CHICAGO (CBS) – A dear church on the South Side of the city is in need of divine intervention.
As CBS 2’s Steven Graves reported Wednesday, the pastor of the Baptist Prayer Warriors Church believes it has a higher calling capacity – despite the closure.
Pastor Sadie Cook’s sacred mission to Chicago’s South Side goes back decades.
“I had many sleepless nights because of this job,” she said.
Prayer Warriors Baptist Church begins at 53rd Street and Union Avenue in the Back of the Yards. It moved when Cook took over after her husband died.
“It was very difficult,” Cook said.
The church then moved to 102 and Wallace Street in Fernwood.
“We were going strong then – great times,” Cook said.
But Cook said a fire destroyed that building in 2005. And now, instead of celebrating its 50th anniversary, the current West Pullman site at 120th Street and Normal Avenue is in foreclosure.
A lengthy legal battle ended last month with a ruling in favor of Marquette Bank for the assets. Cook said she was given an extension to repay the debt until Tuesday but failed to do so.
“It’s just a sad situation to come to an end after all these years in this place,” Cook said.
Financial trouble hit as the once bustling congregation dwindled to what it is now – to about a dozen strong. COVID-19 makes matters worse.
But Cook, 77, doesn’t consider this the final chapter.
“This community needs help,” she said.
We met the pastor earlier this week when her neighboring small churches burglarized. She learned that crime had driven away at least one other church.
“We all stick to a theme, and this can be the spark. We can have adult literacy programs; math and reading; tutoring,” Cook said.
But it would be a real miracle if that prayer persists. More than $100,000 needs to be paid. The building may also use several TLCs.
“Roof, plaster,” Cook said.
The church is hoping more than ever for the warriors to pray – and divine intervention – that they can carry out an unfinished mission.
Marquette Bank told Steven it could not comment on specific cases, but promised to work with customers in situations like these.
The church has established fundraising organizations on GoFundMe and Tithe.ly.
