Dispatches: The Changing American Dream

Where One Church Fades, Another Branches Out

University Bible Fellowship expands into Whitefish Bay, taking over the 75-year-old building formerly occupied by Roundy Memorial Baptist Church, which disbanded in November due to dwindling membership.

Seventy-four years of faith and fellowship at Roundy Memorial Baptist Church in Whitefish Bay dwindled to nothing on Nov. 27, 2011. For years the elderly congregants passed away, moved into nursing homes and became too frail to support either the volunteer functions of a church community or the pragmatic responsibilities of maintaining the building. Down to just 22 members, it finally became clear the church could not continue so the remaining worshipers conducted one last service in the building the Roundy family constructed in 1937. They reminisced and sang their favorite songs with piano and violin accompaniment. "It was just a beautiful service," said Jo Ellen Witt, the church’s last pastor. "I think the mood was people knew it had to …

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Uncertain Future at Roundy Memorial Baptist Church

Nearly 75-year-old building on Hampton Avenue has been for sale for months.

Roundy Memorial Baptist Church has a long history on Hampton Avenue in Whitefish Bay, but its future is less certain. The church building at 1250 E. Hampton Road has been listed with a real estate agent since April. Sara Miller, the moderator of the congregation, said the church is selling the building because the congregation is not large enough to support the upkeep of the building. Miller said the future of the congregation is uncertain. In a church newsletter available online, Rev. Jo Ellen Witt said the future is not a positive image. "The one thing I can tell you is that most of us have arrived at another stage, having moved from a state of denial toward the reality of what that sale will mean to us individually and as a congregation…

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