1875: Under the direction of Thomas M. Brooks, Wilmette neighbors organized and held business and social meetings in their home with eighteen charter members. The first pastor was the Rev. Edward P. Wheeler.

1880-1882: Services at this time were held in the frame school building which is now Central School at the corner of Central and Tenth Streets. Worship was led by the Rev. Samuel Kidder.

May, 1882: The church called to the pastorate the Reverend J.H. Parr, who set to work to secure a church house.

September, 1883: A new building on Eleventh Street was dedicated to the service of God and the use of the congregation.

1894: The church was barely ten years old when the congregation had grown to one hundred members. A decision now had to be made whether to enlarge the building or build a new structure.

1904: Ground for our current building was broken by Warren Beardsley Gates, on June 5, 1904.

FCCW was heavily involved in the post-WW2 European Resettlement Program. Between 1948-1952, nearly 400,000 European refugees were resettled in the U.S. Voluntary agencies, including places of worship, played a crucial role in providing assistance, including finding employment, housing and navigating life in a new country.

1953: The Gates House at 729 Eleventh St., Wilmette, was purchased by the church. Originally built as a family residence in 1908, members of the church opened it as a drop-in center for teens. It was used mostly by students at New Trier Township High School.

1962-1969: The Reverend Buckner Coe served as minister. Best known for being outspoken on peace and social justice issues, Rev. Coe marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, was a leader in the 1965 Chicago North Shore Summer Project for fair housing and lead anti-Viet Nam War campaigns in Chicago.

1969: Gates House formally opened under the new name:  Wilmette Youth Outreach Center.

1977: FCCW sold the Gates House property. The house was later torn down. The congregation later formed a group to finance Gates Manor, located next door to the church at 1135 Wilmette Ave. Gates Manor was the first residence for seniors on the North Shore and currently serves as a much needed affordable housing complex for seniors and income limited residents in the area.

1980: The Reverend Dr. Robert (Bob) Lee continued the church’s deep commitment to social justice during his tenure as pastor. Rev. Lee was heavily involved with The Sanctuary Movement in churches during the 1980’s. This religious and political movement emerged in response to U.S. government policies towards Central Americans facing civil wars in their own countries. Churches and other faith communities offered supportive services to refugees facing deportation or persecution.

1993-2003: The Reverend C. David Owens served as Senior Pastor. Pastor Owens was teaching at the Chicago Theological Seminary when it was suggested he serve as an interim minister at FCCW. His curiosity and intellect were a good fit for our congregation and he was asked to remain as Senior Pastor.

Owens believed the power of faith was not to be found at the pulpit or in the pastor, but with the people. During his tenure, he often engaged with the congregation by preaching on the sanctuary floor, questioning long held doctrine and encouraging active discussion.

Another important part of his ministry was taking small groups of congregants and youth to the Holy Land on educational and spiritual pilgrimages.

2004: Reverend Stephanie Perdew was called as senior pastor in 2004, after the passing of the Rev. David Owens. Pastor Perdew brought her deep knowledge of Christian history into her sermons and was instrumental in fostering our inter-faith partnership with Congregation Sukkat Shalom, a progressive Jewish community on the north shore of Chicago. Founded in 1995, it welcomes intermarried couples, the unaffiliated and those seeking a meaningful Jewish life.

Before purchasing their own building in 2012, CSS used the FCCW sanctuary to celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days. This partnership continued to grow through inter-faith programming, joint social justice activities and an increased use of our church space.

At one time, FCCW considered making the partnership more formal by committing to transforming the church building into a house of worship which fully housed two congregations, each with specific religious and worship requirements.

Ultimately, CSS decided to purchase their own building on Central St. Our history of shared space came to an end but our friendship remains.

2009 – 2010: Another church renovation was needed in order to further facilitate easy access for the handicapped and elderly. Additions included an elevator tower with its own entrance, a new roof over Pilgrim Hall, and a fully upgraded kitchen.

The architects were able to match the exterior brick, the interior Tudor-style beams and keep our beautiful stained-glass windows in tact.

The project was professionally managed by congregant Steve Austin, and his core of dedicated church volunteers.

2022: The Rev. Lark Hapke serves as interim pastor.

2025: FCCW calls the Reverend Mary Herbig of the Central Union Church, Honolulu as Senior Pastor. We look forward to our journey together guided by her spirit and vision for our future.