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“Wheaton Bible Church, you are sent…”
These words resonate through the pews at the end of each service at Wheaton Bible Church in West Chicago, IL. They echo the powerful commands from 2 Corinthians 5 and Jesus’ words in John 20:21: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you!” This message serves as a profound reminder to the congregation of their mission.
Pastor Kyle Reschke reflects on this calling, saying, “People might label us a missional or ‘sent church’ because of our many missionaries and partners. However, we believe a truly missional church is one where every individual embraces their role as someone who is sent.”
Several years ago, the leadership at Wheaton Bible Church began to explore what it truly means to be a sending church, where every individual who walks through the doors is sent out. Founded 95 years ago in the heart of downtown Wheaton, IL, Wheaton Bible Church had a strong focus on global missions from the very beginning, supporting 18 missionaries even before having a pastor or a building! Over the years, their passion for global missions remained steadfast, and they expanded their efforts to include local missions and organizations. When World Relief Chicagoland was established in 1979, Wheaton Bible Church was there from the start.
Despite their strong commitment to missions, the leadership at Wheaton Bible recognized the need to be more present in their own neighborhood. Pastor Kyle reflects, “We heard the statement that churches often celebrate their seating capacity rather than their sending capacity. That statement stuck with us and
challenged us.”
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Wheaton Bible Church operated the International Friendship Ministry, led by parishioners Bill and Betty Thompson. A key aspect of this ministry was the biannual international dinners, which welcomed many from World Relief’s local English language classes. These gatherings provided
opportunities for fellowship, community building, and enjoying great food together. From this group, people began to serve as volunteers at World Relief as Friendship Partners and English tutors.
Wheaton Bible Church then began hosting English language classes at their downtown Wheaton campus in collaboration with World Relief Chicagoland. During this period, a Hispanic Bible study was established, which gradually grew into a Spanish-speaking congregation sharing the church building. A decade later, Wheaton Bible Church decided to relocate from downtown Wheaton to West Chicago, embracing their mission to be a sending church.
When Wheaton Bible Church relocated from Wheaton, they realized their impact within the new community was minimal. Embracing this challenge, they listened and adapted to their new neighborhood, which was 55% Hispanic. Upon settling in, Wheaton Bible adopted a new mission statement and set of
values to guide their community engagement. They envisioned “one body, two arms,” emphasizing unity between the English and Spanish-speaking congregations. This vision eventually led to a merged eldership and shared budget, deepening their mutual commitment.
The church launched Puente de Pueblo, a joint outreach initiative with the Latino community in West Chicago. With initial support and training from World Relief Chicagoland staff, they offered English language classes and case management for immigrants and refugees. Today, Puente de Pueblo is the largest social service agency in West Chicago, providing after-school programs, English language classes, case management, and receiving 14,000 hours of volunteer support annually from parishioners.
Over the years, Wheaton Bible Church transformed from a predominantly white, globally focused missional church to a diverse congregation reflecting the community. Both congregations flourished, with the Spanish-speaking congregation, now called Iglesia del Pueblo, attracting over 1,200 attendees at their Easter service. In October 2021, when the senior pastor of over 30 years retired, the church appointed Pastor Hanibal Rodriguez, the pastor of the Spanish congregation, to lead both congregations.
“It’s a beautiful thing what has happened along the way. By itself, Iglesia would be a thriving church on its own. And while many churches based on ethnic groupings often start and then split, those splits are not usually pretty. We firmly believe we are better together. We are one in Christ, not a Spanish church and an English church, but ONE church,” says Pastor Kyle.
Over the years, Wheaton Bible Church sought to define what it means to be a church in a new place and neighborhood. Damon Schroeder, World Relief’s Church Mobilization Director for all U.S. Offices and a former Church Mobilizer in Chicagoland, observed: “In my observation over 25 years, Wheaton Bible Church has successfully made three major shifts:
- From global missions only to “glocal” missions
- From internally to externally focused
- From a Spanish church plant to “one body, two arms”
We deeply appreciate WBC’s partnership, admire their humility, and celebrate their leadership among churches across the region.”
World Relief Chicagoland is grateful for the 45 years of partnership with Wheaton Bible Church, and we praise our Father in heaven for the incredible impact that has been made in the community together!