Sanctuary Angels

Fourteen carved angels, each more than seven feet high, top the piers along the north and south aisles. Each of the angels is unique; many of them celebrate with instruments of praise.

These kneeling angels grace the roof supports on the colorful arches far above the pews; eight motifs are repeated four times each. Like all of the painting in the sanctuary, they were executed under the direction of famed Chicago muralist Frederick Clay Bartlett.

This carved wooden angel appears at the base of the organ case above the choir loft.     Delicately painted canvases bridge the arches over the north and south aisles and the balconies.

Ministers’ Seats in the Chancel

These carved armrests appear on the ministers’ seats, each depicting one of God’s creatures.

The needlepoint cushions in the chancel, as well as the chancel panels and cross, are the handiwork of Morgan Simmons, a member of this congregation and organist and choirmaster of Fourth Church from 1968 to 1996. Approximately 1,925,000 stitches are represented in these works. Central to each of the upper and lower chancel cushions is a religious symbol surrounded by clusters of grapes, which echo the motif found in many of the chancel and pulpit carvings and in the stained glass windows.