Fourth Presbyterian Church

What Fourth Presbyterian Church does

Fourth Presbyterian Church is a 154-year-old nonprofit religious congregation affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), founded in 1871 and headquartered at 126 E. Chestnut Street on Chicago's North Michigan Avenue. The organization operates Sunday worship services (in-person and livestreamed globally via YouTube and a toll-free phone line), pastoral care, and an extensive portfolio of faith formation, fellowship, and music programs for congregants spanning children, youth, young adults, older adults, and women's ministries. Its wholly-owned subsidiary Chicago Lights serves as the community outreach arm, running the Meals Ministry (49,000+ meals served annually across Sunday Night Supper, Monday Night Supper, bag lunches, and Friday sandwiches), the Social Service Center (drop-in food, clothing, and toiletries), Tutoring (300 K-12 students matched with volunteer mentors), Summer Day (100 youth in a six-week academic and arts program), and the Urban Farm (youth workforce development in partnership with After School Matters).

The church's business model relies on voluntary tithes and offerings from the congregation, supplemented by program fees for adult education (Center for Life and Learning three 12-week sessions, Cornerstones events, and CLL Community Classes ranging from free to $100). It operates without a formal app or API and runs on a stack of conventional nonprofit SaaS including AccessACS for member management, VOMO for volunteer coordination, Church Center for online giving and event registration, Constant Contact for email, YouTube for livestreaming, and Zoom for virtual classes and Coffee Hour. Revenue and donor totals are not publicly disclosed.

Distribution combines on-site programming at the Michigan Avenue campus with digital reach for daily devotions, sermons, and the "Rhythm and Word" midweek video series. Strategic partnerships anchor the social-service mission, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository for food supply, Chicago Housing Authority (a 2013 $3.2M sale-leaseback of the Urban Farm property), Growing Power, After School Matters, UCAN, and a historic 2013 interfaith covenant with the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago - the first such covenant in the Presbyterian denomination nationally.

Name

Fourth Presbyterian Church

Legal name

Fourth Presbyterian Church

Website

https://fourthchurch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fourth Presbyterian Church is a 154-year-old PCUSA congregation on Chicago's North Michigan Avenue providing worship, pastoral care, and faith formation, operating the Chicago Lights subsidiary for Meals Ministry, Tutoring, Social Service Center, Urban Farm, and Summer Day programs serving tens of thousands of Chicagoans annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious services and community outreach

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Community outreach programs
• Adult education programs
• Youth mentoring programs
• Social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary financial contributions from congregation members through weekly offerings, online giving, and special appeals
2. Program Fees: Fees for educational programs such as Center for Life and Learning membership sessions and Cornerstones events

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fourth Presbyterian Church provides weekly in-person and livestreamed worship services, prayer gatherings, and religious ceremonies for congregants and visitors. It also operates community outreach programs through Chicago Lights (food distribution, social services, tutoring, summer programming, urban farming) and adult continuing-education programs through the Center for Life and Learning, supported by donations and program fees.

Product overview

Fourth Presbyterian Church offers a comprehensive portfolio of ministry programs centered around worship, community service, and education. Core offerings include Sunday worship services (in-person and livestreamed) with pastoral care, and the Chicago Lights community outreach division encompassing Meals Ministry, Social Service Center, Tutoring, Summer Day, and Urban Farm programs. The Center for Life and Learning provides adult education for seniors 60+. Digital engagement includes Fourth Connect member portal, online worship streaming via YouTube, daily devotions, and the Rhythm and Word midweek video series. Women's programming through Women at Fourth and various book groups and Bible studies support spiritual formation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chicago Lights: Community outreach arm of Fourth Presbyterian Church providing social services, tutoring, summer programs, and urban farming initiatives.

