On January 25, 1925, the first service of the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church was held at 1736 Bond Avenue, East St. Louis, Illinois in the home of Rev. B. J. Smith. —
In February of the same year, a building was rented on 17th and Piggott Avenue. On the first Sunday in March 1925, a group of seven: Mrs. Mary Smith, Mrs. Ethel Jones, Mr. John Hoskins, Mr. Matt Bell, Mr. Bob Mason and Mr. Jude Dickson asked and received a letter of dismissal from the Mount Zion Baptist Church. On March 25, 1925, a council was set to organize the church. During that meeting Mrs. Ethel Jones suggested that the church be named Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, a name that has been proudly kept.
After the organization, the church services were held in a tent on 17th and Bond Avenue for three months, after which a building was rented on 18th and Division Avenue. In September of 1925, the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church moved to 12th and Division Avenue.
On Mary 11, 1951, a called church meeting was held and the membership voted to accept Rev. Garfield Hubbard Sr., as Pastor. —
On November 7, 1955, the church purchased a new building at 2908 Louisiana Blvd. and marched into that building on April 8, 1956. During July of 1957, the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church began the Sunday night Revival Hour on Station KATZ. The Lord so blessed this ministry that the Revival Hour remained successful for 30 years.
On April 6, 1975, the church marched into its new location at 6801 State Street. Through prayer and commitment, the church mortgage was paid off on April 8, 1979, two years earlier than expected. Due to the growth and needs of the church in 1984, Rev. Danny Hubbard was employed as a fulltime Assistant Pastor and later selected as Senior Pastor, with Pastor Garfield Hubbard Sr. moving to Pastor Emeritus status. The church continued to grow and prosper under the leadership of Pastor D., with an emphasis on meeting the total needs of its members and community. In 1998, our visionary Pastor led the church on a new journey to build not only a new sanctuary but also a new community based congregation. In 1998, preparation for the new sanctuary and ’The Garfield Hubbard Sr. Complex’ began.
In September 12, 1999, the groundbreaking ceremony for ’The Garfield Hubbard Sr. Complex’ was held. Construction began November 1999 and we celebrated our 76th Church Anniversary with Dedication Services on Sunday March 18, 2001. ‘The Garfield Hubbard Sr. Complex’ houses the edifice (seating capacity of 700), Administrative Offices, Bookstore, Computer Lab and a Banquet Facility.
On September 25, 2017 Pastor Danny Hubbard retired and passed the Senior Pastor mantle to Pastor Darius T. Miller.
We invite visitors, new members and new believers to learn more about taking the next steps at Morning Star, our vision, mission, and ministry. We have many opportunities for you to learn and grow in your faith, and we look forward to helping you take your next steps in your walk with Jesus.