Churches near McCormick place are taking steps to deal with the upcoming NATO summit.
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CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports there will be no Sunday services at two historic houses of worship when the summit starts in two weeks.
Expressway closures, street closures, and the potential threat of disruptive demonstrations all weighed into the decision by two historic churches to worship elsewhere on May 20.
At Quinn Chapel AME Church, at 24th Street and Wabash Avenue, African-Americans have been worshiping since 1892. It's the oldest African-American church in the city, but when NATO comes to Chicago in two weeks, the congregation is taking worship to another church.
"We just don't know what's going to happen, so I'd rather be safe and move it for a Sunday, than ... potentially not being able to access the church for service," Quinn Chapel member Tracie Anderson said.
McCormick Place is visible from Quinn Chapel, just two blocks away. That means there's no way the congregation can escape the impact of the summit.
So, on May 20, Quinn Chapel's members will worship at the Wabash YMCA, almost two miles south at 38th Street and Wabash Avenue.
"This allows us the opportunity to go out into the neighborhood, and do some outreach, change the location of our service, and reach some others that are not in our immediate neighborhood," church member Martell Jackson said.
SOURCE: CBS Chicago
