St. John's Church steepled in tradition

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church is one of the most prominent structures in Buckley, with its steeple visible from miles away.

But the church isn't just geographically prominent – the congregation is a cornerstone of Buckley. The church was founded in 1870, along with a parochial school that still employs seven teachers for some 110 students.

The church averages between 350 and 440 worshippers each weekend, said the Rev. Mark Haller, who has served St. John's for five years. Parishioners come from not only Buckley, but neighboring communities including Champaign-Urbana.

"It's a family church," Haller said. "A lot of people enjoy coming back to worship and be with their family."

The sanctuary features luminous stained-glass windows depicting Jesus with children and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Some windows mirror the altar, which is white with gilded ornamentation.

In the early days, the men sat on the north side of the aisle, the women on the south side. Schoolkids sat in the balcony in front of members of the board of education. But in 1917, families walked about a block to the new church on Main Street. There, they sat together.

The 1917 building has undergone many renovations, including one in 2004 that cost about $250,000.

"It's actually closer to the original," Haller said. "In partial renovations, you update pieces. We did the whole thing."

The congregation paid for the renovation and also continues to support St. John's Lutheran School.

"The school played a large part in bringing families to Buckley," said Ruth Jones, who wrote the church and school chapters of the sesquicentennial book. The St. John's alumna is on the church's historical committee.

"(Many families) formed a core group of people with strong values," she said.

That core still exists as St. John's congregation supports each student, from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, with tuition assistance of $2,500 to $3,000 a year. The congregation also raised $35,000 to put new computers in each classroom.

Haller said the school attracts new families from all over the region.

"It's a ministry, a mission, an outreach," he said. "It brings in kids and families and helps our church stay younger."

Buckley also has Christ Lutheran High, not affiliated with St. John's, which opened in 1997 in the former Buckley-Loda High building with six sophomores and two freshmen.