1921-Present

Adoniram Judson Window

First Baptist Church Oak Park, Illinois     IL

The First Baptist Church of Oak Park formally begun with a service in the home of its members on April 25, 1873. Rapid growth during the early years led to a move to a rental hall until the congregation occupied its first church building in 1883. The present church was dedicated on April 22, 1923, with the addition of the education and community building later in the decade.[1]

Designed by E. E. Roberts and constructed in 1921, our church building is notable for its size, beauty, and functionality. It has 110 rooms, including a large and beautiful Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall (equipped as a gymnasium and containing a full stage), a chapel, a dining room, and many more. The worship center is noted for its stained-glass windows which “are a memorial to John and Cora Meier. They were designed and created by Charles J. Connick Associates of Boston, under the supervision of Mr. Orin E. Skinner.”[2]

The Great West Windows in the sanctuary features vocations of the Christian ministry. One of those exampled in the west window is

Adoniram Judson, first American Baptist foreign missionary, and forerunner of the whole modern missionary movement. The radiant book toward which he gazes symbolizes the Bible; and the barred background suggests his imprisonment during which he worked on his translation of the Bible into Burmese.[3]

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[1] https://fbcoakpark.org/

[2] First Baptist Church of Oak Park, Illinois, “Sanctuary Windows and Organ,” three-fold brochure available from the church.

[3] Ibid.

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