The Beginnings

The origins of the Southside Church are rooted in the American Restoration Movement dating to 1800. This movement was a coalition of several independent back-to-the-Bible efforts, primarily in the Southern and Mid-western parts of our country. It grew rapidly in numbers and prominence and in 1880 one of its preachers, James A. Garfield, was elected president of the United States. The movement espoused several basic principles – the sole religious authority of the Bible without creedal interpretation, the unity of all believers in Christ, the restoration or recovery of the early Christian faith, and non-denominational Christianity. Without any hierarchical structure, each independent congregation made its own decisions subject to Jesus Christ, the head of the church.

The Milwaukee antecedents of Southside are in the 35th and Cherry Church of Christ (now Brentwood) established in 1942. In 1947 Leslie Diestelkamp became its first full-time preacher. Monroe Hawley succeeded him in 1951. In the early fifties 35th and Cherry led in planting three new churches: Northside (now Central) in Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Sheboygan.

In 1956 35th and Cherry began planning for a new congregation on the south side of the area. The plans came to fruition on March 2, 1958, when the Southside Church first assembled to worship. Thirty-eight were present. 35th and Cherry gave the congregation $1200 to help the work. The church met initially in the Knights of Pythias Hall at Swift and Squire in Cudahy. This was a former church building that is today the Serbian Orthodox Church. Midweek Bible studies were held in the homes of members.

Twenty-three members from 35th and Cherry provided the nucleus of the new church. They included Monroe Hawley, the preacher, Joe Andrews, the song leader, and six Bible teachers from 35th and Cherry. The five core families were the Raymond Doggetts, Joe Andrews, Douglas Raymonds, James Williams, and Monroe Hawleys.

A Building Is Planned

The new congregation averaged 36 for worship in the first quarter of its existence, but the number gradually grew until it reached a record attendance of 87 in early 1961. The first annual one-week vacation Bible school was held in 1959 with 41 children.

The church’s temporary quarters limited its work. Even before the church began plans were made to buy property on which to build and landone the far south side of was targeted. In 1958 a lot at S. 20th and W. Grange in Milwaukee was purchased and a year later an adjacent piece of land was added. Two other plots were later secured to complete the property that the church now owns.

building program was launched in 1959. Six planning sessions involving the entire membership were held in homes. These family meetings bound the church together setting the tone of unity that has continued to the present. An architect was secured to design the building and financing plans were drawn up. Since Monroe Hawley, the preacher, was financially self-supporting through the sale of the Bible correspondence courses he had written, the church was able to direct most of its resources toward the proposed building. Aside from a $1000 donation from another congregation, the funds for the building came almost entirely from the membership. Southside has never had to rely on outside financial assistance.

Efforts to secure a loan met with little success. Finally, Frank Markarian, a friend of the church, arranged for a meeting with the South Milwaukee Savings and Loan Association. They said they liked to loan money to churches and offered a $60,000 loan at 5% interest! It was late 1961 and winter was approaching. Should we begin building? We decided that the Lord had brought us that far and we had to trust Him. We were still short of the needed funds to begin construction. An emergency congregational meeting was held. In a few minutes individuals agreed to personally lend the church $9000 at no interest. One brother put a second mortgage on his home to borrow the funds and was informed by the banker that he was the second church member to do so. Some loans were later written off. Other borrowing brought indebtedness to $72,000. Construction began in October, but was suspended until spring when snow fell.

Reaching Out to the Community

1962 was a significant year for Southside. Construction of the new building was underway and members donated hundreds of hours of labor in addition to the contractual work. On completion the property was valued at $105,000. Indebtedness was retired in August, 1977, with a mortgage burning by our two oldest members , Hayes and Pearl Adkins.

Before the building was occupied the area was canvassed and neighbors invited to the first service. Attendance opening Sunday, October 12, was a record 141 with many community visitors present. On December 2, seven were baptized, bringing to fifteen the number baptized in 1962. The membership now stood at 60.

In the following years the membership fluctuated because of many moving away. In 1976 fifteen families moved away. Yet each time the church built back because of new converts. Gradually the composition of the church changed. Initially most members were move-ins, but as more local people were baptized the church came to be largely composed of those native to the area who did not move away. By 1973 the membership stood at 84.

New programs were begun in the 1960’s. A church library was started in 1963. In 1964 Southside initiated a cooperative booth at the Wisconsin State Fair. This was repeated the next year and again in 1974 and 1975. Though effective, the booth required so many volunteer hours to operate that it was decided that resources could be better spent in other efforts.

In 1965 the church began a direct mail program with brochures introducing the church being sent into the community. The program has continued to the present; currently 40,000 pieces are mailed annually. It has proven to be our most effective outreach and has contributed significantly to the many community visitors with which we are blessed each week.

For many years a daytime vacation Bible school was conducted, often exceeding 100 students with many from the neighborhood. More recently it was changed to a evening Bible school to appeal to families instead of children only. In 1968 the church conducted a survey of 700 community homes. The survey was preceded by a training period in which half the church participated and resulted in numerous favorable contacts.

In 1970 Southside began offering area-wide Monday night advanced Bible classes for thirteen weeks during the winter. They were open to anyone wishing to come and some drove a long distance to attend. These classes continued five years with Edwin Broadus from 35th and Cherry and Monroe Hawley doing most of the teaching. Attendance often exceeded twenty. Some years later they were resumed for a two-year period.

