OUR HISTORY

In 1920, a small band of determined Disciples of Christ, heeded the Biblical mandate to become the ecclesia, the called out, the Church. They decided to be a bright light in this dark world. So, they began a small mission in Phoenix, Illinois. The mission grew and the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church was chartered in 1923 with the Rev. Walter Childs as pastor. Under Pastor Childs’ leadership, the original church, a small frame building was built on 8th Avenue in Phoenix. This was the first Baptist church built in the village; a significant milestone.

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The church began to grow as more families moved to the south suburban areas of Chicago. In June of 1925, the church building was destroyed by fire. However, the Church remained intact. The Church is not a building; the Church is us. Shattered, but not broken, wounded, but not in despair; they did not give up. For even though things looked bleak and dark, they knew that Yahshua is the light that shines in darkness. So, they dried their tears, strengthened their resolve, pooled their resources and began to walk by faith. The new church home was moved to 15211 Fifth Avenue.

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After Pastor Childs’ tenure as pastor ended, New Covenant went through an unsettling period where the church had three pastors in three years. First, in 1932 Pastor S. Sulls. Second, in 1933, Pastor John West. Next, Pastor J.B. Whittaker served from 1933 until 1942.

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The small band of believers petitioned the Throne of Grace for a leader. On the second Sunday in May 1942, the Rev. A.H. Hester preached his first sermon here at New Covenant to a congregation of 28 members. In 1943, he became the pastor. A visionary in his own right, Pastor Hester and the members purchased land for the new building. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 28, 1947. In 1949, excavation began for the new building. As the new edifice was being built, the church membership and ministries continued to grow. Finally, on March 25, 1951, a very proud Pastor Hester led the marching saints of Yah into the new building. It should be noted that in 1951 the NCMBC Credit Union was organized. In 1954, a community newspaper, the New Covenant Gazette, was formed. This newspaper was later known as the Voice of New Covenant. In 1957, the church building was renovated and dedicated. In 1972, a daycare center was established. Many improvements were made, many ministries were added, and many souls were saved under the leadership of Pastor Hester. On January 27, 1980, Pastor Hester was called from labor to rest after serving 38 years as pastor. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works follow them.” Rev.14:13b NKJV

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The search for a new pastor did not take long and they didn’t have to look far, because in their midst was a young preacher by the name of Richard D. McCreary, II. This young man was already teaching, preaching, and letting the marvelous light of Father Yah shine through him. On June 20, 1980, Richard D. McCreary, II, PhD was installed as pastor of New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church. This dynamic young man has become a seasoned pastor after more than 40 years as leader. Under Pastor McCreary’s leadership, many physical improvements have been made, including:

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• Remodeling the sanctuary and the fellowship hall

• Adding the educational wing

• Resurfacing the exterior of the church building

• New elevator installed.

• Waterproofing the north side of the church building

• Purchasing new state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment with the capacity to stream live.

• Launching a new website

• Currently developing a church app

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Pastor McCreary has added several ministries. Among them are:

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• RDM Praise Dancers

• Chat and Chew

• R. D. McCreary Scholarship Board

• Health Ministry

• Greeter’s Ministry

• Girlfriends and God

• Mighty Pillars of Christ Christian Fraternity

• Rafiki Christian Sorority

 

Pastor McCreary’s compelling teaching and preaching has produced several sons and daughters in the ministry. Among them are:

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• Min. Jerry Williams preached his trial sermon on August 18, 1985, and was licensed to preach.

• Min. Freida Carraway Peed preached her trial sermon on June 12,1994 and was licensed to preach.

• Min. Nellie Patrice Sims preached her trial sermon on November 16, 1997, and was licensed to preach. On November 27, 2005, she was ordained as a minister of the gospel.

• Min. Brandon Turner preached his trial sermon in July 2004 and was licensed to preach. On June 26, 2020, he was ordained a minister of the gospel.

• Min. Eron Evans preached his trial sermon March 3, 2019, and was licensed to preach.

• Min. Kevin Perkins preached his trial sermon April 7, 2019, and was licensed to preach.

• Min. Jalen Vernon preached his trial sermon on June 23, 2019, and was licensed to preach.

 

No history of New Covenant would be complete without mentioning the Rev. William Carraway, Associate Pastor. He was licensed to preach in 1979 by Pastor Hester. No one can deny the magnitude of Pastor Carraway’s influence on and contributions to the church in general and Pastor McCreary specifically. His faithfulness, leadership, and scholarship are well documented. He left an indelible mark here that can never be erased. He was truly an Aaron to Pastor McCreary’s Moses; helping to hold up Pastor’s arms when he was burdened. They were friends, confidants and brothers. On October 7, 2018, Pastor Carraway went home to be with the Lord. He is forever loved and forever missed.

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Dr. McCreary is one of the greatest teachers/preachers of this current age. In 1986, he founded the New Covenant Christian Academy (NCCA) which educated children in grades PreK3 through high school. At NCCA, Dr. McCreary served as Executive Director until the academy closed in 2021.He also organized the Theological Institute with classes at all levels. Laypersons as well as clergy, are taught the unadulterated word of Father Yah. As pastor, he continues to call sinners from darkness into the marvelous light. Dr. McCreary has been recognized as an expert on the Black presence in the Bible. He is a popular lecturer on this topic. On August 17, 2019, we held a remarkably successful conference at the Tinley Park Convention Center entitled, “Reclaiming Our Biblical Heritage”, featuring noted author, Mr. Ronald Dalton, Jr. In September of 2019, Dr. McCreary and his wife, Dr. Barbara McCreary and Min. Eron Evans traveled to Kenya on an extraordinary missionary journey. The experiences they had there emphasized the need of global education on Black Biblical Heritage. It also informed us of the need to support our brothers and sisters in Africa who are not as fortunate as we are.

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On Saturday, November 2, 2019, we began worshipping on the true Sabbath. This caused a major paradigm shift in many people. It upset the status quo of those who are in darkness and denial of who they really are: true Israel.

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In March 2020 the COVID19 pandemic caused our church to worship virtually for two years. We took that time to meditate and reflect on the lessons Father Yah was teaching us. We used those lessons to inform us how we should conduct worship and ministry in this present age. Therefore, we remain: God Focused, Bible Focused, Character Focused, Enabling Focused, and Balanced Focused.