Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago

About Mars Hill Anywhere

Rooted in faith. Growing anywhere.

Mars Hill Anywhere is a hybrid church helping people grow in faith, build meaningful relationships, and follow Jesus wherever life takes them.

We gather online every week and host in-person worship experiences throughout the year, creating opportunities for people to connect with God and one another regardless of location.

Whether you're exploring faith, returning to church, or looking for a church home, you'll find a welcoming community committed to practical biblical teaching, authentic relationships, and spiritual growth.

Meet Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.

For more than 30 years, Pastor Clarence Stowers has been helping people connect biblical truth to everyday life.

His teaching is practical, encouraging, and rooted in Scripture. Whether speaking to longtime believers or those just beginning to explore faith, his passion is helping people take their next step with God.

Through Mars Hill Anywhere, Pastor Clarence leads a growing community committed to spiritual growth, meaningful relationships, and living out faith beyond Sunday mornings.

He and the Mars Hill Anywhere family welcome people from every background who are seeking a place to grow, belong, and follow Jesus.

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Our Mission

Mars Hill Anywhere exists to help people grow in faith, build meaningful relationships, and follow Jesus wherever life takes them.

Through practical biblical teaching, authentic community, prayer, and service, we create opportunities for people to connect with God and one another both online and in person.

Our mission is simple: help people take their next step with Jesus.

The Great Commandment

“Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart...soul...and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:36-40

The Great Commission

“Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

Our Vision

We dream of a place that helps people find their way back to God.

We envision a church where people can experience spiritual growth, meaningful connection, and biblical community regardless of location.

As a hybrid church, Mars Hill Anywhere combines the reach of online ministry with the power of in-person gatherings, creating opportunities for people to worship, learn, serve, and grow together.

Rooted in faith and growing anywhere, we are committed to helping people live out their faith every day.

Rooted in Faith Since 1963

On July 22, 1963, Rev. C. E. Stowers, Sr., along with seventeen believing people organized the Mars Hill M. B. Church. Those present were: Bettye Dowell-Liddell, Rubin Heath, Mr. & Mrs. Bennie Hooks, Bessie Jenkins-Honeysuckle, Berman Jenkins, Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Pearson, Florence Stowers, James Stowers, Leroy Stowers, Mother Margaret Stowers, Margaret Stowers, Mr. & Mrs. Eddie Wilson, Wiley Williams and Willie Williams

This body planned to locate a church that would adequately meet the needs of the people and not be classified as a mere store front church. So, with this thought in mind, the group donated $800.00 to initiate a plan. The first site of the church was 3311 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Illinois. This building was without heating, without seating facilities and needed a lot of repairs in order to be classified as a place of worship.

These supporters under the guidance of Pastor Stowers, Sr. and the Holy Spirit decided to use their muscles, brain and prayers to remodel. First a choir stand was built, walls were painted, seats were acquired, a piano was donated and the heating was put into working condition. On August 24, 1963, the job was finally finished. The chapel was beautiful.

The night of August 24, 1963, the church was organized by the Progressive District Association. The name Mars Hill Missionary Baptist Church was submitted and chosen by Nadine Hooks.

On August 25, 1963, the first service was held. There were ninety people present. God has blessed. Rev. Stowers preached from Exodus 3:7 – “The Lord Will Make A Way.” The Lord added 21 souls that day. God continued to bless Mars Hill week after week and year after year.

Mars Hill had truly been blessed, for her two year stay she had outgrown this location and could no longer accommodate the need for this fast growing church. Mars Hill and her strong supporters, with necessary finance at hand, set out to purchase new property at a new location. Mars Hill made it. The facilities for this fast growing institution were hard to find. The location at 440 N. Maypole was a potential new home. Mars Hill made the necessary preparation to acquire this property. However, the owner decided to sell to another buyer.

Pastor Stowers, Sr. had not given up for he knew that God’s church was needed in another location. God directed him and the members to another location at 2809 W. Harrison Street. Mars Hill had $21,000.00 and the owner wanted $38,000.00 in cash. Due to the cancellation of the first location, the bank refused to negotiate their second location. Mars Hill was turned down again and again and no church came to her aid.

Pastor Stowers, Sr. was working at Hygrade Meat Company; having been employed there for 14 years. He went directly to one of the Presidents of the company and told his story. Pastor Stowers, Sr. having faith in God and seeing how God had blessed had no doubt. The President never seeing him before loaned him the money without any other signature.

Image: Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Sr., Founder

Rooted in Faith Since 1963

In 1966, Mars Hill brought property at 2809 W. Harrison Street in Chicago with cash money. The members marched from Roosevelt Road with approximately 200 people. The membership grew quickly and we was able to burn the mortgage on April 16, 1971. After becoming settled in the new home, there came a great need for more room. As the membership increased, Mars Hill was no longer able to accommodate the members comfortably.

In 1972, Mars Hill was remolded. The color of the pews and carpet were burgundy and white. The choir ranged from 100 to 150 voices, all dressed in burgundy and white robes. For twelve years the members continued to labor at 2809 W. Harrison Street. It’s progress was very successful with the power of the Almighty God. Many new ventures were revealed to Pastor Stowers, Sr. We purchased property that then served the Lawndale area. Mars Hill had a Currency Exchange, Medical Center, and Parking Lot.

In 1976, Mars Hill had grown to her fullest and she was once again in need of more space. Pastor Stowers, Sr. took the matter to God in prayer. He kept the church informed of his every move. He viewed several churches and each time came away disappointed. Although things didn’t seem to be in his favor, never once did he give up the faith. Finally, when all hope seemed to be gone, God answered the prayers of many other praying people.