Broadening the Horizons

The late 1970’s saw significant changes for Southside. Since its beginning the church had made decisions in business meetings. This worked well in material things, but fell short in spiritual matters. It was determined that an effort to choose elders should be made. Dale Smith, a visiting evangelist, presented a series of lessons on the eldership and on May 23, 1976, ordained Monroe Hawley and Jim Hall as the church’s first elders. Three deacons were added later that year.

Jim Hall left for health reasons in 1982 and was replaced by Mike Anderson. Mike, in turn, moved away in 1983, and was replaced by Gary Byrne. In 1987 the number of elders was increased to three with the addition of Doward Runyan. The three elders served together until Gary moved in 1994.

In July, 1977, Dale Hawley returned home as a full-time preacher to share responsibilities with Monroe. He stayed three years and concentrated on youth work. The church had earlier had a couple of youth rallies, but beginning in 1978 six highly successful rallies were held. In 1982 400 from 36 churches attended the rally. The youth rallies were discontinued, but resumed on a smaller scale in 1998.

In May, 1973, Southside secured Henry Ciszek for a special series of meetings. A leader of the Restoration Movement in Poland, he had been imprisoned for two years for preaching the gospel before being expelled by the Communists. He received wide media exposure in Milwaukee which resulted in many community visitors to hear him. He returned the next year intending to establish a Polish speaking church with Southside’s cooperation, but had to leave for health reasons.

By 1977 the membership exceeded 100 for the first time. An attendance record of 162 was set in 1961, and on Friend and Neighbor Day in 1989 it reached 191. Sixteen were baptized that year. Robbin Vugrnick came back home from college in 1980 to replace Dale Hawley. He resigned after one year and in 1982 Dale returned for another three-year period, this time concentrating on counseling and outreach. When he left to resume graduate work, the church was without a second preacher until Gary Castleberg joined the forces in 1987 to serve for three years. As the 1990’s arrived Southside was poised for a decade of expansion and growth.

Expansion and Growth

The period of the 1990’s to the present has been one of expansion and growth. A two-level building addition begun in 1992 doubled the floor space of the church facilities; the indebtedness was retired in 2000. New pews were installed that year.

The church also underwent several leadership changes during this period. Terry Waitt was chosen as an elder in 1995, but moved away in 1997. That year Al Gray and Wayne Alexander were added to the eldership. Doward Runyan moved in 1998, but in 2000 Dana McMillion and Rodney Windell were made elders giving the church five elders at present. Glenn Hawley returned to his home congregation in 1992 to serve Southside as a full-time minister of the gospel. Beginning in 1999, Tony Anguiano served the church for two years as a part-time in outreach ministry. In 2000 Daryl Miller began a full-time youth minister.

Notable in recent years has been the expansion of programs in the church. Two factors have contributed to these ministries – numerical growth and the expansion of the church building. In 1982 Southside initiated its fall “Give-Away” program in which donated items such as clothes are given away to people in the community. Special classes have been offered in the area of marriage and family. Annual events include retreats for both men and women, a spring inter-congregational men’s breakfast, a mother-daughter banquet, and a Thanksgiving dinner for the seniors prepared by the youth. Once a month there is Sunday evening “Praise and Palate” devoted to singing followed by a shared meal. Signing for the deaf is now offered during morning worship. In 1996 Southside hosted the national Restoration Forum. Because church membership was more scattered, in 1992 mid-week Bible studies were begun in the homes of member in addition to the class at the church building.

Beginning in the fall of 1994 Southside experienced a period of rapid growth. Some people moved in, others transferred from area congregations, and an increasing number of local people were converted. 21 were baptized in 1999. Sunday morning worship climbed over 200 in 1996 and reached a high of 310 April 16, 2000. The record Sunday Bible school attendance is 205 on March 11, 2001. The current membership of 215 is drawn from 30 communities in six counties.

Into the Present

The dawn of the 21st century brought changes to Southside. Glenn Hawley, who served as minister of the gospel for ten years moved to Memphis, TN in 2002. He was succeeded by Bobby Valentine who preached for the church through 2006 when he moved to Tucson, AZ. Jeff Hill was chosen to replace him and he continues to present. Daryl Miller, the youth minister requested a change in responsibilities in 2007 and now serves as family life minister. Two elders moved away- Dana McMillion in 2004 and Rodney Windell in 2006- and Bruce Williams was added to the eldership in 2005.

The church's numerical growth in the late 1990's posed overcrowding problems for worship. After careful study it was decided to begin two morning worship services. This continues to the present. While solving this space issue, dual services diminished some of the close fellowship that the church has enjoyed. The church faced the issue of expanding its facilities or seeking property for a new structure. An offer to purchase land in Oak Creek was not accepted and other suitable property has not yet been found. In the meantime, the facilities have been improved with expanded offices, a new library, and an overhead projection system. At it 50th anniversary Southside has about 230 member.

For many years Southside has financially assisted sister congregations, mostly in Wisconsin. Most recently in 2005 a Spanish speaking church was established using our facilities on Sunday afternoons under the leadership of Armando Vasquez. Southside is happy to cooperate with this growing work in the spread of the gospel.

In looking ahead the elders and minister now have an annual planning retreat in November to look to the future and to involve the entire membership in future planning. Additional elders are being sought to share the responsibilities of guiding a growing congregation.