This is where I went to to grade school and church. It's so heartbreaking to see all of the damage like this. Both were closed due to financial issues and lack of attendance. I have so many memories of this place.
Mine too! I was in kindergarten there in 1991-92 school year and first grade 92-93. Then for second grade we went to public school. My brother was three grades above me. And my sister was in 7th and 8th grade those years. It’s a blast from the past!! Seeing the stage in the basement where we rehearsed and had our kindergarten graduation 👩🏻🎓 really brought it all back! Hot lunch on Wednesday’s……recess in the back school yard…….chapel……..I was young but I remember so much! Do you remember Ms. Weiss? Or Mrs. Geers?
@@momarroyo Again. Not a school, ever. People actually lie to feel important or to prove their ignorance. Hot lunches, recesses, and pray tell where are all of the scores of bathrooms? I saw one.
While this church was LCMS Lutheran (as indicated by another comment) and I'm personally have been a lifelong ELCA Lutheran, I'm impressed even with the graffiti that this church is in a decent shape. There's also a sense of sadness for another Lutheran congregation that has closed. Thank you for posting!
This is the elementary school I went to. I still have the year books. Sooooo many great memories. The room that you guys think was a closet( and maybe it was at one point) but my time going there it was the printer room for teachers. And the room you guys went into that had pictures of children, that was the kindergarten room.
julia_gulia95 The “closet” was where Ms Ghears went to smoke Her cigarettes, & where She printed everything & made Her phone calls, She was My 7th & 8th grade Teacher/Principal. . I went there from 4th grade to Graduation 👩🎓 late 80’s, early 90’s. . This is Tragic & Totally Heartbreaking 💔❤️🩹
Your videos keep getting better and better! The only suggestion I have, is repeat for the camera what your partner says, since her voice wasn't picked up most of the time.
The church should have been cleared after closure and the organ removed and sold or gifted to another church in need of one. I cannot understand why the church authorities abandoned the whole building with fixtures, fittings and contents. Knowing that this sort of vandalism was likely to occur. Wicked shame. See my other comment with regard to the organ.
I grew up here. Baptized and confirmed here. Went to kindergarten through 8th grade here. I graduated in 1973. My grandfather donated the library. My mother was the volunteer school secretary. I’m heartbroken that it closed. And devastated at the condition it is in now. Why couldn’t this huge church and school be repurposed to something the community could use. So many homeless people could be housed here. Missouri Synod you should be ashamed at how you let this property be destroyed instead of used for God’s work to the community.
I think the exact location is kept under wraps so more vandals don’t go there and do worse damage. If you went here you’ll know where it was. Sad to say the public doesn’t always have the best of interests at heart.
I know this building was the center of your spiritual life and how it pains you to see it in such a sorry state. The woodwork itself is gorgeous. I can't believe they left the organ behind. Have you made an effort to make this suggested to the synod about this building? I agree with you on this! Vandals can't even respect a house of worship! As the son of an evangelical missionary, this breaks my heart as Much as it does yours, except for you it hits you in a Much more PERSONAL way! I hope this hasn't affected your worshiping our God.
I went to school and church here in the 60's and 70's. They both closed as many moved away and the few elderly left could not support the church. The school closed a few years earlier due to such a low number of students. So very sad to see this.
I graduated from Bethlehm as did my brothers and sister. EXTREMELY HEARTBREAKING!! :( Kristen, were your parents Bob and Elaine? I'm Shirley's sister!!
I’m 70 went there married there had wedding shower there I’m sick to see what happened my girls were baptized there every inch brought memories there was one person watching them above I’m heart broken
Wow!! This was my school from 4th to 8th grade & my husband’s school from pre k to 6th. This is heartbreaking to see it like this! I can’t believe people trashed it like this!! Just horrible!!! 😢 I passed by it and wanted to see inside so bad! Thank you for doing this. Glad you guys were ok. Kinda scary lol.
WOW! (Oh brother.) This is not a school! It's a church! There are so many obvious clues. You never went here. If it was your ''school'' for years, why'd you want to see it so bad? The world should see what the tough gangs did.
@@sspur2034 lol. Ok. I obviously don’t know where I went to grade school 😂. Be real! I do know what I’m talking about. This my school and I’m sad to see what they did to it! My husband , his brothers, his sister, his cousins, and my sister all went here for grade school too. We were not hallucinating lol.
@@myluvs2931 this guy (@sspur2034) is a troll and commented to me as well. Just ignore him cuz clearly he’s not from the neighborhood and knows nothing.
This was so cool to see I used to go to a culinary class in here in the bottom floor classroom portion, so many memories. I remember exploring it just like you when I was a teen but it was a lot less interesting without the burnt bibles and graffiti.
As a 4th generation Lutheran from Papua New Guinea, sorry....the family has been Lutheran since the first white man stepped on the land. Didn't expect to see such...and advised my kids and grandkids to support our churches that such should not befall our churches..breaks my heart.
