The Illinois State Historical Society has recognized Barrington United Methodist Church (BUMC) as an Illinois Sesquicentennial House of Worship. Churches across the state that have served their congregations continuously for at least 150 years are eligible. The recognition leads to the church’s history being recorded at the Society as well as at the Illinois State Library for use by future researchers.

Sam Oliver, a long-time Barrington resident and BUMC’s historian, explains, “The church was founded shortly after the Blackhawk War by settlers in 1840. The congregation first met in a stone schoolhouse which was located at the corner of Bateman and Algonquin Roads.   Growth required more space so subsequently larger buildings were needed. By 1930 the congregation was housed in its fourth church building, a classic landmark structure at 310 Hough Street, but this building burned in 1998 and a new church was constructed south of town. Coincidently, our current church building is not far from the site of our first church building, built in 1853." 

The current church building is on 24-acres at 98 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, on the southeast corner of Rt. 59 and Algonquin Road. The first gathering of settlers is a far cry from the current congregation, which benefits from a modern building and full schedule of worship (both traditional and contemporary), faith development, and community outreach opportunities.  

Volunteers working in the church’s community garden raised nearly 40,000 pounds of vegetables for local food pantries this year. United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, Women of the Word, and the Centering Prayer group provide multiple opportunities for adult small group study. Mission projects include strong links with Carpentersville Community Meals, the Northern Illinois Food Bank, FISH, Kids Above All (formerly Childserv), PADS, the Ottawa-Barrington Growing Project, and other critically important organizations.

The church engages all ages from the Noah’s Ark Christian Academy Pre-school to God Squad, with activities for teens and young adults.

The mission of the Illinois State Historical Society is to foster awareness, understanding, research, preservation, and recognition of history in Illinois. Founded in 1899 to support the Illinois State Historical Library, the Society is a not-for-profit organization that depends solely on membership dues, gifts, bequests, and foundation grants to support, preserve, and disseminate the story of Illinois and its people.