Charlie Dates is blessed to have served churches in Chicago, the city in which he was born. In 2011, Rev. Dates became the youngest Senior Pastor to serve the historic Progressive Baptist Church, which saw exponential growth under his leadership. He is currently the Senior Pastor of Salem Baptist Church.
As a highly sought-after speaker, he is widely invited to preach at churches and speak at retreats, conferences, and universities throughout the United States and abroad. Dr. Dates’ early formation was significantly bent toward the theological reflection of Black people. This shaped his approach to preaching and his thoughts about the transformative role the Black church plays in bringing about the flourishing of a people.