Stratford Park is a friendly, family-oriented church that takes seriously our call to be God’s light in a dark world. We believe in the power of demonstrating God’s love through the care that we show for one another. We also believe in taking the gospel out into the world— making disciples through the proclamation of his Word.

2801 West Kirby Avenue
Champaign, IL 61821217-356-5341
[email protected]

Stratford Park Bible Chapel is an independent evangelical church with about 250 members. We try to emphasize several important aspects of church fellowship. These are: a weekly remembrance service in which we proclaim the finished work of Christ on the cross, strong expository Bible teaching, a warm fellowship where each member is encouraged to use their spiritual gifts, leadership through a plurality of elders, active evangelism, and grace. If any, or all of these priorities strike a chord with you we would gladly welcome your visit.

Our Beliefs

Stratford Park Bible Chapel is a vibrant and dynamic church with a wide representation of ages and backgrounds and is characterized by a warm and friendly congregation. As an independent church we are fully autonomous, conservative in our orientation, and strongly evangelical. A very Bible-centered fellowship, we have a long tradition of strong biblical exposition.Our foundation and strength is in the Word of God- we look to the Word as our sole guide in all matters of faith and practice. That may be a pious sounding statement, but at Stratford Park it’s also a working reality. We strive in all things to follow clear biblical principles and to avoid traditionalism and legalism. Even our self understanding as a church is derived from the Word.The church is not viewed as an organization or a man-made entity. It can not be associated with any particular denomination; rather it is a living organism. The true church is comprised of all those who have a life-giving relationship with God through the death and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. A local church is merely a gathering of true believers who come together as a visible expression of the body of Christ. Our fellowship is shaped by this understanding.At Stratford Park we strive not to please men, but to graciously represent Christ in our community. God has called us to be his ambassadors; he has charged us with the task of representing Him in this world. It is an awesome responsibility and privilege; therefore our goal is to obey our Lord and to do what he’s asked. That means sharing the gospel, evangelizing, making disciples, encouraging one another, being accountable, being trained in righteousness, studying the Word, worship, fellowship, praise, and prayer. We gather for all these purposes with the understanding that this ministry is the responsibility of the body as a whole. Each member is gifted, valuable, and has a role to play.If you are looking for a serious and dynamic church, to fellowship where the Word is held high, and every member is encouraged to grow in grace, then please come and visit with us.

Being a part of the fellowship of Christians here is not contingent on commitment to every detail of this Statement of Faith, but adherence to the principal doctrines of the Christian faith will be assumed. Those who engage in any teaching or counseling ministry on behalf of the church are expected to teach positively and wholeheartedly, the beliefs to which this church is committed as expressed below. These beliefs are based on the Bible, as indicated by the references accompanying each section.

  • The Bible is verbally inspired of God, inerrant in the original documents, and of final authority in all matters of faith and practice, and the all sufficient guide for the Christian life. (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21)

  • There is one God, who is the creator of all things. He is a spirit who is infinitely perfect, holy, and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 145:8; Malachi 3:6; John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 4:8,11)

  • The Lord Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary in his incarnation. He lived a sinless life and died as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. The sinner finds in Christ a substitute, and a representative who forever pleads his blood for our justification. He rose bodily from the dead, and ascended to his Father’s right hand, where he now intercedes as our High Priest. (Matthew 1:18–25; John 1:1,14; Romans 1:2–4; 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; 1 Peter 2:22; 3:18; 1 John 3:5; 5:20)

  • Each member of the human race is fallen, sinful and lost. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of man. Redemption is wholly by the blood of Christ, and salvation is by grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Every true child of God possesses eternal life and is saved for all eternity. (John 3:3–5; Romans 3:10,23; 5:12,19; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:4–7)

  • Each believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who seals him until the day of redemption. He guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for godly living, and spiritual service. (John 14:16–17, 26; 16:7–14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:11; Galatians 5:22,23)

