Pastor Corey Brooks Biography
Pastor Corey Brooks is the founder and pastor of New Beginnings Church, a nondenominational church on Chicago’s South Side, and a leader in addressing inner-city issues, including gun violence. He is known as the “Rooftop Pastor” because he lives on an abandoned motel roof to raise awareness about violence and funding for the construction of a community center.
Pastor Corey Brooks Age
His birthday is not known. At the age of 19, Brooks Sr. was called to the ministry, and at the age of 23, he was given his first pastorship at Richmond, Indiana’s Mt. Moriah Church.
Pastor Corey Brooks Wife and Children
Pastor Brooks is married to Delilah Brooks and is a loving husband. Together, they are the proud parents of four children: Corey Jr., Kirsten, Desmond, and Danielle.
Pastor Corey Brooks Education
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Ball State University, Brooks Sr. became a member of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha. After graduating from Ball State, he attended the Dallas Theological Seminary to begin his theological studies before graduating from Grace Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Ministry, specializing in Preaching and Christian Education.
Pastor Corey Church and Ministry
Brooks is the CEO of Project H.O.O.D. Communities Development Corporation and the founder and senior pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago. He is a visionary leader dedicated to ending violence and changing lives in Chicago’s South Side. He attended Dallas Theological Seminary, Ball State University, the University of Florida, and Grace Theological Seminary1.
Pastor Brooks bravely raised awareness to the widespread drug use, prostitution, and violence in the region by spending 343 nights on the roof of a run-down motel across from his church. His earlier 94-day rooftop vigil, which raised the money to demolish the motel plagued by crime, served as the impetus for this audacious move. At the conclusion of the most recent rooftop stay, Pastor Brooks broke ground on a brand-new community center in Woodlawn, which was a major step toward his goal of creating a neighborhood free from violence and with better quality of life2.
The McCormick Foundation donated $8 million to the community center project, significantly increasing the total amount of money raised to $28.5 million. This financial milestone brings Pastor Brooks one step closer to the completion of the center, which will serve as a community support center and a caring hub for children, thereby reducing violence and creating a safer environment3.
At the forefront of Project H.O.O.D., a neighborhood project aimed at reviving Woodlawn, are Pastor Brooks and his wife, Delilah. They are developing a new generation of entrepreneurs, problem solvers, and peacemakers through this program.
The neighborhood’s socioeconomic landscape is greatly impacted by the programs they continue to offer, such as Core and Carpentry Level I course, entrepreneurship courses, business workshops, and community-wide activities.
In order to launch Project H.O.O.D.’s capital campaign, Pastor Brooks renewed his rooftop advocacy on November 20, 2021, this time on top of a model of the future Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center. Since then, the campaign has raised more than $28.5 million and recruited over 20,000 new donors around the country. He expanded his humanitarian efforts to address the problems of children and teens in 2019 when he was named Illinois Director for St. Francis Community Services, Inc.
Pastor Corey Net Worth
Pastor Corey has an estimated net worth of $8 million.