Products and services

• Chicago Lights Meals Ministry A community-meal program that provides free hot meals and bagged lunches to people experiencing food insecurity in the Chicago area. Guests receive meals on-site with no appointment required. The program is supported by donations and staffed largely by volunteers.
• Chicago Lights Social Service Center A walk-in social service center providing information, referrals, and case management for individuals and families facing housing instability, food insecurity, or other social-service needs in the Chicago area.
• Chicago Lights Tutoring One-to-one after-school tutoring and mentoring program for elementary-age students in grades 1–8, pairing adult volunteers with students for academic enrichment and relationship-based mentoring.
• Chicago Lights Summer Day A full-day summer program for elementary-age children combining academic enrichment, arts, and recreation with field trips during the summer months.
• Chicago Lights Urban Farm A paid summer employment and leadership program for high school students in grades 9–12, combining sustainable urban agriculture with job skills and leadership development. Produce grown by participants is distributed to community members.
• Center for Life and Learning (CLL) An adult continuing-education program for adults aged 60 and older, offering a roster of classes, lectures, and special events across fall, winter, and spring sessions. Memberships are purchased per term.
• Worship Services and Livestreaming Weekly Sunday worship services and seasonal prayer gatherings held in the church sanctuary, with livestreamed broadcasts on YouTube and telephone broadcast for those unable to attend in person. Includes services for youth, young adults, and traditional services.
• Fourth Connect Online Groups Online community groups and Bible studies hosted through Zoom and the Gather platform, allowing members and friends to connect remotely for spiritual conversation and study.
• Rhythm and Word Podcast and Content A digital podcast and content offering delivering sermons, reflections, and faith-based conversation from the church's pastors and ministry leaders.
• Daily Devotions Daily written devotional content delivered to church members and friends via email and the church website, providing short scripture-based reflections for ongoing spiritual formation.
• Women at Fourth A faith-based fellowship and study program for women of the church and broader community, including Bible study, book groups, retreats, and regular gatherings.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth Presbyterian Church, through the Presbytery of Chicago, entered into a covenant with the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago in 2013 - the first covenant of its kind in the Presbyterian denomination nationally. The covenant commits both communities to deepen understanding of each other's religions, work together on issues of human equality and social justice, and model respect for each other's religions.
• Greater Chicago Food DepositorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe church stocks its food pantry with food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago's food bank, enabling the church to provide preparable food to families in need through its Meals Ministry and Social Service Center programs.
• Growing PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2010, the Chicago Lights Urban Farm expanded from a community garden to an urban farm in collaboration with Growing Power, a nationally recognized leader in urban agriculture. This partnership enabled the transformation of the garden into a more comprehensive urban farming operation.
• After school MatterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago Lights Urban Farm's Youth Workforce Development program operates in partnership with After school Matters, providing high school youth with skills to grow fresh produce, transferable job skills, and insight into how food and food systems affect their daily lives.
• UCANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCAN is a mission grant partner of Fourth Presbyterian Church. Since 1869, UCAN has supported Chicagoland youth and families in healing from trauma, providing a full spectrum of prevention, therapeutic, and empowerment services including services for youth removed from homes due to abuse or neglect and families affected by gun violence.
• Chicago Housing AuthorityminorOthersThe Chicago Housing Authority purchased the Chicago Avenue property from Fourth Church in 2013 for $3.2 million with a two-year leaseback provision to enable continued Urban Farm programming. The CHA notified Chicago Lights in late 2022 about plans to develop that site.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Old St. Patrick's Church: A large, historically significant downtown Chicago Catholic parish with substantial social outreach, music programming, and a strong hospitality ministry in the West Loop. Comparable in downtown Chicago footprint and mission breadth, though denominationally Catholic rather than Protestant.
• First Presbyterian Church of Chicago (adjacent congregation): Another downtown Chicago Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation with similar worship, music, and outreach programs in the same Loop-adjacent market. Operates in direct proximity to Fourth Church and competes for some of the same downtown congregants, donors, and community partnerships.
• Lakeview Presbyterian Church: A Chicago Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation with a comparable mix of worship, adult education, and community engagement programming. Smaller scale than Fourth Church but directly comparable in denominational identity, governance structure, and program categories.
• Christ Church (United Methodist) Oak Brook: A large mainline Protestant congregation in the Chicago metropolitan area with comparable scale, music and arts programming, and community outreach orientation. Denominationally distinct (UMC vs PC(USA)) but operating a similarly wide portfolio of family, youth, and adult programming in the same regional market.
• Trinity United Church of Christ: One of the largest historically African American mainline Protestant congregations on Chicago's South Side, with extensive community programming, social services, and music ministry. Operates in the same Chicago metro and Presbyterian/Protestant orbit but is denominationally UCC rather than PC(USA), making it an adjacent rather than direct peer.

Others

• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Chicago's regional food bank and a strategic supply partner of Fourth Church's Meals Ministry and Social Service Center. Included as a peer because it anchors the operational and funding model for Fourth Church's largest community outreach stream, and is a peer to other faith-based hunger programs across the city.
• Presbyterian Church (USA): The national denomination to which Fourth Church is affiliated. Not a competitor but the governing ecosystem that shapes governance (Session, Presbytery of Chicago), clergy formation pathways, and shared mission funding, making it the most relevant institutional peer for denominational alignment.

Direct peers

• Georgetown Presbyterian Church: A historic Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation in Washington, D.C. that is the immediate former parish of Fourth Church's newly installed Pastor Camille Cook Howe, who served there as Senior Pastor from 2010 to June 2025. Operates comparable in-person/online worship, music programs, and adult education, with overlapping governance and staffing scale.
• First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest: A large suburban Chicago-area Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation with comparable multi-generational programming, music and arts ministry, and substantial community outreach. Parish Associate Amy Pagliarella previously served there for a decade, and the two churches operate similar staffing models for children's, caring, and adult education ministries.
• Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church: A flagship New York City Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation with a long-standing music and arts program, shelter and food outreach, and similar urban community service footprint. Its scale and program mix (Meals Ministry equivalents, social services, adult education) make it one of the closest peer institutions to Fourth Church.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKfB53ueJ2dzrJNH5-61V6A
• Facebookfacebook.com/fourthchurch
• Instagraminstagram.com/fourthchurch
• Xx.com/fourthchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fourth-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fourth Presbyterian Church