On December 11, 1977, Mars Hill marched into its present edifice at 5916 W. Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois; having six spacious offices, two floors of classrooms, a basement and kitchen. From 1980 until 2000, Mars Hill Baptist Church served its community through the outreach efforts of Mars Hill Christian School, Day Care Program, and Jr. High School. Over 1,000 students matriculated through Mars Hill during these glory years.

Mars Hill was founded on July 22, 1963, by Rev. C. E. Stowers, Sr. with a simple vision: create a church where people could encounter God, grow in faith, and build meaningful community.

What began with a small group of faithful believers grew into a thriving ministry that impacted thousands of lives through worship, education, outreach, and discipleship.

Today, that same commitment continues through Mars Hill Anywhere. While the methods have evolved, the mission remains the same: helping people follow Jesus, grow in faith, and stay connected wherever life takes them.

More than six decades later, we remain rooted in faith and committed to the future God is leading us toward.

Timeline

1963 — Mars Hill Founded

1982 — Mars Hill Christian School Established

2020 — Expanded Online Ministry

2025 — Mars Hill Anywhere Launches

Today — Rooted in Faith. Growing Anywhere.

Image: First Lady Margaret Stowers

Our Beliefs

Our beliefs are rooted in the Bible and centered on Jesus Christ.

While Christians may differ on secondary issues, we stand united around the essential truths of the Christian faith and the mission of helping people follow Jesus.

In Essential Beliefs - we believe that there should be unity. Ephesians 4:4-6

In Non-Essential Beliefs - we believe there should be liberty. Romans 14:1,4,12

In All Our Beliefs - we believe that we must maintain love toward each other. I Corinthians 13:2

1. About God

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. We believe that in the beginning God created, out of nothing, the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom and goodness. By His sovereign power, He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence, He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes. Genesis 1:1,26; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1, 3; 4:24; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 1:20; Ephesians 4:5-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14

2. About Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man. Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:25-38; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13

3. About The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. We believe that He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them recognition of their need for a Savior and regenerates them. We believe that, at the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength, and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for ministry. We believe that the Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. We believe that His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father. John 14:16-17,26; 15:26-27; 16:8-11,13; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14; 6:19-20; Hebrews 9:14

4. About Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God, and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and become guilty sinners in thought, word and deed. Genesis 1:26-27; 3:1-24; Romans 3:25; 5:12-18; I John 1:8

5. About The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God, inerrant in its original manuscripts. The Bible is our supreme and final authority in faith and life. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21

6. About Salvation

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; that He rose victorious from the grave on the third day; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. Isaiah 53; Matthew 20:28; John 3:16; Romans 3:24-26; 5:1; I Corinthians 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Ephesians 1:7; I John 2:2; Matthew 28:6; Romans 10:9; I Corinthians 15:14 We believe that all who come by grace through repentance and faith to accept the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God. John 1:12-13; 3:3,5; James 1:18; I Peter 1:23; Ephesians 2:8-9

7. About The Church

We believe that there is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We believe that the Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, the observance of believers baptism and Communion as the ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts and outreach to the world. We believe that wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the Church and that under the watchcare of Pastors and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42-47

8. About Christ's Return

We believe in the personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16-17

9. About Eternity

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting joy of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost. John 5:28-29; I Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:4-6,11-15

10. About Baptism

We believe that all Christians are baptized by the Holy Spirit when they are born again. We believe that water baptism by immersion is the Biblical testimony of the professed believer in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Acts 2:28-41,47; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:36-40; 10:47; 18:8; Romans 6:3-4; I Corinthians 12:13

11. About The Lord's Supper

We believe that those who partake of the Lord’s Supper should be born-again believers, walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 2:42-46; I Corinthians 11:23-29

Last Updated: November 22, 2023

Welcome to Mars Hill Chicago's website. Protecting your privacy is crucial to us. This Privacy Policy explains how Mars Hill Chicago, accessible from "https://marshillchicago.org", collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you visit our website.

1. Information Collection

a. Personal Information: We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when registering on the site, expressing an interest in obtaining information about us or our services, or otherwise contacting us. This information may include your name, email address, phone number, and other contact details.

b. Non-Personal Information: When you access our website, certain non-personal information may be collected automatically. This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, access times, and the pages you have viewed directly before and after accessing the site.

2. Use of Information

The information we collect may be used to:

Provide, operate, and maintain our website
Improve, personalize, and expand our website
Understand and analyze how you use our website
Develop new products, services, features, and functionality
Communicate with you, either directly or through one of our partners, for customer service, to provide you with updates and other information relating to the website, and for marketing and promotional purposes
Send you emails

3. Sharing of Information

Your information is not sold, rented, or traded to third parties. We may share information with affiliates and third-party service providers to assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our users, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release information when its release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others' rights, property, or safety.

4. Data Security

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information. However, no electronic storage, transmission, or internet-based system is 100% secure and, as such, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

5. Cookies and Web Beacons

We may use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies on our website to track the activity on our site and hold certain information. You can choose to disable cookies through your individual browser options.

6. Third-Party Links

Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third-party products or services on our website. These third-party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We, therefore, have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites.

7. Children's Privacy

Our website does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal identifiable information from children under 13. If you think that your child provided this kind of information on our website, we strongly encourage you to contact us immediately and we will do our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us.