Gridley
 | |
|---|---|
| Branches: | ACCA |
| Date Founded: | 1817 |
| Attendance 2024: | 515 |
| Website: | Gridleyacchurch.org |
History
[edit]The congregation in Gridley, Illinois was officially established in 1870. Prior to that, a few families residing in the area would worship at the Apostolic Christian churches at Roanoke or Congerville.
By 1870, periodic services were held locally, and a year later were scheduled on a regular basis at Matthew Kaupp's home in the middle of the block on East Second Street, across from today's grain elevator. Ministers from Roanoke came to preach until a young brother in faith, Joel Herman, 21 and unmarried, became Gridley's first minister.
On January 16, 1874, General Asahel Gridley, a prominent land agent -- and the person for whom the village was named -- donated land for the first building "to be used as a church and none other but to worship the Almighty God". The site was at 208 East Gridley Road (on Route 24).
The original church was enlarged in 1887. In 1938, it was again enlarged, and a basement added. A beautiful structure with brick facing, it housed worship services for another 32 years.
In 1970, the present church building on East Sixth Street was completed. Dedication services were held on September 13, 1970. In 1977, a fellowship center was built, and in 1987 Sunrise Manor was completed. Sunrise Manor has apartments for senior citizens. It is also the site for HarvestCall projects and provides a kitchen facility for Meals on Wheels.
The congregation's first local Elder was Bro. Rudolph Witzig, who came to Gridley in 1883. He had been selected as a minister in Switzerland at age 24, and ordained an Elder at 26. He served until his death in 1912. From 1912 to 1947, Elders from Roanoke had the oversight of the Gridley congregation.
Bro. Joe M. Klopfenstein was ordained Elder in 1947, and served until his untimely death in 1965. He died while scooping snow soon after returning from an Arizona vacation. Bro. George M. Gramm (who served two years as Co-Elder with Joe M. Klopfenstein) was ordained in 1963 and served until 1972.
Bro. Edwin Ringger was ordained as Elder in 1972 and served until 1994 when his son, Bro. Earl Ringger assumed the mantle of Gridley's leadership. In 2016, Bro. Harvey Kaeb was elected to serve as elder.
Ministers are chosen from the congregation, and this has been the tradition since the church’s founding in 1870. This is also true in the denomination's other congregations. The church usually has had four or five ministers serving at one time.
Serving the Gridley church as ministers from 1870 to present were Brothers Joel Herman, John Speiss, Rudolph Witzig, Adam Messer, Michael Kiefer, George Funk, Jacob Ringger, Engelbert Grusy, John Schlipf, John Schieler, Leo Grusy, Joe M. Klopfenstein, George M. Gramm, Guy Miller, Elmer Witzig, Edwin Ringger, Harold Schmidtgall, Byron Stoller, Earl Ringger, Stephen Baner, Clark Stoller, David Zehr, Daren Metz, Harvey Kaeb, Arlan Miller, Todd Witzig, and Richard Martin.
