General Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, 7429 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL 60714, US

Nicknamed "The Country Church," the First Baptist Church of Niles building got its start in 1870, when Niles was just a few country farms. At that time, it was called the English church, to differentiate it in an area of primarily German-speaking settlers. Rev. Roger McManus started the current church in 1965 and remains the pastor. Rita McManus, his wife, is the pianist. The original church was about a third the size of the current church. The congregation remodeled the building and put on an addition in 1976. If you're inside the church and look closely at the ceiling line, a small bump about two-thirds of the way from the front indicates where the addition was put on. The original church encompassed only about one third--the back portion--of the current church. A curtain on the right side of the sanctuary covers a baptistery, which can contain several adults for immersion baptism. The McManuses say the congregation contains seniors, young families with children and everything in between. A children's church is held downstairs during services for pre-schoolers, school-age kids and teens.