CHICAGO, IL (August 30, 2010) – Preparations have been completed for today’s decommissioning service for the building that for 63 years has housed offices of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

The service, which will begin at 3 p.m. CDT, will be broadcast live over the Covenant website. Visit the website home page and click on the live broadcast link for instructions for logging into the broadcast.

The building, located at 5101 North Francisco Avenue, was built in 1947. Last week, workers removed the cornerstone and discovered a metal box inside, which is believed to contain items placed there at the time of the building’s dedication. The box will be opened and the contents revealed during the service.

The service will begin with a welcome by Donn Engebretson, executive vice president, and will include several prayers, scripture readings, and remarks by President Gary Walter and others. Following a Litany of Decommissioning, the service will conclude with a hymn and benediction.

Those interested in following along during the service will want to visit the link to the litany as well as a link to an article written in 1955 by Robert Honnette, who at that time served as executive secretary of the Covenant. It describes a typical day at Covenant offices and is rich with descriptive language from that period.