On Sunday, Sept. 13, the Rev. Thomas Babler, who led the first service at Bethany of Fox Valley United Methodist Church on the far East Side of Aurora, will take the pulpit to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the opening of the church’s building.
Current members, former members and the community are welcome to attend the service at 9 a.m. Sept. 13 at the church at 2200 Ridge Ave. in Aurora.
Bethany of Fox Valley United Methodist Church was founded in the early days of the development of Fox Valley Villages in Aurora, according to a press release about the event on Sept. 13.
Back in 1980, there were a few subdivisions started in Fox Valley Villages but there were major plans for many more homes, the release said. After surveying the residents of two new subdivisions, a handful of people met in homes to talk about starting a church, according to the release, and on Dec. 7, 1980, 15 families held a worship service in a hallway at Waubonsie Valley High School.
Within a few years, the group had grown and on May 16, 1982, 52 people signed a charter to form Fox Valley United Methodist Church, the release said.
Plans for a building seemed many years away until the congregation met with members of Bethany United Methodist Church, a struggling congregation located in downtown Aurora. Plans for a merger were discussed and on June 3, 1984, the congregation merged to become Bethany of Fox Valley United Methodist Church, the release said.
The sale of Bethany’s building at Fourth and Clark streets in Aurora provided the seed money to start work on a building on the city’s far East Side, according to the release. In September of 1986, Bethany of Fox Valley United Methodist Church opened the doors to a new home at 2200 Ridge Road in Aurora.
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