  • The Lord Jesus will come personally in the air for all believers at the close of this age. His coming is both pre-millenial and imminent. (Matthew 24:4–44; John 14:2–3; Romans 11:25 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17; Revelation 19:11–16)

  • The saved and the unsaved will be raised bodily. The saved will be raised to everlasting blessedness, and the lost will be raised to everlasting conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19–31; 23:39–43; John 3:36; 5:24–29; 1 Corinthians 15:12–58; 2 Thessalonians 1:6–10)

  • The Church universal is not an organization, but a living organism, known as the body of Christ. The local church is composed of believers in any locality, who gather in Christ’s name as a corporate testimony to the Lordship of Christ and to the oneness of the body of Christ. Since the body is one, the Lord’s people should avoid being sectarian in spirit and practice. (Acts 2:42–47; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 12:12–27; Ephesians 1:22; 4:13; Colossians 1:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24–25)

Services

Communion Service – 9:00 am

This weekly communion service is central to our worship. We come on the first day of the week to break bread in remembrance of Christ. It is a humbling experience but one that helps us to focus on what’s really essential: Jesus died for me and I am called to live in obedience to him and in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Christian Education (10:00 am during school year)

Sunday School is an important ministry for most churches and SPBC is no exception. In fact, we like Sunday School so much we offer it for everyone, adults included. Children receive a strong Bible based curriculum and adults always have a theology or Bible book option to consider. Our program is offered during the school year (between labor day and memorial day).

Community Bible Hour – 11:00 am (10:30 during summer)

This conventional preaching and worship service is given over to the proclamation of God’s Word and the encouragement of praise. We favor Biblical exposition, which means preaching through entire books of the Bible and our pulpit is open; we allow a variety of men to share from God’s word.Live services and recordings are available via our Church Center site or YouTube.

Elders

Justin Langley has served churches in northeast Texas and rural western New York in pastoral ministry and began serving Stratford Park as a teaching elder in July of 2025. He delights to see God's Spirit use God's Word to grow God's people, and he enjoys studying and preaching the Bible to see and to show how it all fits together as a beautiful tapestry, painting a picture of Jesus and what he's done to save sinners. Along with his wife, Tamara, and their daughter, Eliana, Justin enjoys quality time with people--which might include watching a movie, discussing a book, or just being present and listening.

Jeremy Sander has been serving as a teaching elder at Stratford Park since 2011. He and his wife Janelle live in Champaign with their 3 school-age children. Jeremy has a passion for preaching the word of God, and also enjoys visiting with the elderly, as well as counseling with those in need. His favorite food is lasagna, with chocolate peanut butter ice cream being a close second!

Mike McQueen has been serving on the elder board for the last four years after coming to Stratford Park in 2014. He and his wife, Gwynne have been missionaries to the Chinese community at UIUC and central Illinois for the last 37 years. They have 5 children, 4 grandchildren, 5 grand-cats and 3 grand-dogs.

Nathan Tolbert has lived in Champaign-Urbana since coming to college in the late 90's (other than 2 years spent in southern China), and has been part of Stratford Park since 2006. His day job involves writing software to support scientific computing at the university. He, his wife Sara, and four kids love making music and playing family games.

Darrel Rice is part of a farm family from Philo who have been attending the Chapel for 50 years now (4 generations). He and his wife Regina have 5 children and 13 grandchildren, most of whom attend SPBC with them. They love the Bible-centered teaching and the communion service devoted to worship and sharing.

Rob Eden and his wife Shannon have been long-time Stratford attendees with their three children. He works as a software developer by day and can often be found working with computers or sound equipment around the chapel. Sometimes you can also find him on the other side of the microphones, playing bass guitar on stage. Rob loves discussing a good book with his Wednesday lunch group and is usually not too far away from a C.S. Lewis quotation.

Eric Seward has served on the Stratford Elder Board for nearly twenty years. It has been a privilege serving the Strat body with his brothers.
He and his wife Joy, minister to internationals on college campuses. Eric also reaches out to men in the community through a mentorship outreach called MAN2MAN.
He and his wife raised three children together and now enjoy 5 grandchildren.

