A Family on East Walnut Street
Chatham Baptist Church sits at 1500 East Walnut Street in Chatham, Illinois, a single-story campus that has quietly served Sangamon County for decades. The congregation describes itself with a phrase that turns up across its signage and pages: Welcome Home. Pastor Ahron Cooney, named Senior Pastor in January 2025 after leading student ministry here since 2016, leads a church family that includes longtime staff members like Building and Grounds Minister Jerry Weber (on staff since March 1991) and Minister of Music DJ Shultz (joined May 2019), alongside newer members such as Communications and Events Director Isabella Muñoz and Ministry Assistant Bonnye Black. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the phone line at (217) 483-2471 is answered by people who, in the church's own words, always keep extra chairs at the table.
Two Services, One Sunday at CBC
Sunday mornings at Chatham Baptist are built around two distinct services and a full slate of age-graded Bible study classes that meet at the same hours. A traditional worship service begins at 9:00 a.m., and a contemporary service follows at 10:15 a.m., each running alongside its own round of Sunday School classes. The Bible studies cover nursery (Room 111), 2- and 3-year-olds (Rooms 115 and 113), 1st and 2nd grade (Room 221 or 215), 3rd through 5th grade (Room 221 or 217), middle and high school students (Pratt Hall), college and career adults 18 to 30+ (Room 225), adult classes (Room 224), and senior adults (Room 156 or the Conference Room). Child care and children's classes are available during both services, so families can attend either hour without juggling logistics.
The services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person, and giving is available online through a dedicated giving page. A printed bulletin and newsletter are also published for members who prefer paper.
Ignite Students and the REFUGE for College and Young Adults
Student ministry at CBC carries the name Ignite, with the motto Show Love. Create Culture. Live Jesus. Ignite a Fire. Students in grades 7 through 12 meet for Bible study at 9:00 a.m. in the Youth Room and then join the 10:15 a.m. contemporary service together in the sanctuary. On Sunday nights, Ignite holds its own service from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., with preaching, worship, and small-group time. The student ministry is led by a team of interns and residents, including Colton Cooper (also a Heartland Baptist Network intern), Evan Reindl, Lydia Foshie, Jonathan Walters, and Josh Atchisson, all of whom serve through the Timothy Initiative leadership pipeline.
For 18- to 30-year-olds, the church runs a separate weekly gathering called REFUGE. During the summer, REFUGE meets on Tuesday nights from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, beginning with a free meal at 6:00 p.m. and continuing with worship, preaching, and small-group discussion. The group has its own Instagram presence at @refuge_cbc and serves as a landing spot for college students and young professionals looking for community on a different night than the main Sunday schedule.
HyFi and Adventure Week for Children
Children's ministry at CBC centers on three pillars: Sunday morning Bible Studies for Life from Lifeway, Elevate Kids for grades 1 through 4 (an interactive worship and small-group study in Room 221), and Forged, a curriculum designed to sharpen preteens' worldview according to biblical principles. The church runs a Sunday-night children's program called HyFi in the Multipurpose Room from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., using Lifeway's HyFi curriculum to root the next generation's identity in Christ through twelve simple truths. Age groups for HyFi run from preschool (3 and 4 year olds) through 5th grade.
Each summer the church hosts Adventure Week, a vacation Bible school held the third or fourth week of July from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Adventure Week is open to children from 4 years old through students entering 8th grade, with a registration form published online each spring.
Men's, Women's, and Senior Adult Life
Men's ministry at Chatham Baptist aims to equip men for integrity, godly character, spiritual leadership in the home and church, and personal evangelism. The men gather for a monthly breakfast on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m., and they meet for a Wednesday evening Bible study at 6:30 p.m. in the Conference Room. The men's small group also connects with other men for mentoring, accountability groups, and service projects.
Women's ministry offers two regular touchpoints. Journey meets on Wednesday evenings during the fall for fellowship and Bible study. W.O.M.en Crafters gathers every Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. for sewing, crochet, quilting, embroidery, and cross-stitch projects, all ages and skill levels welcome, with mission projects woven in alongside the fellowship. Senior adults have their own Sunday morning Bible study class at 9:00 a.m. in Room 156 (and in the Conference Room during the second service), and many also join the broader adult classes.
Small Groups Across Sangamon County
Beyond Sunday morning, Chatham Baptist operates a network of summer small groups that meet in homes across Chatham, Glenarm, New Berlin, Auburn, and Springfield. Groups follow their own weekly rhythms: Isabella Muñoz leads a young-adult group that alternates between Monday afternoons (1:00 to 3:00 p.m.) and Thursday evenings (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.). Pastor Ahron Cooney hosts the Chatham South group on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. Greg Ratliff leads the Chatham Southeast group on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m., Cheryl Bumgarner leads a Chatham/Glenarm group on Thursdays at 2:00 p.m., Danny Parkinson leads a Springfield group on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., Josh Walters hosts a New Berlin group on Mondays at 6:30 p.m., and Scott Foshie with Jon Baker lead an Auburn/Glenarm group on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. The groups pause during the summer break and resume with the school year.
Free English as a Second Language Coaching
One of the church's most distinctive outreach ministries is its free ESL program, offered Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The program is structured around one-on-one coaching rather than classroom instruction, allowing volunteers to meet learners at their level. The fall semester typically runs from mid-September through early December. ESL Coordinator Alisha Worley handles sign-ups.
From Sangamon County to the Ends of the Earth
Chatham Baptist frames its mission work around Acts 1:8, taking the responsibility to be a witness locally, nationally, and internationally. Locally, the Acts 1:8 mission team coordinates service projects and outreach in the Chatham area. The church partners with the Heartland Baptist Network for regional ministry across central Illinois. Nationally, it connects with Send Relief trips and the North American Mission Board, and internationally with the International Mission Board's opportunity database. The church has an ongoing relationship with a Bolivian partner church, Centro Familiar Cristiano Las Misiones, whose worship services are shared on Facebook for prayer and connection.
Beliefs, Baptism, and Becoming a Member
The church holds to the Baptist Faith and Message, the confessional statement shared across Southern Baptist churches. Salvation is taught through the simple ABC framework: Admit to God that you are a sinner and repent; Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and your redeemer; Confess your sin to God and ask Him to forgive and save. Baptism follows salvation as an ordinance of the church and is practiced by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, symbolizing the believer's death to sin and resurrection to new life in Christ.
For those ready to take the next step, church membership is presented as a covenant commitment among baptized believers to live for Jesus and serve Him together. Prospective members are invited to an Exploring CBC conversation with Pastor Jerry Weber, who walks through the church's history, values, and ministry direction.
The Child Development Center Preschool and Kindergarten
Chatham Baptist's Child Development Center (CDC) is a faith-based preschool and kindergarten that operates as part of the church's ministry to families. The CDC follows a school-year calendar with its own registration process, supply lists, and parent handbook. Tuition and registration fees can be paid online. Director Linda Spires oversees the program, and the preschool shares a Facebook page for updates and community.
Visiting Chatham Baptist
First-time visitors are welcomed during either Sunday morning service, with no dress code beyond what feels comfortable. Nursery care is provided in Room 111 during both services, and Bible study classes for every age from toddlers through senior adults meet at the same hours. The church livestreams its services on YouTube for those who want to follow along before visiting. Midweek, the campus hosts men's and women's Bible studies on Wednesday evenings, the REFUGE college gathering on Tuesdays, ESL on Sunday nights, and HyFi for children on Sunday evenings during the school year. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 1500 East Walnut Street.