My father, mother, and two brothers moved to Springfield in 1962 and immediately joined Schweitzer Church. Sixty-four years later, this church is still very important to my family and me. Schweitzer made us feel very welcome, and we have made many lifelong friends.
When we joined, the campus consisted of the old Schweitzer home, a detached garage, the fellowship hall, the church office, and the chapel. The campus has changed immensely since then, with the additions of Cather Hall, the fellowship remodel and the gym, the purchase of Hoffman Hall and the car dealership (that now serves as the Student Center and church offices), Grow To Know, and, of course, the Sanctuary.
During my years here, we have had seven lead ministers. Four of those stand out in particular to my family and me. Wes Arington, who married Mary and me in the chapel; Clayton Smith, who baptized our kids and led me to be more involved; Bob Casady, who gave me hope for the future of Schweitzer; and Spencer Smith, with his vision for Schweitzer’s future.
My younger years were filled with Sunday school in the detached garage, youth groups, playing flag football and baseball on the lawn where the Sanctuary now stands, and riding my bike in the halls of Cather Hall with the Cloven and Arington kids when it was being built. The youth group was led by volunteers Bill and Joyce Cloven, Wes and Virginia Arington, Woody and Carm Little, Jon and Carol Dorsch, and Ken and Joyce Barnard. These people have all been lifelong friends and mentors.
The impact on my family is enormous: marriage, forming the Navigators Class with four other couples, the birth and baptisms of our kids, and funerals for both my father and my mother.
Schweitzer Church has shaped who I am and allowed for lifelong friendships. As I get older, I am excited for the future impact this church will make on untold generations.