Quick Facts
Founded
1985
Denomination
National Baptist / former SBC
Service Times
Sunday mornings (see website)
Men's Ministry
No
Kids Ministry
Yes
Pastor Credentials
PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
Not stated on available sources — verify in person. No formal statement of faith visible; sermon on 'The Authority Of Scripture' (Matthew 5:17-20) signals biblical-authority posture.
Caution
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Departed the SBC with PBC in 2024 over women pastors; openly affirms egalitarian ecclesiology.
WARNING!
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
Not mentioned on visible pages. Site references 'Prime Time Ministry,' 'Care Ministry,' 'Marriage Table,' 'Black Boy Lit' initiative, but no dedicated men's ministry.
WARNING!
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Not stated on available sources — verify in person. No salvation statement on homepage.
Caution
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Endorses women preachers/pastors; left SBC on this exact issue.
Egalitarian — women preachers and pastors affirmed.
Disqualifier
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Egalitarian leadership model post-SBC departure.
WARNING!
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Liberation-influenced preaching.
WARNING!
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Social-gospel emphasis.
Caution
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Heavy social-justice and racial-reconciliation frame; community-organizing model.
Disqualifier
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
Ex-SBC over egalitarian question; dually NBC-aligned.
Disqualifier
Assessment
Salem Baptist, historically led by James Meeks and now by Charlie Dates, is the megachurch sister of Progressive Baptist Chicago and left the SBC alongside PBC in 2024 over women in the pastorate. It openly affirms women preachers and leans into social-justice framing. A historically influential Black church, but the combination of explicit egalitarianism and liberationist cultural categories disqualifies it theologically.
#salem-baptist#charlie-dates#ex-sbc#egalitarian#social-justice-gospel#black-baptist#chicago
Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes
Dr. Charlie E. Dates famously announced the church's disaffiliation from the SBC in 2023 over the Saddleback/women-pastors vote; the church now operates outside SBC. 'Black Boy Lit' initiative suggests racial-identity programming consistent with prog-Baptist posture. Black rating appears warranted on social-identity trajectory.
These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.
-
[1] Live source
salemchicago.org
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
10909 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60628
Facebook
Visit Their Website