Roland Manor Baptist Church

This article was written by Frank Borror of the East Peoria Historical Society in 2019. Used with permission.

The Ro-land Manor Baptist Church is a member of The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), a Christian denomination based in the United States with more than 15 million members. Southern Baptist churches are evangelical in doctrine and practice. As they emphasize the significance of the individual conversion experience, which is affirmed by the person having complete immersion in water for a believer's baptism, they reject the practice of infant baptism.

The Sunnyland church was organized on July 10, 1949, in front of a tent on Sundoer Grade School grounds by eight charter members. The following day, at a business meeting, the name Ro-Land Manor Baptist Church was adopted. The name was derived from a combination of the words Robein, Sunnyland and Beverly Manor, the three largest subdivisions in the area. Rev. Williams was called as a pastor and seven days later members voted to lease the non-denominational Gospel Church building. In January 1950 the congregation moved to 212 Albert St. The church purchased two acres of ground at 2433 Washington Road and incorporated on June 27, 1951. In February 1952 the congregation began meeting at 213 Stahl St. A 30' x 50' block building was built on the Washington Road lot and dedicated Oct. 19, 1952. In January 1957 the church voted to construct a parsonage and new sanctuary.

The parsonage was started August 1957 and finished February 1958 and the new sanctuary dedicated on March 24, 1959. Needing more class space, the congregation purchased what was referred to as the "church annex" at the corner of Stahl Street and Washington Road. This property was sold in 1963 to help defray the cost of an addition dedicated May 31, 1964. In September 1966, two additional lots were purchased and the church property and annexed to the City of East Peoria in December. In 1979, the parsonage was sold, and the old youth building demolished in preparation for a new building. Following difficulties with the first contractor, the new building was dedicated Sept. 7, 1980.

The Ro-land Manor congregation has always been devoted to local missionary work. In 1960 the congregation sponsored a mission church in Rome, Illinois, that became Rome Baptist Church. In 1978, Church members opted to sponsor the Meta-Hills Chapel in the Metamora-Germantown Hills area. Two years later the church purchased the Christian Union Church building for Meta-Hills Chapel and the Chapel later became Metamora Baptist Church. In 1993, the congregation sponsored a missionary church in Galesburg.