Our History
St. John’s United Church of Christ is a Christian congregation that has been an active and vital part of the Mokena, Illinois community for over 150 years. Growing out of the spiritual needs of the German and Swiss settlers of this rural area southwest of Chicago, the church began worshipping as St. John’s in 1862 and was first known as the German United Evangelical Saint John’s Church. Our first church building was erected and dedicated in 1862 at the corner of Second and Union Streets.
The construction of our current sanctuary at 11100 Second Street began in 1922 and the building was dedicated in 1923. In 1934 the church’s name was changed to St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church as a result of some denominational mergers. Then in 1957, the United Church of Christ was formed out of the merger of the Evangelical and Reformed denomination (St. John’s) and the Congregational Christian denomination. So later that year, on November 3, 1957, the name of our congregation was changed to what we are known by now – St. John’s United Church of Christ.
In 2012 we joyously celebrated our 150th Anniversary of ministry and life together in Mokena.
The United Church of Christ (www.ucc.org), the denomination of which we are proudly a part, is characterized by a number of things – an emphasis on extravagant welcome; the belief that “God is Still Speaking;” the importance of the local church and its independent governance; an active witness on issues of justice and mercy. The logo of the UCC, shown below, includes the theme that was used when several denominations merged together in 1957 – “That They May All Be One” (John 17:11).
