First Baptist Church of Chicago

On October 19, 1833, a small group of believers gathered together to establish the First Baptist Church of Chicago. This makes it the oldest Baptist church in the city. They first met in a humble two-story frame building owned by the Methodists at Wacker Drive and Franklin Street. Did you know that First Baptist Church of Chicago is actually older than the city itself? Chicago was incorporated as a town a year later in 1833. Throughout its long history, the First Baptist Church of Chicago relocated several times. One of its former buildings is now located at the corner of 31st and King Drive. Today, it serves as the home of Olivet Baptist Church. First Baptist Church of Chicago played a significant role in resettling Japanese Americans in the Hyde Park-Kenwood area following World War II. Reverend Jitsuo Morikawa played a pivotal role in this effort. He served as Assistant Pastor and later became the first Japanese American to lead a Euro-American congregation as pastor. The church also welcomed its first African-American members under his leadership. Reverend Morikawa left First Baptist in 1955 to serve as Director of Evangelism for the American Baptist Church USA from 1956 to 1966. Over the years, First Baptist Church of Chicago has consistently nurtured new church leaders. As a testament to its commitment to mission, First Baptist Church of Chicago has facilitated annual youth mission trips. These journeys have taken young members and their chaperones to a variety of destinations. These include Charleston, West Virginia. Fairbanks, Alaska. Estes Park, Colorado. Santiago, Cuba. Junction, Jamaica. North Eleuthra, Bahamas. and the lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. The church has also partnered with international congregations. In 2009, seventeen members traveled to Limon, Costa Rica, to assist the First Baptist Church there with a Vacation Bible School program and community cleanup project. And in 2017, the church sent a delegation to Havana, Cuba, to support Iglesia Bautista El Jordan with their Vacation Bible School and to celebrate the medical school graduation of one of their own members, Dr. Jontay Darko. Today, the First Baptist Church of Chicago stands as a testament to the enduring power of faith and community. It has witnessed and participated in the growth and transformation of one of America’s greatest cities. We can only imagine the stories these walls could tell.