Our History

The assembly movement in Chicago began on the south side in 1870. With a love for the Lord and a commitment to spread the gospel many people responded to the message and came to Christ. The assemblies grew in numbers and ignited believers to spread the message of salvation.

It led to the founding of the Gospel Hall Mission, located at 1910 Madison Street, in Chicago. Prominent in this ministry were: 86th Street (now Palos Hills Christian Assembly), the Austin Assembly (now Woodside Gospel Chapel), and Laflin.

As interest in the mission started to decline, local assembly elders encouraged many of the young people to get involved in this work. This helped bring new life to the mission and promoted a spiritual vitality in the lives of these young men. George Barnes who attended the 86th Street meeting led a bible study every Sunday at 4:00pm that was well attended. Other gifted brothers were invited to participate in these studies. This teaching had a tremendous effect on the lives of the young men who were serving at the mission. It led many of them to attend Moody Bible Institute and to go on to become missionaries and preachers.

It was in this environment that the Study Class was formed by Arthur B. Rogers and T. Bruce Gilbert and Fred Roberts as the first secretary (chairman). Their purpose was to invite missionaries who were serving in the field and hear directly from them how the Lord was working around the world.

The opportunity to hear their reports accomplished three things: it helped those in attendance to understand firsthand what it was like to serve on the mission field. Secondly, it gave them a sense of partnership in the missionaries’ work by praying for them, and thirdly it gave opportunity to fellowship with them with financially. A rotating system of financial support was extended missionaries commended from the Chicago assemblies. These purposes are still the cornerstone of MSC to this day.

The Missionary Study Class meetings were held on the second Saturday of each month at the Gospel Hall Mission. Then the decision was made to have Chicagoland assemblies host it, this included the Austin Assembly, Avondale, Bible Truth Hall, 86th Street, Evanston, Fernwood, Irving Park, Laflin, Lakeview, Lombard, Roseland, and Washington Heights. This move allowed many in the assemblies to hear these reports as well. The first conference was held at the Austin Gospel Hall in 1921. Over the years the roster of speakers included missionaries such as Adam Ferguson, Bill Deans, T. Ernest Wilson, Don Cole, W. C. Maitland, George Verwer, Don and Ron Harris and the list goes on.

Missionary Study Class has become an important function of the Chicago area assemblies. It has encouraged many to serve as missionaries. MSC established a scholarship fund to help young people experience missionary service on a short-term basis. It has helped believers to pray more intelligently for those who serve and has moved many others to give financially.

MSC has always been sensitive to the needs of missionaries, not only when serving on the field, but especially when they came home on furlough or visited the area. Apartments were made available to house them. This practice began in the 1940’s and led to the purchase of the Missionary Guest Apartments in Glen Ellyn in 1959 and has been operated as a missionary “home away from home” to the present day.

100 years later, MSC still follows the desire of the men of God who formed it. May the Lord continue to bless those who serve by going into all the world, and for us to continue to support them. It is our intent and practice to continue to bring the world of missions to Chicago.