Pastor John F. Hannah

Pastor John F. Hannah
Pastor John F. Hannah

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Pastor John F. Hannah

By Craig G. May

John F. Hannah, Senior Pastor at New Life Covenant Church Southeast, is a man on many missions. One of those missions includes,” Prayer On The 9,” an ambitious protest that has now entered it’s sixth year. The most recent event occurred this past Saturday.

During the event, Hannah, his congregation and a host of anti-violence supporters fill the streets between the corners along 79th Street from Greenwood Ave. west to the Dan Ryan. Their mission---to peacefully protest the need to stop the violence in Chicago.

“It’s time for clergy, church members, organizations, students, teachers and community leaders to step out of the boundaries of their four walls to come out and pray for the problems of the community, Hannah says. But Prayer On The 9” is not Pastor Hannah’s first direct involvement in helping reform the lives of black people in the community.

Before receiving his calling, an event he describes as “the greatest joy” of his life, Pastor Hannah made a career of changing lives early on.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal Justice from Alabama State University, he served as a Juvenile Probation Officer in Cook County where he impacted the lives of young adults.

Hannah was also able to make an impact as a youth Pastor for a local church for many years. Evangelizing with a focus on urban youth for years also created opportunities to perfect his calling as the shepherd of a remarkable organization that would later become New Life.

Additionally, Hannah is the previous Executive Director of the Inner-City Youth Spring Break Conference (IYSBC), which under his leadership grew exponentially.

In addition to his role as the Senior Pastor of New Life Covenant Church, he shared his talent in the name of Jesus when he hosted a daily morning radio program on WGRB AM in Chicago for 13 years. The show, entitled “The John Hannah Morning Show” aired on Inspiration 1390AM and was the #1 rated gospel radio program in the country. Additionally, Hannah is the recipient of the Stellar Award for Gospel Radio Announcer of the Year.

Pastor Hannah says he lacks a strong sense of self-centeredness and that claim is evidenced both through his easy-going approach to strangers as well as his disarming approach with the young people to whom he ministers.

“I am able to work well with young people because I’m relatable, approachable, touchable. I don’t believe the hype about myself and that keeps me accessible and gives me relatability with young people,” he says.

While he was never shy as a public speaker, Pastor Hannah does admit that he brought with him a few butterflies when he first started preaching. It wasn’t the act of speaking itself that gave him the jitters, but it was more about what speaking from the pulpit means, he explains.

“I’d never had the responsibility of feeding God’s people. That is a great responsibility,

(knowing) that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. I have a responsibility of feeding these people spiritually and building their faith up,” he says.

Pastor Hannah began his service to God in the Oakwood community with a Thursday night bible study. From there, it was on to the Charles Hayes Center and Martin Luther King (MLK) High School on 45th and Drexel Boulevard where for four or five years, the church really began to flourish. So much so, that Pastor Hannah and his congregation were able to purchase a building in the Grand Crossing community on 78th and Dobson.

“We were able to raise the money and it’s what I call a ‘God lend’ because it was such a greater need in the Grand Crossing Community than there was in the Kenwood Oakland Community where MLK High School is located,” said Hannah. From there, the ministry has expanded and the church was able to purchase over 44 pieces of property.

NLC uses the properties to reinforce services that are sorely lacking in the community such as providing childcare at 75th and Greenwood, the largest daycare center on Chicago’s South Side.

Today, New Life Covenant Southeast nears membership of approximately 20,000. The unwavering passion for life transformation in the lives of urban youth is evident with over 70% of the church population between the ages of 18 and 35. While the numbers suggest a mega church sized atmosphere, the spirit of the house and its members promote a family environment, committed to serving God and the community.

In his first published book, What to Do While You’re Waiting, Pastor Hannah bases the theme on his personal experience of waiting for God’s plan to unfold, rather than stepping out ahead of Him.

In September 2015, Hannah released his second published book Desperate for Jesus. Within the first week, it reached the #1 rating on Amazon’s new releases.

Pastor Hannah serves on the Human Resource Board for the City of Chicago and the Civic Consulting Alliance for the Chicago Public Schools providing needed insight. He is married to Anna Hannah, his wife of over 20 years who also serves alongside him. She is dedicated to supporting his vision and the mission of NLC.

Exceeding the boundaries to serve the community has been a big part of Hannah’s life mission. Sometimes crossing those boundaries has meant laying down in the middle of 79th Street, but for Hannah, it’s all a matter of faith.

Lisette Gushiniere contributed to this story.

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