Our Story

On the warm evening of Friday, July 18, 1969, the seeds of a new congregation were planted. Reverend Zonas L. Dabney gathered a group of faithful believers at the home of Deacon and Mrs. I. W. Cole, located at 3 West 141st Street. That night, twenty-four men and women answered the call and united together as the founding members of South Suburban Missionary Baptist Church.

With characteristic vision and decisiveness, Reverend Dabney made the first appointments that would give the young church its structure and spirit: Deacons Henry Moore, I. W. Cole, and Albert Morrow were installed as the first deacons; Sister Viola Walton was named leader of the Missionary Society; Brother Jesse Gilliam was appointed president of the Choir; Sister Harriet Truitt led the Usher Board; Deacon Cole served as both Sunday School Superintendent and Church Treasurer; Sister Anna DuPree became Financial Secretary; Sister E. Jackson served as Church Clerk; and Sister Colleen Cole was named President of the Pastor’s Aide Board.

Two days later, on Sunday, July 20, 1969, Christ Temple Baptist Church, led by Pastor Princeton McKinney, opened its doors in Harvey to celebrate the installation of SSMBC’s officers. That joyful occasion drew thirty-four new members into the fellowship. By July 27, with doors graciously provided by Pastor Epsie Lee at Greater St. John M.B. Church on 141st and Seeley, nine more souls joined the growing congregation. Brother James McGrew served faithfully as the first Minister of Music.

Early Growth: The 1970s
In its early years, South Suburban Missionary Baptist Church moved with purpose as the congregation grew. The church worshiped at 143rd and Wood Street before relocating to 3628 West 137th Street in Robbins, Illinois, in June 1973. In 1976, the church moved once more, settling at 11 East 152nd Street in Harvey, the city that would become the permanent home of SSMBC.

Sister Janet Robinson joined the ministry as Minister of Music in 1977, lending her gifts to a congregation that was pressing steadily forward. Then, on a momentous second Sunday in July 1979, the LORD allowed the congregation to “march” with praise and thanksgiving into the church home where they worship to this day. After years of faithful sacrifice and dedicated giving, the congregation celebrated the burning of that mortgage on January 9, 1994, a powerful testament to what a unified people of faith can accomplish.

Honoring Our Founder: 1995 to 2001
South Suburban Missionary Baptist Church was forever shaped by the faith, vision, and leadership of its founder. Pastor Zonas L. Dabney went home to be with the Lord on July 5, 1995, leaving behind a legacy rooted in righteousness and community. Under the steady oversight of Dr. Emma Dabney, the congregation entered a season of prayer and preparation, trusting God to provide a shepherd for His flock.

The Lord answered in the person of Elder Ira J. McDowell, who was welcomed as Pastor and leader. On July 18, 1999, thirty years to the day from the church’s founding, Pastor McDowell inaugurated SSMBC’s first Founder’s Day, a celebration that honored the church’s origins and renewed its sense of purpose. Following a call to establish his own congregation, Reverend McDowell departed SSMBC on October 12, 1999.

Minister Harold France was appointed Interim Pastor that same day and was elected to serve as Pastor in February 2000. On February 4, 2001, Pastor France resigned from his position. Once again, the church pressed forward under the steadfast oversight of Deacon LaVonn Traylor, Sr., seeking God’s direction with faith and patience.

A Season of Expansion: The Jones Era (2001 to 2019)
In September 2001, Reverend Dr. Michael Jones arrived as Pastor and Shepherd, ushering in one of the most transformative periods in SSMBC’s history. Alongside his wife, Co-Pastor Annette Jones, he founded the School of Ministry, which grew into the W. M. Jones Bible Institute, International, equipping more than one hundred students for ministry and advanced theological study.

Pastor Jones ordained twelve deacons for Christian service: Deacons Albert Abney, Stephen Barrett, Brunetta Biggerstaff, Keith Clancy, Levester Dean, Barry Dunbar, Carolyn Jones, Gregory Kidd, Norma Ratliff, Denise Scott, Travaras Scott, and Anjanette Young. He also licensed and ordained five ministers: Elder Victoria Eason (2004), Co-Pastor Annette Jones (2006), Pastor Devlin Scott (2015), Reverend Isaac E. Hayes (2016), and Reverend Melanie C. Jones (2016).

The Jones era was marked by historic firsts for the congregation: the first women ordained to the ministry, the first women ordained as deacons, the first woman to lead the Deacon’s Ministry, and the installation of SSMBC’s first Co-Pastor. Dr. Jones was known for his fervent teaching on the power and purpose of praise and worship, and his passion for Scripture left a lasting impression on every life he touched. After shepherding South Suburban for eighteen years, Dr. Michael Jones was called home by the Lord on August 30, 2019. His legacy endures in the lives he shaped and the church he strengthened.

A New Chapter Begins: 2019 to 2021
On September 29, 2019, Co-Pastor Annette Jones accepted her divine assignment as Interim Pastor of South Suburban Missionary Baptist Church, stepping into leadership with grace and resolve during a tender season of transition. Elder Dr. Victoria Eason was appointed Interim Co-Pastor before accepting another ministry assignment.

In January 2020, SSMBC welcomed three new ministers into the fold: Minister Stephen Barrett, Minister Zaneta Y. Dabney, and Minister Dennis Foster II. When a global pandemic swept the world in 2020, SSMBC responded with creativity and courage, launching its virtual ministry to connect with members and share weekly worship services with a global audience. What began as a response to crisis became a lasting bridge that reaches beyond geographic borders.

On April 25, 2021, in a service of celebration, Covenant Partner Bishop Victor D. Agee, Pastor of New Vision Baptist Church in East Orange, New Jersey, installed Reverend Dr. Annette Jones as the Fifth Senior Pastor and First Woman Pastor of South Suburban Missionary Baptist Church. Her installation marked both a continuation of SSMBC’s legacy and the dawn of a bold new era.

Vision for the Future: Pastor Annette Jones
Pastor Annette’s vision for South Suburban Missionary Baptist Church is anchored in four powerful principles: liberation, imagination, fulfillment, and education, all in pursuit of the abundant life promised in John 10:10. Under her leadership, SSMBC continues to fulfill its calling by touching lives, teaching people, transforming minds, and thanking God.

In June 2025, SSMBC celebrated another milestone in ministry development, ordaining three ministers: Reverend Zaneta Y. Dabney, Reverend Stephen Barrett, and Minister Dennis Foster II. The church also licensed eight new ministers: Ministers Nicholas Bradley, Vera Mickens, Denise Scott, Tamica Thomaston, Lavonn Traylor, Yolanda Warner, and Jennifer Williams.

South Suburban remains steadfast in its commitment to social justice and community uplift. The church serves as a host site for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and maintains active partnerships with the Association for the Improvement of Minorities, the South Suburban Action Conference, and the Harvey Pastoral Association, ministering to the least, the lost, and the left out.

We Have Come This Far by Faith
From twenty-four founders gathered in a living room on a summer evening in 1969 to a thriving, multi-generational congregation with a global reach, South Suburban Missionary Baptist Church stands as a testimony to what God can do when a people commit themselves to His purpose.

God is moving in this ministry. We have come this far by faith, and there is a mighty move of God in our midst. “A Church Where God Is Up to Something” is not merely our motto; it is our witness. May God’s favor continue to rest richly upon South Suburban Missionary Baptist Church, our Pastor, our leaders, our members, our covenant partners, and all who call this family their home.

Soli Deo Gloria. To God Alone Be the Glory.