I wish there was a way to form a nonprofit trust organization to buy these abandoned churches and clean them up and renovate them and repurpose them as multipurpose community events spaces while maintaining the church configuration.
😢 so sad to see how people could vandalized a church tearing up multiple Bibles & burning inside the church. This is terrible-what is the point of doing this.
@@decayingmidwest agreed. I love seeing RUclipsrs explore these beautiful places. But leave it to shitty humans to come along and destroy things. I hate people.
The neighborhood changed. People couldn’t afford to keep it open so the synod closed it. It’s awful that it couldn’t be repurposed for something the community could use.
@@dgaunt9861 My husband and I and they rest of our family were there November 1, 2015, that was the CLOSING of our Church! SO SAD!! And I can't believe that Missouri Synod could let this happen to their Church that was built in 1919!!! :(
This is where I went to to grade school and church. It's so heartbreaking to see all of the damage like this. Both were closed due to financial issues and lack of attendance. I have so many memories of this place.
Shannon Im Sorry...
Where shannon
I attended school and church there also back early 1980s
@@lisamendez5051 do you know what the church is called?
It is very sad to see this beautiful church and school in such terrible condition. To tear the organ pipes out like that is just awful!
This was my school from the late 80's to early 90's. Really like seeing. The inside again, just sad it's in this condition. Thanks for sharing this!
Mine too! I was in kindergarten there in 1991-92 school year and first grade 92-93. Then for second grade we went to public school. My brother was three grades above me. And my sister was in 7th and 8th grade those years. It’s a blast from the past!! Seeing the stage in the basement where we rehearsed and had our kindergarten graduation 👩🏻🎓 really brought it all back! Hot lunch on Wednesday’s……recess in the back school yard…….chapel……..I was young but I remember so much! Do you remember Ms. Weiss? Or Mrs. Geers?
Both. I remember all my teachers and Mrs. Pugh (my 3rd-4th grade teacher) is a family friend still. Have a lot of fun memories of the place myself.
@@momarroyo Again. Not a school, ever. People actually lie to feel important or to prove their ignorance. Hot lunches, recesses, and pray tell where are all of the scores of bathrooms? I saw one.
@@momarroyo Remember Mrs. Elvis? Mrs. Freddie Mercury? That's how you sound.
You are literally walking through my childhood lol. I have so many memories in that place.
Same! 💔
Seeing a church building getting desecrated in this manner is heartbreaking and sickening.
While this church was LCMS Lutheran (as indicated by another comment) and I'm personally have been a lifelong ELCA Lutheran, I'm impressed even with the graffiti that this church is in a decent shape. There's also a sense of sadness for another Lutheran congregation that has closed. Thank you for posting!
This is the elementary school I went to. I still have the year books. Sooooo many great memories. The room that you guys think was a closet( and maybe it was at one point) but my time going there it was the printer room for teachers. And the room you guys went into that had pictures of children, that was the kindergarten room.
This was so hard to see 😔
What years were you there?
julia_gulia95 The “closet” was where Ms Ghears went to smoke Her cigarettes, & where She printed everything & made Her phone calls, She was My 7th & 8th grade Teacher/Principal. . I went there from 4th grade to Graduation 👩🎓 late 80’s, early 90’s. . This is Tragic & Totally Heartbreaking 💔❤️🩹
@@momarroyo I went to school from 2001- fall of 2009. Fall of 2009 the school closed.
Your videos keep getting better and better! The only suggestion I have, is repeat for the camera what your partner says, since her voice wasn't picked up most of the time.
Thanks I’ll keep that in mind!
The church should have been cleared after closure and the organ removed and sold or gifted to another church in need of one.
I cannot understand why the church authorities abandoned the whole building with fixtures, fittings and contents. Knowing that this sort of vandalism was likely to occur. Wicked shame. See my other comment with regard to the organ.
I grew up here. Baptized and confirmed here. Went to kindergarten through 8th grade here. I graduated in 1973. My grandfather donated the library. My mother was the volunteer school secretary. I’m heartbroken that it closed. And devastated at the condition it is in now. Why couldn’t this huge church and school be repurposed to something the community could use. So many homeless people could be housed here. Missouri Synod you should be ashamed at how you let this property be destroyed instead of used for God’s work to the community.
I think the exact location is kept under wraps so more vandals don’t go there and do worse damage. If you went here you’ll know where it was. Sad to say the public doesn’t always have the best of interests at heart.
Missouri Synod has nothing to do with the regular Lutheran churches you know nothing person.
It burned down last night!
This Church should have been reused. Maybe a homeless shelter? Or perhaps use the school for something.
I know this building was the center of your spiritual life and how it pains you to see it in such a sorry state. The woodwork itself is gorgeous. I can't believe they left the organ behind.
Have you made an effort to make this suggested to the synod about this building? I agree with you on this!
Vandals can't even respect a house of worship!
As the son of an evangelical missionary, this breaks my heart as Much as it does yours, except for you it hits you in a Much more PERSONAL way! I hope this hasn't affected your worshiping our God.
