Title Page & Abstract
An Interview with Marlon Young
Part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Tumultuous 2020 Oral History project
Interview # T20-A-L-2021-048
Marlon Young, lead pastor at Morning Glory Community Church, was interviewed on the date listed below as part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library’s Tumultuous 2020 Oral History project.
Interview dates & location:
Date: October 13, 2021 Location: Morning Glory Community Church, Peoria, IL
Interview Format: Digital audio
Interviewer: Amanda Riggenbach, Tumultuous 2020 project manager, ALPLM
Total Time: 1:43 / 1.72 hrs.
Accessioned into the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Archives on December 15, 2021.
The interview is archived at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois.
© 2021 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Abstract
Marlon Young, Tumultuous 2020, T20-A-L-2021-048
Biographical Information/Overview of Interview: Marlon Young was born in 1962 in Peoria, Illinois. He describes his childhood home as the place where all the neighborhood kids flocked to, remembering that his parents would leave the door unlocked on trips so neighborhood children could still get snacks. He attended Manuel High School during a time, Young describes, where progress was being made towards racial equality. A talented football player, he earned a scholarship to Illinois State University. He studied education before leaving to pursue a position with Ameren as an electrician. He describes feeling the call to ministry, but it was not until later that he and his late wife, Kay Young, founded Morning Glory Ministries, while he continued to work as an electrician. The congregation moved into various buildings over the church’s life, all of which they renovated themselves. At the time of this interview, Morning Glory Community Church was housed in the former Twelve Oaks Community Church in Peoria, Illinois.
Currently retired, Young is able to devote all of his time to Morning Glory Community Church. After his wife’s passing, he describes how the entire church went through a period of grieving. He married Zina Young in 2018 and by the end of 2019 and early 2020 he describes how the church went through a season of growth and renewal. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was devastating from the start. While always aware of the danger of the virus, Young was a firm believer that the church should work in tandem with the government to educate the public. Young streamed his services online and encouraged the congregation to follow their instincts, while also inviting them to attend services in person in a way that allowed for social distancing and sanitized pews. Young describes the creative methods the church used to have the most impact, and the process that led to the decision to host a vaccine clinic in 2021.
Subject Headings/Key Words: Morning Glory Community Church; COVID 19 pandemic’s impact on church communities; vaccines; Peoria, Illinois
Notes to the Reader: Readers of the oral history memoir should bear in mind that this is a transcript of the spoken word, and that the interviewer, interviewee and editor sought to preserve the informal, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir, nor for the views expressed therein. We leave these for the reader to judge.
COPYRIGHT
The following material can be used for educational and other non-commercial purposes without the written permission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. “Fair use” criteria of Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 must be followed. These materials are not to be deposited in other repositories, nor used for resale or commercial purposes without the authorization from the Audio-Visual Curator at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, 112 N. 6th Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701. Telephone (217) 785-7955