Quick Facts
Founded
September 10, 1950 (founded by Rev. Dr. Clay Evans with 5 founding members)
Denomination
National Baptist Convention USA / National Missionary Baptist Convention of America (Black Baptist tradition)
Service Times
Sunday 8:00 AM, 10:45 AM, 1:15 PM
Men's Ministry
No
Kids Ministry
Yes
Pastor Credentials
Baptist minister; successor to founding pastor Rev. Dr. Clay Evans
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
Orthodox Christology presumed per historic Black Baptist tradition.
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Baptist Scripture-authority framework; specific inerrancy stance not surfaced.
Caution
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
Not surfaced on fetched pages.
Caution
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Baptist credo-baptismal soteriology per historic tradition.
Caution
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Black Baptist polity varies on women in ministry; stance not surfaced on fetched pages.
Caution
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Rev. Charles Jenkins as Senior Pastor since Evans retirement Dec. 8, 2000.
Caution
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Three-service Sunday schedule indicates active preaching/worship tradition.
Caution
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Founding-board home of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.'s Operation Breadbasket / Operation PUSH / Rainbow Coalition.
Strong
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Historic civil-rights-era church ("the Ship"); hosted MLK during Chicago Movement.
Caution
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
Historic Black Missionary Baptist tradition; precise convention affiliation requires per-congregation verification.
Caution
Assessment
Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church Chicago — known affectionately as "the Ship" — was founded September 10, 1950 by Rev. Dr. Clay Evans (1925-2019), the gospel-and-civil-rights legend whose ministry launched the careers of more than 90 ministers, including Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., who was ordained at Fellowship in 1968. Evans opened the church's doors to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Chicago Freedom Movement and helped Jackson launch Operation Breadbasket and later Operation PUSH/Rainbow Coalition from this congregation. Evans served as founding National Board Chairman of Rainbow PUSH 1971-1976. Rev. Charles Jenkins succeeded Evans as Senior Pastor after Evans's December 8, 2000 retirement. Listed for civic/political/civil-rights historical significance.
MOOP Engagement Tracker
How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:
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Researched church website
Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes
Live-fetched https://fellowshipchicago.com/meet-reverend-clay/ on 2026-05-16 — confirmed Rev. Charles Jenkins as current Senior Pastor (Evans successor), Rev. Dr. Clay Evans as founding pastor (1950-2000), 4543 S. Princeton Ave address, three-service Sunday schedule. Jesse Jackson 1968 ordination at Fellowship per Wikipedia Clay Evans article and Chicago Public Library Rev. Clay Evans Archive (chipublib.org/fa-rev-clay-evans-archive). Precise Baptist convention affiliation (NBC USA vs. NMBCA vs. Progressive National Baptist Convention) not surfaced — needs review.
No URL sources recorded for this church. Rating based on denominational defaults and/or directory-level metadata.
Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.
Last reviewed:
2026-05-16
— Annual review recommended
4543 S. Princeton Ave., Chicago, IL 60609
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