Deacons

Ted Myhre has served this church body or others under various hats: deacon; junior church, Sunday School, & VBS teacher to name just a few. Ted and his wife Willow have four grown children: Mark, Joe (and his wife Cede), Christian, and Tina. Outside of his professional, civic, church, and family roles, Ted enjoys his hobbies like skiing, golfing, antique tractors, trucks, trains, and trolleys.

Jacob Rice has been serving as a deacon at SPBC since 2023. When he’s not deaconing, he enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids, and working as a self-employed carpenter. Having grown up at Stratford Park Bible Chapel, he considers it a great honor to serve on the deacon board.

Nate Mercier has been calling Stratford Park Bible Chapel his home church for about 20 years now. He was asked to serve as a Deacon just over 12 years ago. He loves the Biblical truth that is taught here and enjoys the fellowship and welcoming atmosphere at Stratford. He and his wife Jessica have been married since 2013 and have two wonderful and energetic kids. In his spare time, he enjoys being outdoors, cooking, hunting, and taking road trips with the family.

Rodney Mueller and his wife, Linnea, have been active at SPBC since 2004, most visibly in music ministry. He spent 37 years teaching strings/orchestra in public schools and at a Bible College. It was shortly after his retirement in 2015 that he was asked to be a Deacon. His favorite role as a Deacon is snow removal. God has blessed them with four children and now 9+ grandchildren.

Caleb Rice grew up on his family's farm outside Philo. He is currently a Patrol Sergeant for the Champaign Police Department, and also serves as a SWAT operator and a sniper. He is known around the police department for having a good attitude and having way too much energy! He is married to a beautiful, godly woman (Sabrina) and they have three beautiful daughters: Ruby, Haven, and Selah. His hobbies include sports (watching and playing), working out/exercise, anything outdoors, and playing with his girls.

Benjamin Rice was raised at Stratford Park Bible Chapel, where he has been faithfully serving Christ and fellowshipping with others for 30 years. He is a dedicated farmer, a devoted husband to his wife, Savannah, and a loving father to their three children, with a fourth blessing on the way. Grounded in his Christian faith, Benjamin is committed to living out God's word, serving his church, and leading his family.

Phil Gramly hails from Kansas and moved to Illinois after college. He does computer system administration and some programming. He met his wife, Ramona, shortly after they both moved to the Champaign area in 1987. They have lived in Sadorus for 20 years and raised their 5 children there. They returned to Champaign in 2013 and feel like it is home - they enjoy the hubbub of this vibrant city.

Brian and Elaine Chaille are long time members of Stratford Park. They have two adult sons, Gabe (married artist blacksmith/welder) and Christian (studying anthropology). Elaine is the secretary at Urbana Theological Seminary (UTS) and Brian is a Civil Engineer. Brian and Elaine enjoy taking classes at UTS as well as learning how to restore the native ecosystems of their 7 acres of oak savanna. You should invite yourself to their home north of Dewey sometime, especially in the spring of fall!

Children's Ministry Director

Sara Tolbert loves kids! She started as Director of Children's Ministry in 2021, and has taught Sunday School at Stratford since 2007. She strives to join parents in educating Strat Kids with a solid Biblical foundation for a lifelong relationship with Jesus. She lives in Champaign with her husband, 4 kids, and cat, Bumi. She spends her spare time (ha!) with her family, and enjoys singing, dancing, and musicals.

Secretary

Kayla Wester moved to the Champaign area with a good friend in late 2021 (and began attending SPBC at that time). She began serving as the Chapel's Secretary in 2024 and hopes to be Jesus' hands and feet to the SPBC community and beyond. When she isn't at the chapel you can find her reading, writing, crafting, or hiking with her dog.
Don't hesitate to reach out if there's something you need!