Ministers
[edit]| Name | Born | Baptized | Minister | Deacon | Elder | Retired | Wife | Also Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudolf Witzig | 9/13/1833 | 1/1/1857 | 1859 | 11/18/1912 | Marie Huber | |||
| George Funk | 10/15/1802 | 1/1/1871 | 1/1/1871 | Elizabeth Hoerr | ||||
| Adam Messer | 12/24/1824 | Eva Merkle | ||||||
| Joel Herman | 11/28/1825 | 1/1/1871 | ? | Frances Gerber | ||||
| John Spiess | 10/21/1850 | 1/1/1884 | 9/1/1932 | Christine Richt | ||||
| Engelbert Grusy | 11/3/1854 | 1/1/1924 | Franciska Yergler | |||||
| Michael Kiefer | 1905 | Margaretha Sheifer | ||||||
| Jacob Ringger | 8/17/1850 | 1/1/1929 | Mary Gramm | |||||
| John Schlipf | 7/6/1862 | 1/1/1910 | 1/1/1924 | Regina Messner | ||||
| John Schieler | 8/7/1861 | 1/1/1914 | 1/1/1927 | Mary Messner | ||||
| Leo Grusy | 3/25/1878 | 1/1/1925 | 4/15/1949 | Jacobina Kiefer | ||||
| Guy Miller | 4/16/1884 | 12/1/1960 | Rose Steffen | |||||
| George Gramm | 12/9/1896 | 7/8/1917 | 4/12/1929 | 8/31/1947 | 4/21/1963 | 8/27/1972 | Louise Grusy | |
| Joseph Klopfenstein | 5/25/1897 | 12/9/1916 | 4/12/1929 | 8/31/1947 | 3/5/1965 | Setta Kaehr | ||
| Elmer E. Witzig | 8/29/1918 | 4/18/1937 | 3/13/1949 | 8/8/1993 | Marjorie Gramm | |||
| Edwin Ringger | 8/5/1922 | 7/3/1938 | 2/7/1960 | 8/27/1972 | 6/11/1995 | Geralene Stoller | ||
| Harold Schmidtgall | 9/27/1919 | 1/26/1953 | 5/4/1969 | 7/23/1995 | Ethel Gerber | |||
| Byron J. Stoller | 10/11/1950 | 1/7/1973 | 4/20/1975 | 4/2/2017 | Carol Ringger | |||
| Earl E. Ringger | 12/18/1948 | 3/6/1966 | 8/29/1984 | 3/20/1994 | 8/22/2021 | Dixie Stoller | ||
| Stephen Baner | 2/28/1956 | 9/28/1975 | 10/24/1990 | 10/30/2016 | Donna Lou Knapp | |||
| Clark Stoller | 10/4/1952 | 2/23/1969 | 6/15/1994 | Cindy Hodel | ||||
| David Zehr | 12/14/1955 | 10/21/1978 | 10/14/1998 | 10/28/2020 | Vicki Steffen | |||
| Daren L. Metz | 11/2/1970 | 9/17/1995 | 12/3/2008 | Rita Beer | ||||
| Harvey Kaeb | 7/6/1964 | 9/16/1984 | 10/30/2013 | 8/28/2016 | Judy Gramm | |||
| Arlan Miller | 2/22/1975 | 5/1/1994 | 2/22/2017 | Katie Kellenberger | ||||
| Richard Martin | 6/20/1979 | 5/1/1994 | 2/24/2019 | Jackie Steffen | ||||
| Todd Witzig | 2/25/1975 | 4/22/1990 | 2/24/2019 | Nicole Yackley | ||||
| Brant Rushton | 10/11/1978 | 11/18/2012 | 5/31/2023 | Missi Keeley |
Attendance
[edit]| Year | Total | Members | Sunday School | Year | Total | Members | Sunday School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | - | 220 | 100 | 1996 | 560 | 341 | 130 | |
| 1956 | - | 225 | 125 | 1998 | 565 | 340 | 124 | |
| 1959 | - | 228 | 160 | 2000 | 530 | 358 | 129 | |
| 1962 | - | 238 | 190 | 2002 | 530 | 359 | 148 | |
| 1965 | - | 247 | 190 | 2004 | 543 | 357 | 133 | |
| 1968 | - | 242 | 202 | 2006 | 543 | 361 | 135 | |
| 1971 | - | 245 | 167 | 2008 | 495 | 357 | 141 | |
| 1974 | - | 280 | 150 | 2010 | 535 | 389 | 153 | |
| 1977 | - | 285 | 125 | 2012 | 524 | 364 | 131 | |
| 1980 | - | 303 | 112 | 2014 | 530 | 334 | 130 | |
| 1983 | - | 326 | 120 | 2016 | 509 | 324 | 115 | |
| 1986 | - | 305 | 125 | 2018 | 522 | 331 | 129 | |
| 1989 | - | 305 | 125 | 2020 | 525 | 332 | 140 | |
| 1992 | 540 | 312 | 137 | 2022 | 505 | 335 | 136 | |
| 1994 | 540 | 316 | 149 | 2024 | 515 | 353 | 125 |