OUR HISTORY
1966: Progressive Missionary Baptist Church was organized under the leadership of Rev. Cecil Hall. Services were held in the basement of Pilgrim Baptist Church.
July 25, 1967: Secretary of State Edgar D. Whitcomb recorded the church’s name as Progressive Free Will Baptist Church. Under the leadership of Rev. Hall, the church purchased a house at 6120 N. Michigan Road.
March 17, 1969: The church was renamed Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Hall resigned as pastor in 1974.
1974: Rev. Nathan Birdsong and Rev. Earlest Birdsong began serving as interim pastors and faithfully served until June 1975.
June 1975: Rev. W. Bernard Minor was installed as Senior Pastor. In 1988, under the leadership of Pastor Minor a church was built on the land at 61st and Michigan Road. Rev. Minor retired in 1993 and served as pastor emeritus until September 1994.
September 1994: Rev. Michael K. Jones was installed as Senior Pastor. Under Pastor Jones’ leadership, the church purchased ten acres of land on W. 59th Street and broke ground on our current building October 15, 2000. Rev. Michael K. Jones served Progressive Baptist Church faithfully until his death on July 26, 2016.
June 24, 2001: Progressive held its first service at 4625 W. 59th Street.
September 23, 2001: 4625 W. 59th Street was dedicated as the Ester L. Springfield Family Life Center.
November 2017: Rev. Frank Alexander began serving as Interim Pastor.
“We’ve Come This Far By Faith”
OUR CHURCH
Our Mission: We are called by God to grow our church by making disciples, ministering to the damaged, meeting the needs of the disenfranchised and modeling Christ in our demeanor.
Our Vision: We will have 500 members who are consistent with their attendance, committed to Christian education and spiritual development, serving in ministry, tithing, and actively involved in evangelism by December 31, 2019.
Our Values:
1. I come to church on time every Sunday and I come to worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
2. I invest in my church by giving a tenth of my income plus an offering to the ministry.
3. I pray daily for my pastor, my church and the lost souls to be saved.
4. I attend bible study and discipleship training regularly to grow in my knowledge and the Word and will of God.
5. I serve in at least one ministry.
6. I share my testimony with and invite others to join me in the newness of life in Christ Jesus.
Prayer for our Pastor: Lord, deliver Our Pastor from the tyranny of the unfinished. Grant him a sense of fulfillment and the personal joy of Jesus (1Tim. 6:6; John 15:11). Amen
Memory Verse: Give and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:38)