Ministries

men

The purpose of the men's ministry at Stratford is that we would be a community of men cultivating & sharing a love for God above all else.We accomplish this through a variety of activities throughout the year.- men's breakfast (the second Saturday of every month during the school year)
- men's small group studies (happens in the fall and spring)
- social events (card nights, sporting events)
- outdoor adventures (canoe trips, camping trips)If you would like more information, email Jeremy Sander at [email protected]

stratgals

This ministry focuses on the women in the chapel and how they can be serving the Lord and their families. Called StratGALS, they meet monthly for a time of fellowship and camaraderie. They also do several service projects through out the year.
For more information you can subscribe online at https://spbc.churchcenter.com/groups/community.

children

Our Mission is to encourage children to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and to begin the lifelong process of growing in that relationship by teaching them the Bible narrative and encouraging them to develop godly character through engaging, solid Bible study.

youth group

SPBC Youth Group is the most amazing place for high-school-aged students to engage in fellowship, fun, and Gospel-centered teaching! (And snacks). We enjoy learning each week about God’s design and purpose for our lives, while also sharpening up dodgeball skills and possibly even bowling with donuts, from time to time. We believe in loving God, loving others, and investing in encouragement and growth together.For our youth in 7th to 12th grade. We meet during the week on Wednesdays at 7:30. We have a time of fellowship followed by a teaching time and small groups. We also do service projects and missions trips through out the year.

small groups

In order to be connected as the body of Christ, it is important to be engaged throughout the week, and not just Sunday mornings. This is why we have a small group ministry at the Chapel. We have various small groups that meet throughout the year for the purpose of developing a more close-knit fellowship. If you would be interested in joining a small group, we would be happy to have you participate! Jeremy Sander coordinates the various small groups, and if you would like more information, let him know of your interest.

prayer

Prayer is the most powerful tool we have at our disposal. As Christians we are called to take all our concerns, all our hopes to the Lord in prayer. This is why we have a Prayer Chain email list. This allows us to easily inform our congregation of prayer requests and answered prayers.
Every Wednesday there is an opportunity to join a zoom prayer meeting in which we gather remotely to pray together.

music

Martin Luther once said, “Let God speak directly to His people through the Scriptures, and let His people respond with grateful songs of praise.”
SPBC is a singing congregation. Our Breaking of Bread Service is punctuated with songs chosen by individuals in response to opening thoughts from scripture. Our Community Bible Hour begins with congregational singing, songs that prepare us for the Scripture that follows. Rotating worship teams allow for diversity in style with multiple instrumental accompaniments: piano, orchestral instruments, guitar, and percussion. A Choir often rehearses to sing at Christmas or Easter services. Our song selection spans the centuries, enabling us to worship with the saints of old as well as today.

christian education for all ages

We offer a variety of Sunday School classes for all ages during the second hour of our service (during the school year). One class always focuses on the biblical text and we also offer another class which encourages believers in their walk in multiple ways. These change semester to semester.

faith in action

Our faith in action committee and our church body is committed to fulfilling the Lord's calling... to bring light to the nations. We do this through a variety of service projects and partner with different ministries so we are living out our faith actively.At Stratford Park, we emphasize not only being hearers of the word, but also doers of the word. One of the ways in which this is emphasized is through our Faith in Action committee. The purpose of this committee is to educate our church body about local ministries and facilitate service opportunities, encouraging faith in action through service together.We as a church financially support a variety of local ministries, and most of the service opportunities we organize are in coordination with one of these local ministries.

missions

Paul explains in Romans 10:13-15, with careful and linear logic, that people receive salvation as they call upon and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord. However, in order for people to call upon Jesus, they need someone to come into their lives and explain the gospel of Jesus to them. Yet, such people cannot go and preach without the support of God's people behind them, sending them out to preach.Stratford Park supports 10 State-side (local) missionaries, 8 international missionaries, and 6 ministries. We also have a budget for supporting Stratford Park Bible Chapel short term missions as well, such as spring break and summer mission trips.As a church, we have a goal to maintain about 25% of our budget allocated for missions. This budget includes our monthly giving for our long-standing missionaries that we support as well as an allocation of funds for short term support that arises throughout the year.