I went to school and church here in the 60's and 70's. They both closed as many moved away and the few elderly left could not support the church. The school closed a few years earlier due to such a low number of students. So very sad to see this.
I graduated from Bethlehm as did my brothers and sister. EXTREMELY HEARTBREAKING!! :( Kristen, were your parents Bob and Elaine? I'm Shirley's sister!!
How dare people trash a church
I’m 70 went there married there had wedding shower there I’m sick to see what happened my girls were baptized there every inch brought memories there was one person watching them above I’m heart broken
It's very unfortunate that this church just burned down today. :(
😢just found out today too ...former Lutheran student
Wow!! This was my school from 4th to 8th grade & my husband’s school from pre k to 6th. This is heartbreaking to see it like this! I can’t believe people trashed it like this!! Just horrible!!! 😢
I passed by it and wanted to see inside so bad! Thank you for doing this. Glad you guys were ok. Kinda scary lol.
WOW! (Oh brother.) This is not a school! It's a church! There are so many obvious clues. You never went here. If it was your ''school'' for years, why'd you want to see it so bad?
The world should see what the tough gangs did.
@@sspur2034 yes it’s a church but it was a school too. This was my school from 4th-8th grade. So sad to see it like this.
@@sspur2034 lol. Ok. I obviously don’t know where I went to grade school 😂. Be real! I do know what I’m talking about. This my school and I’m sad to see what they did to it! My husband , his brothers, his sister, his cousins, and my sister all went here for grade school too. We were not hallucinating lol.
@@myluvs2931 this guy (@sspur2034) is a troll and commented to me as well. Just ignore him cuz clearly he’s not from the neighborhood and knows nothing.
I remember going to school here for a few years. Was indeed a beautiful chapel, and fun memories.
It's gone now! Burned down last night! ... they succeeded!
This was so cool to see I used to go to a culinary class in here in the bottom floor classroom portion, so many memories. I remember exploring it just like you when I was a teen but it was a lot less interesting without the burnt bibles and graffiti.
As a 4th generation Lutheran from Papua New Guinea, sorry....the family has been Lutheran since the first white man stepped on the land. Didn't expect to see such...and advised my kids and grandkids to support our churches that such should not befall our churches..breaks my heart.
Cool find! Nice exploration 🙂
Thank you!
This was my childhood church. So sad !
I was going to answer Luke, but why?
It burned down last night
Nice church...I hope there are more
Just found your video because this church burned down last night! They claimed it was lightning...
Omygosh lighting did this ? 😢
That is such a beautiful church...I hope they didn't demolish it because it's so pretty we have a church similar to that in our state new jersey
It burned down yesterday, June 25, 2023
The synod and district do not "own" church structures nor land. It was up to the congregation. We tried to give things away.
18:50 my classroom was never that colorful
Pastor Last 1980s do you know church burned down today 06-25-23
I wish there was a way to form a nonprofit trust organization to buy these abandoned churches and clean them up and renovate them and repurpose them as multipurpose community events spaces while maintaining the church configuration.
😢 so sad to see how people could vandalized a church tearing up multiple Bibles & burning inside the church. This is terrible-what is the point of doing this.
spray paint is not sold in chicago
I 6hink some of the books left in the pews are Hymnals.
20:20 principals office
The papers are music sheets.
Wow I went to school here
I hope city saved the church...its a beautiful church....
It burned down last night
@@williamgriffin7584 they burnt it down all the way
The church burned down last night.
kids robes for choir
16:20
As a 4th generation Lutheran from Papua New Guinea, sorry....
Doing that in God's house is a big no no 😮
I remember running into you 😂
you did?
@@decayingmidwest yes, when you barely went in
Terrible to see all the graphiti... Some have no respect...
I think the fires are even worse 😢
@@decayingmidwest agreed. I love seeing RUclipsrs explore these beautiful places. But leave it to shitty humans to come along and destroy things. I hate people.
Please ask me questions.
EARTHQUAKES. NEXT. GOD IS GOUNG TO JUDGE
Everybody's talking about they went to school. WTF is this place?
It used to be a Lutheran School and church.
@@rossharris5228 Nope. It was a Lutheran church. The only thing they taught was Sunday school.
@@sspur2034 It was connected to a school that was K-8. I used to go there.
@@sspur2034 did you not watch the whole video? There were dead ass full blown classrooms in another building
@@ryanravencaller "Another building!" They were IN the church as they said it. NOT the school!
That place is so beautiful. Why are they abandoned???🥲
Usually it’s due to low attendance and low donations so they can’t afford to repair the building or keep it open
The neighborhood changed. People couldn’t afford to keep it open so the synod closed it. It’s awful that it couldn’t be repurposed for something the community could use.
@@dgaunt9861 My husband and I and they rest of our family were there November 1, 2015, that was the CLOSING of our Church! SO SAD!! And I can't believe that Missouri Synod could let this happen to their Church that was built in 1919!!! :(
@@dgaunt9861 gentrification?
@@decayingmidwest correct, and thank you for showing what horrifying pigs do to an innocent church.