Our History

Early in 1961, a small group of believers, concerned about the lack of an evangelical witness in Barrington, met with a representative of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). They explored the possibility of establishing a church in the area as a "place of fellowship and as a means of proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
In August 1961, the group became the Barrington Evangelical Free Church and called their first pastor. About 44 people regularly attended Sunday morning worship. Also at that time, a Sunday school program was started and a club program for the youth of the church was begun. Emphases in the early church were missions, youth, and teaching and preaching the Word of God.
With exceptional vision, the church decided in 1965 to buy about five acres on Main Street and proceed with a building project. In 1967 the completed church was renamed Village Church of Barrington. A gym and high school meeting rooms were built in 1969 to accommodate the large numbers of youth who were being touched by the ministry of the church. The building of a new sanctuary to seat 500 was begun in 1975. Several other remodeling and building programs have been completed since then. The gym/multi-purpose room, high school youth rooms, kitchen, elevator, classrooms, and bathrooms serve the many ministries of the church well.
Our congregation mirrors the communities of Chicago's northwest suburbs and most of our congregation have professed faith in Christ, are involved in church activities, and have been here at least three years. Average weekend attendance in our worship services is 600. Village Church of Barrington continues to be the evangelical witness that its founders desired. The impact of our ministry is felt locally, regionally, and globally.