Covenant Community Church (Lockport, IL) Records

The year 1872 saw the founding of the congregation of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Lockport Illinois. Its constitution was accepted and its church built at 18th and State St. in 1873, with its first official membership of 10 Swedes and the formation of the Young People’s Society in 1892. Reverend M.J. Eggan became the first full-time pastor of Lockport Covenant Church, and ministered to a congregation of 35 members. 1916 saw the creation of a new constitution and in the following year electric lights were installed in the church building. The church had been conducted purely in Swedish since its formation, but in 1921 the English language was used for the first time. In the following years groups were formed (such as the Brotherhood, the Sewing Society, and the Married Couples’ Club) and pastors came and went. Big changes came about during the mid 60s and late 70s; in 1968 the church changed its name to Covenant Community Church, and in 1977 women were permitted to serve communion for the first time. The 80s and 90s saw more group formations, more confirmation classes and summers filled with Vacation Bible School, with pastors coming and going more frequently until 1995 which saw the closure of the Covenant Community Church of Lockport, Illinois.