By Mallory Mankin, Staff Writer
On Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, Christ Presbyterian Church (CPC) held a service in its new building on South Schmale Road. After a three-year search for a better location, CPC’s congregation moved out of the Crossway Publishers building it had been renting into a former medical office in Carol Stream. Many Wheaton students attend the church and are excited about a new place to worship, though getting to services may be harder.
Julia Bubp, a first-year English and economics major, grew up in the PCA tradition and was attracted to CPC for that reason, as well as it being a short walk from campus. However, she has not consistently attended a church that meets in a traditional sanctuary; her home church worships in a local school’s gymnasium.
“It was exciting to see a newly renovated building specifically for the purpose of worship,” she said.
Comparing it to the Crossway building, Bubp was enthusiastic about the opportunities the new building provides. She found the former space cramped and said it was difficult to see at times.
“In the new space, it’s just been lovely to be able to see who’s leading worship, and you can hear everyone so well,” Bubp said.
The history of CPC, a Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) congregation, involves several locations. In 1984, a group of Christians in the Chicago suburbs started a Bible study, meeting in a variety of spaces for 15 years. They first purchased a plot of land in Roselle for the congregation in 1999, known then as Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, and built a permanent building, expanding their reach.
In 2019, Spring Valley Presbyterian Church became Christ Presbyterian Church and opened a second campus in Wheaton, Ill., where a large portion of its congregants lived. They met in Bethany Chapel for approximately a year and then moved into the Crossway building in 2021, a short walk away.
Rev. Jon Nielson, senior pastor of CPC, knew that the Crossway building would not be the church’s location forever. As a Christian publishing office, the building was being used throughout the week and could not offer the congregation many amenities.
“We knew that that was a temporary stop and that we would eventually pursue a permanent home for the church,” Nielson said. “They’ve been incredibly generous with our space, but it’s certainly not a building that we could make full use of during the week for our offices and youth ministry, some of those other things.”
They began the three-year process of finding the perfect location, during which the Wheaton campus established itself as an independent congregation in January 2024. CPC made offers on several different properties before closing on an office building formerly owned by Northwestern Medicine.
The two-story structure needed a year of renovations to convert the space into a church. They remodeled the second floor to make it a sanctuary, with the first floor being a fellowship hall on one side and classrooms and offices on the other.
Other students have also appreciated the upgrade. Junior political science and economics major Graham Flynn noticed the new building was more open and conducive to conversation.
“Everything feels new and pristine, which you don’t need in a church, but it’s nice to have a change,” he said.
However, both Flynn and Bubp were worried about the potential difficulties underclassmen might have getting to church. The Crossway building was a short walk from campus, but the new location is a five-to-seven-minute drive.
Nielson said the college pastor of CPC is in charge of organizing transportation to and from church. They do not have formal shuttles, but are asking congregants to volunteer to give college students transportation, attempting to form a transportation system “organically.”
Other logistical challenges have arisen in the new space, such as organizing communion lines. Even so, the building brings unexpected joys. Having more than just a sanctuary, congregants are able to linger after services, which Flynn feels is cultivating a stronger sense of community.
“I’ve seen more people getting to engage with the church body, which has been awesome,” he said.
