Reverend P.T. Tyson was the founding Pastor of First Baptist Church in July of 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression. Although attendance remained low for a few years, God gave him the strength to continue and the church eventually thrived. Unfortunately, he was called home in the year 1943.

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Reverend Cornelius Lemon became pastor in the year 1946. Under his leadership, church services were able to be heard over the radio and Pastor Lemon led a prayer segment on the first all-negro radio show created by the first African-American radio disc jockey.

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Highlighted, Pastor Lemon's radio segment. - Image Obtained from Chicago History Museum Archives

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