The Evangelical Covenant Church is a rapidly growing denomination with ministries in five continents. With over 125,000 hits per month, the website for the Evangelical Covenant Church of Chicago, IL serves a vast and enthusiastic denomination.

When church staff first recognized the need to upgrade their traditional website to a content management system, they began a long search for a system that could deliver stability, support, and growth. In the second stage of their research, the staff seriously considered the enthusiasm and growth of the open source community. After months of deliberating and comparing content management systems, the church chose WebGUI. Heidi Griepp at the Evangelical Covenant Church said that they liked WebGUI and Plain Black because, while it allowed them to save money by developing the site themselves, support was available when the need arose. She also appreciates WebGUI’s holistic nature. While WebGUI continues to evolve, it is developed with the big picture in mind. There is a systematic logic involved that maintains its effectiveness.

"WebGUI made the job much easier, because of its built in features."

WebGUI quickly proved itself to the Evangelical Covenant Church as staff members began developing the site. The versatility of the Collaboration System, including its calendar, event management, and job list features eliminated the need for a number of custom applications. Site design was easy to develop with the ability to map out navigation and mirror pages throughout different areas of the site. Heidi Griepp says that many of her job fears were alleviated because, “WebGUI made the job much easier, because of its built in features.”

"Support from both the WebGUI community and Plain Black have paved the way for Evangelical Covenant Church's success."

Support from both the WebGUI community and Plain Black has also paved the way for Evangelical Covenant Church’s success. The church purchased Plain Black’s support, and the WebGUI Done Right instructional videos made WebGUI a quick study. Heidi Griepp says she, “was able to watch the instructional videos, and then turn right around and train [her] content management staff.” Staff members from the church have also attended the WebGUI User’s Conference and recommend it to anyone new to WebGUI. Attending technical discussions and making connections with others in the WebGUI community enhanced their understanding of WebGUI and Plain Black’s vision. The active members of the community support boards also continuously provide helpful input.

As the Evangelical Covenant Church continues its mission to serve its denomination, WebGUI continues to serve the church’s diverse needs. WebGUI’s strength in community, development, and support will help this church continue its growth in ministry.