Living Heritage Lutheran Church (Plano, Illinois) Records

The first worship service of this congregation took place on December 5, 1999 in the chapel of Turner Funeral Home. At this time, a constitution was submitted to the LCMS for approval, and the name Living Heritage Lutheran Church had been selected. Two pastors of the Northern Illinois DIstrict agreed to serve/guide the members: Rev. David Mumme, pastor of Trinity, Marseilles, and Rev. Burneal Fick, pastor of Emmanuel, Aurora. The congregation was chartered as a congregation of the LCMS on March 26, 2000. Pastor Mumme and Pastor Fick continued to serve the congregation for the first two and one half years. The congregation applied for a candidate from Concordia THeological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana in Spring 2002. James Barbey received the call , being ordained in Harland, Michigan on July 7, 2002 and subsequently installed at Living Heritage on July 14, 2002. Initially, the congregation held a "Season's Opener" on the first Sunday in Advent. It was an open house at the church offices for members and the community. Later, the congregation sponsored a booth at the "Festival of Trees" in Sandwich and then at the Fairgrounds. This coongregation then had a booth at Plano Days. For about six years, a group organized by the Board of Education conducted ESL/tutoring to children referred by teachers from the Plan Public Schools. In December 2019 the congregation began to consider ongoing viability of Living Heritage. During the Covid closures, it became evident that this congregation should plan to disband. This congregation's closing service was held on November 21, 2021.