About Us > History

In the early 1970’s the Austin community on Chicago’s far west side was in the midst of major transition.  The neighborhood’s white residents were fleeing the area as African-Americans moved further west into Austin.  Real estate values were plummeting, community services were disappearing, drugs and prostitution were becoming commonplace. 

At the same time a group of twenty-something’s from a racially diverse urban church were hearing the Lord call them to take some radical action. Called to live out their faith in a new way, they formed an intentional Christian community, Austin Community Fellowship, with shared resources and a shared vision to impact a declining community with God’s love.  Circle Urban Ministries (originally Circle Community Center) was born after about a year of their arrival in Austin as an outreach arm of Circle Church and led by Glen Kehrein.

We began in 1974 in a storefront with a drop-in youth center. Soon joining Glen were professionals from the Austin Fellowship who started other arms of the ministry. A social worker opened a counseling center. A lawyer started a legal clinic. A doctor started a medical clinic.  In 1975 Circle Church purchased a former Catholic rectory so that the fledgling ministry could have space to grow.

The ministry took a major step in 1983 when we joined in a faith-and-works partnership with newly planted Rock of our Salvation Evangelical Free Church.