"JOY FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH HISTORY"
The Joy Fellowship Baptist Church was conceived by God on November 10, 2004, and birthed officially on January 2, 2005, with one hundred seventy-five charter members. On Sunday, October 3, 2004, the journey began. As a shepherd leads his sheep, the flock was led by motorcade to the Southeast Training Center, 1816 East 79th Street by our Pastor and Shepherd, Dr. Isaac L. Floyd. Once reaching our destination, Pastor Floyd held a short meeting asking for our prayers and trust and to follow him as he followed God. We followed him and never looked back. Mr. Odell Reed, proprietor of the Southeast Training Center and a member of our flock, opened his doors as our initial place of worship on Sunday, October 10, 2004. During our tenure, prayer meetings, bible classes, and choir rehearsals were conducted. Baptism services were held at Lights of Zion Church, 11636 South Halsted Street, Rev. Charles Mickens, Pastor. Upon hearing of a great leader seeking a place to worship, The Honorable Anthony Beale, 9th Ward Alderman/Committeeman, invited Pastor Floyd to bring his congregation to the Community Conference Center to conduct worship. As the congregation grew, there was a need to seek a larger facility. On December 19, 2024, we began to worship at First Corinthians Missionary Baptist Church, 134 East 111th Street, Chicago, IL 60628, Bishop Claude Tears, Pastor.
During this celebratory week, we were blessed with great lecturers and speakers. They were as follows: Pastor Rev. Dr. Johnny L. Miller, Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, IL; Pastor L.K. Curry, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Chicago, IL; Pastor S.T. Hilliard, St. Luke Baptist Church, Houston, TX; Sr. Pastor Barney Saulsby, Messiah Temple Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, IL; Pastor T. Alexander Knapp, Mount Calm, Mendon, LA; Pastor A. Edward Davis, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, IL; Bishop K.B. Spears, St. John Full Gospel, Fort Worth, TX; Pastor Donald Parsons, Logos Baptist Assembly, Chicago, IL; and Pastor Christopher L. Taylor, Morning Starr Baptist Church, Grand Prairie, TX.
Dr. Isaac L. Floyd is a native of Texarkana, Arkansas. He was born and raised there and is the oldest of four siblings. After finishing high school, Dr. Floyd attended the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. He continued his education and earned his master’s degree from Texas A&M University, Texarkana, Texas.
He continued his studies through Andersonville Baptist Seminary where he completed his Doctor of Theology. Dr. Floyd worked in the field of education for fifteen years. He was a public school teacher and assistant principal of the Texarkana, Arkansas Board of Education before devoting full time to the work of the church. He taught for five years at the Chicago Baptist Institute.
He has been teaching at the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. for over thirty years. Before his relocation to Chicago in January 1992, Dr. Floyd pastored in the states of Arkansas and Texas. He accepted his call into the ministry forty-six years ago and has pastured for forty years. Dr. Floyd has also been used by God to assist many throughout the nation. Dr. Floyd is nationally renowned for his various local, district, state, and national affiliations in Christian education.
The week has culminated with a 50th Birthday Celebration honoring Pastor Dr. Isac L. Floy at the Double Tree Hotel, Alsip, IL On Sunday, February 22, 2006, the Rev. Spencer Leak opened his doors and welcomed the Joy Fellowship family to his facilities located 7838 S Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago, IL. We were like the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness from place to place. We went from house to house for Bible class with a singleness of heart. During the summer of 2005, classes were held at Veteran’s Memorial Park in South Holland, IL where we had to depart at dusk. But God showed us a favor, once again, through the security guard patrolling the area who advised us to park our vehicles in another area allowing us to complete the class. The Joy Fellowship Baptist Church encountered struggles that would have failed a lesser man and his flock. Our Pastor persevered despite setbacks. Pastor Floyd gave us a message from God of a facility yet to come. It was a vision of a land flowing with milk and honey. There, we would be able to have worship, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper without interruption. Immediately, we began to purchase pew chairs for our new home (a chair for ourselves and a chair for the person we were bringing to Christ). Some members did not grasp the vision.
Throughout this journey, we were faced with many challenges and obstacles. We felt the pain and sting of arrows, but as Job said, “Though He slays me, yet will I trust Him.” As our pilgrimage for a new home began, we held on to God’s Word because we knew if we abided by His Word, we would receive His promises. We went from township to township and village to village searching for a building to reside in, for we knew we already had a church home, we only needed the structure. We were turned down by seven villages, which is the number of completions. Eight is the number of new beginnings is where our search ended.
On July 9, 2006, we entered Joy Fellowship Baptist Church, 2025 East 175th Street, Lansing, IL, where we held worship services in our banquet facilities as renovations to the building began. But the adversary came as a roaring lion We received numerous code violations from the Village of Lansing warning us of compliance regulations. In October 2006, due to all adversities, we returned to Leaks and Sons. The pastor was then summoned to court. Upon his arrival, the room was filled with his congregation…we had his back.
Upon his final court appearance, God had given us favor through a God-fearing man, a judge with a spiritual conscience. He then called a sidebar and said, “I find no fault…all charges pending this case are dismissed, now return to your home for worship services.”
On July 15, 2007, we re-entered Joy with joy and thanksgiving to an awesome God who proved able to fight all our battles. Special thanks and praises to Bro. Odell Reed, The Honorable Anthony Beale, and Rev. Spencer Leak who opened their doors to us without expecting anything in return which speaks volumes to their character.
Joy Fellowship Baptist Church is like a house built upon a rock. Matthew 16:18 states, “…Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” And that rock is Jesus who gave us a 46,000 square foot church sitting on seven acres of land on Friday, October 12, 2007. To God be the glory for the things He has done.