I'm Pastor Marlon, and I'm a Chicago kid. Born and raised on the Southside - well, out east if we're being specific. Stony Island, King Drive, Jeffrey, Cottage Grove. IYKYK.
My wife Raachel is from the Westside, Oak Park adjacent. So yeah, we've got the Harold's versus Uncle Remus debate going all the time. Between the two of us, we've touched every side of this city. North, South, East, West.
We love Chicago. Voted best city in America nine years in a row - but to us, it's always been the best. The food, the sports, Lake Michigan, Navy Pier. Did I mention the food?
But what we love most are the people. Chicagoans. From every corner of the globe. Hardworking, no-nonsense, down to earth. Funny, talented, driven. We work hard, play harder, and love the hardest. We take care of each other here.
But some Chicagoans are hurting
Loneliness. Mental health struggles. Financial instability.
And here's what I've learned in 20 years of urban ministry: these aren't separate problems. One feeds the other. You lose your job, you start isolating. You're isolated, your mental health tanks. Everything falls apart together.
God has called me to serve the people of this city. So a group of us - men and women, young and older, from Gen X to Gen Z - are planting 1513 Church in Roseland. We're imperfect, undeserving, but brought together by God to do this work. Because we believe that with Him, all things are possible.
We're serving before we open
Before we launch in Summer 2026, we're starting two things:
Eat, Pray, Love - Weekly gatherings. Real meals, real prayer, real connection. No pressure. Just community.
Hope Triangle - Small groups addressing loneliness, mental health, and financial stability together. Because that's how they show up in real life.
This is 1513 Church. We launch Summer 2026, but we're serving now.
Chicago takes care of its own. The church should too.
