Who We are
We are the largest African-American congregation in the Evangelical Covenant Churches of America. Although Oakdale is currently an African-American congregation, it was founded in 1902 as a primarily Swedish immigrant congregation at 8801 South Normal on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. During the late 1960s the surrounding community experienced a transition into primarily an African-American community, dramatically altering the congregation’s ethnic make-up. In 1970, Oakdale called its first African-American pastor, Reverend Dr. Willie B. Jemison, who served until his retirement in January 2000. Under Pastor Jemison’s leadership, Oakdale grew from a small congregation of less than one hundred to over twelve hundred. The growth was so strong that our current worship center, 9440 S. Vincennes, was erected to accommodate the growth in disciples and ministries. In 1992, Oakdale Christian Academy and Childcare center was established to respond to the educational needs of the community. In January 2000, Reverend Dr. D. Darrell Griffin succeeded Pastor Jemison as the Senior pastor. Under pastor Griffin’s leadership, Oakdale continues to be recognized as a haven of hope and spiritual transformation in the community. It has become known as “A Great Church… With Great People…Serving A Great God”. His commitment to educating, empowering and transforming the lives of God’s people through Christ has manifested itself through the tremendous growth of Oakdale to well over 2000 disciples, the establishment of the Oakdale Community Development Corporation, and the Reconnecting Center which assist in connecting Oakdale to the needs of our brothers and sisters on the continent of Africa.
