Groundbreaking set for Tuesday on rebuild of historic Englewood church destroyed in fire

More than two years after a historic South Side church burned down, ground will be broken Tuesday on a new worship center.

In 2022, the Rev. Gerald Dew had just returned home from leading a noon Good Friday service at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church when he recieved a call that the building was on fire.

When he arrived at the scene, Dew spotted black smoke coming from the roof and knew that the damage was serious.

The entire building had to be demolished, but Dew was adamant about rebuilding in the same location to continue to serve the church community.

For more than two years, Dew and the church's board of trustees have focused on planning, raising funds and getting the appropriate permits to build a new church.

Church leaders hoped construction would begin in April but encountered delays.

Now, after endless calls and meetings, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at 63rd Street and Stewart Avenue.

"As soon as we do the ceremony, the machines will start digging to begin the building to raise our new worship center," Dew said.

The fire was sparked by a propane torch that was being used by roofers working on the building at 63rd Street and Stewart Avenue.

The new building will be three times the size of the original building and will include a worship center and an empowerment center.

The 33,000-square-foot-plus building will not only house a worship area but also a youth center, gym, banquet hall, cafeteria, computer lab, classrooms and meeting spaces.

The church "will be a safe space, a welcoming space, a space where people can come to not only do self improvement, but also manage their spirituality and meet God," Dew said.

Construction will take between 12 and 14 months to complete, Dew said.

Insurance has paid out $10.5 million for the rebuild, and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has given $4 million specifically for the empowerment center, Dew said.

Church leaders are accepting donations to reopen their doors debt-free but still need more than $3 million to meet their goal.

The South Side church is well known in political circles. The former pastor, the Rev. Wilbur N. Daniel, was friendly with the Daley family, and was president of the Police Board. Throughout its history the church has been committed to social justice and began investing in fair housing initiatives in the 1960s.

The church will celebrate its 100-year anniversary in February.