last Mission Team included Chairperson Greg Reichenbacher, Norma Borgmann, Mike Chontofalsky, David Stedelin and Jeanette Storck for the past several years then became the Legacy Committee. The Church Council also appointed two additional persons to join them. Both members, Diane Brinkman and Karen Smith, each represented four generations of family memberships in St. Peter UCC Church. The Legacy Committee met in April of 2023 to consider what not-for-profit entities would be named as the church’s legacies and thus remembered. Knowing the past recipients and their particular purposes of serving others, the committee named such which was presented in front of the church council.
Various local 501©(3) organizations and other Illinois South Conference churches received pew Bibles, hymnals, church furniture, music-anthems, and miscellaneous items as in-kind donations since the closing worship. Since then, some of the congregation continued to give generously to the general fund after closing worship; investment fund resources; contents of the church were initially sold to the congregants and then publicly; on-line auction revenue; and sale of the church, parsonage, and east parking lot.
After all utilities’ and incidental bills were paid during the interim before actual sale of the block, the Legacy Committee was convened recently to acknowledge the total amount available for distribution.
The Legcy Committee members affirmed that the following would receive legacy donations:
• Illinois South Conference of the United Church of Christ (headquartered in Highland, IL)
• DuBois Center (located in DuBois, IL)
• Hoyleton Children’s Home (main campus with corporate office in Fairview Heights, IL)
Local Not-For-Profit Agencies receiving legacy donations included:
• BCMW (Bond, Clinton, Marion, and Washington) which supervises Project Bread, shelter, etc.
• CCBA (food pantry serving Centralia residents)
• Helping Hands — Mission Centralia (organization that builds ramps as soon as needed)
• Home to School via Centralia City Schools (a staffed division who provides clothing, essentials to students/families in need within the school district)
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace (site in Salem that makes beds/provides linens for those in need in Marion and neighboring counties)
Most of the Legacy Committee members met on July 2, 2024, to present their outreach check to CCBA officers outside of their building. Nancy Borgmann, President of the Church Council, had prepared a specific letter appropriate for each legacy recipient to accompany their check. She and Norma Borgmann delivered the checks/letters to the Illinois South Conference Office and DuBois Center as well as Hoyleton Children’s Home on July 1. Greg and Judy Reichenbacher presented the respective checks/letters for “Helping Hands” to Rob Schnicker (chair of that volunteer group) and to chairperson of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” in Salem. The Borgmanns also gave the “Home to School” and “BCMW” checks/letters in person on July 1 and 2, respectively. All the recipients were pleasantly surprised and grateful for their unexpected legacy donations from St. Peter United Church of Christ in Centralia.
A Letter of Gratitude
Centralia and Surrounding Communities,
Sometimes, one asks if they make a difference; that difference can come in small ways. St. Peter United Church of Christ, Third and Cherry Streets, has officially closed its doors but wanted to express gratitude to Centralia and the surrounding communities who have shown support over the years.
A church can not survive as long as St. Peter without the help of its members and community. The financial, spiritual, and professional support throughout the years helped St. Peter thrive and make an impact on those who came through our doors and beyond.
Over the years, many alliances, lifelong friendships, and memories created a solid spiritual foundation for families and friends.
By attending services, musical concerts, children’s plays, eating and working at the Wurstmart, financial support of the Christmas markets, auctions, garage sales, etc., every action helped provide a positive environment that allowed the Church to pay it forward in the community.
A church is there to make a positive difference in the world. St. Peter strove for that with help from its members and community. Thank You for making a difference.
Blessings,
Nancy Borgmann, President
St. Peter United Church of Christ