City First was begun in 1991 with the goals of serving and resourcing city churches and their pastors, and re­vitalizing and establish new urban congregations. We began with our own church here on Addison Street. We saw that we had a good building, but in need of repair since the early 80s. The excitement of securing and distributing building materials and products, things that churches need, is kind of like evangelism. We offer those items to other churches at reduced cost through a partnering relationship. When City First can provide roofing materials or office equipment that saves money for many faithful churches.

We work to add substance. More than just a fellowship among pastors, lay people and clergy are working together. If a church needs Vacation Bible School material, we’ll try to provide it through our partnerships with World Vision and NAEIR (a corporate liquidator in Galesburg, Illinois). NAEIR currently provides products that are useful to more than 30 urban churches.

On Saturday, April 17th (our fifth general distribution day), more than 20 Chicago churches were supplied with items ranging from copy paper and file folders to computer software, Christian Education materials and cleaning supplies. One church alone received nearly $4,000 worth of products for their ministries! On that day alone, City First resourced churches with some $25,000 in necessary products! The cost to City First is an annual membership in NAEIR, the work of partnering with World Vision and the “sweat equity” invested in pickup and distribution. The cost to individual churches is a mere $25 in partnership fees. It’s a win-win situation for everyone! We discover the real meaning of fellowship as urban churches.

City churches are a missions bargain! New people and new immigrant groups are always coming to our cities. Openness to new ideas, including the gospel of Jesus Christ, is amazing!

The infrastructure is ready-made. Most denominations, and their local church affiliates, have long owned properties in America’s cities. Land acquisition and huge mortgage rates are not issues.

New generations of educated young Americans are looking for the sense of “spiritual transcendence” that urban worship and city church structures offer.

Needs exist in our cities, both where churches are present, and in places we’ve never before thought to plant ministries. Cities are virgin territory for missions!

Our larger American society has already seen the need to invest in city educational, business and transportation needs. If churches invest in our cities now, we build tomorrow’s evangelism opportunities.

Below are brief descriptions of members of City First’s Board of Directors - all committed church men and women who have dedicated their efforts to resourcing city churches for effective ministry.

Mark Johnson - President of City First and Pastor of Christ’s Church / Wrigleyville. Having served for nearly 15 years as pastor of the oldest Baptist General Conference ministry in Chicago, Rev. Mark Johnson brings the urban experience and forthright vision needed to lead City First. Mark, his wife, Robyn, and their three children, Andrew, Emily and Ethan, are residents of Chicago’s Irving Park community.

Roger Bergfalk - Treasurer of City First and Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of Evanston, Illinois. Rev. Bergfalk brings wisdom gained through several pastorates and a keen insight into the urban milieu in which City First works. Roger Bergfalk holds the Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary with his focus on “small congregational dynamics.”

Eunice Hulth -Charter Board Member with City First and Financial Secretary for the organization. In addition to her life-long member­ship at Addison Street Baptist Church, and now Christ’s Church of Wrigleyville, Eunice brings her career of experience in financial work at Chicago’s Swedish Covenant Hospital. She has taken up many teaching and service roles at her church, while also being the congregation’s treasurer.

Marvin Daniels - After several years as Youth Pastor at Chicago’s Merrill Avenue Baptist Church, Rev. Daniels has recently taken up ministry as Midwest Region Program Manager for Compassion International. With a love for kids in America’s cities, and ministry experience in both Boston and Chicago, Marvin brings a youth emphasis to the City First board.

Scott Reese - Formerly pastor of New Life Church in Chicago Heights, Illinois. Rev. Reese is founder and director of Reconciliation Resource Ministries, an agency focused on resourcing urban churches with the tools they need to minister effectively in some of the most difficult urban areas.

Joel Schaffer - Joel spearheads Servant Center, working in connection with Urban Youth Outreach and Berean Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While working in a midsize midwestern city, Joel encounters and works to meet the same urban needs faced in our nation’s largest urban areas.

Roger Johnson - City First board member since 1992 and editor of the nationally-circulated CityVoices newsletter. Roger has used his editorial gifts with Baptist General Conference Missions, the National Association of Evangelicals, and more recently with Ray Bakke’s Inter­national Urban Associates. In 1999, he pioneered CityVoices as a bimonthly publication serving nearly 20,000 city pastors.

City First has been blessed with leader­ship, but the challenge of strategically aligning the resources of the church of Jesus Christ in America’s cities is mammoth. Pray for the City First board as the directors collectively focus on metro Chicago - both its needs and its God-given assets. And then pray for God to take those efforts and multiply them in extraordinary fashion!