CHICAGO'S ENGLEWOOD COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF ITS OLDEST PASTOR, 50-YEAR FAITH LEADER, CIVIC ANCHOR AND FATHER OF 16TH WARD ALDERWOMAN STEPHANIE D. COLEMAN

Pastor David Coleman Sr. Photo courtesy of STH-Media
Pastor David Coleman Sr. Photo courtesy of STH-Media

CHICAGO'S ENGLEWOOD COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF ITS OLDEST PASTOR, 50-YEAR FAITH LEADER, CIVIC ANCHOR AND FATHER OF 16TH WARD ALDERWOMAN STEPHANIE D. COLEMAN

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15TH - WAKE BEGINS @ 10:00 AM

(SERVICE BEGINS- 11:00 AM) 

NEW FRIENDSHIP M.B. CHURCH - 844 WEST 71ST STREET CHICAGO, IL 60621

 

(Chicago, IL) Hundreds of elected officials, faith leaders, community stakeholders, residents, and loved ones are expected to gather on Saturday, August 15, 2026, to celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of Pastor David Coleman Sr., longtime pastor of New Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church and a towering spiritual and civic presence in Chicago's Englewood community. Among the prominent leaders set to attend the funeral services are Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, newly retired Englewood native Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Fred Waller, and hundreds of local elected officials and community leaders who will join the Coleman family in honoring a man whose ministry and community service spanned generations.


Pastor Coleman, who passed away on July 21, 2026, at the age of 92, was recognized as the oldest pastor in the Englewood community. He was the husband of former 16th Ward Alderwoman Shirley A. Coleman and father of current 16th Ward Alderwoman Stephanie D. Coleman, carrying forward a family legacy deeply intertwined with faith, civic engagement, and public service on Chicago's South Side.


Born on May 14, 1934, in Parkdale, Arkansas, Pastor Coleman was the seventh of eleven children born to Rev. John and Ruby Coleman. Following the passing of his father in 1967, Coleman assumed pastoral leadership of New Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, where he would faithfully serve for more than 50 years before retiring in 2020.


His ministry extended far beyond the pulpit. A gifted craftsman and self-taught master repairman, Pastor Coleman personally helped purchase, renovate, and transform a former warehouse at 1235 West 59th Street into the permanent home of New Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. Under his leadership, the church grew into a community sanctuary that hosted youth programming, choir ministries, neighborhood gatherings, meal distributions and countless initiatives benefiting Englewood families.


Pastor Coleman also spent more than 20 years serving as a maintenance man at Stone Terrace Apartments, where his craftsmanship, work ethic and willingness to assist residents became another extension of his ministry. Whether preaching, repairing buildings, mentoring young people or helping families in need, Pastor Coleman embodied his belief that service to others was an expression of faith.


His influence also extended into Chicago's civic and political history. New Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church became an important gathering place for civic engagement and community organizing, hosting early campaign activities connected to Harold Washington's historic campaign for Mayor of Chicago and later supporting the aldermanic campaigns of Pastor Coleman's wife, Shirley A. Coleman.


Pastor Coleman's commitment to public service would ultimately span generations. The values of faith, integrity, hard work, and community stewardship he instilled in his family continue through his youngest daughter, 16th Ward Alderwoman Stephanie D. Coleman, who now represents many of the same Englewood families and neighborhoods her father spent decades serving.

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