About Our Church
TLMC
Church History
TREE OF LIFE MINISTRIES OF CHICAGO CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST
We greet you in the name of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our ministry is founded on the word of God where our motto is “There is Life in the Word of God”. Where we believe here at TLMC that the more of God’s Words one has, the better their lives become. Our mission is to assist in meeting the needs of the community, as they search for answers in reaching their spiritual and natural needs in life.
MINISTRY HISTORY
Elder Larry Haynes was ordained in the Church of God in Christ by the late Honorable Bishop L.H. Ford of the 1st Jurisdiction of Illinois. Pastor Haynes has been working in ministries for over 37 years. Serving as the Assistant Pastor for 22 Years under the leadership of his pastor, the 1st Administrative Superintendent. Dr. Van Wilson Wells, Senior Pastor of Bishop G.B. Pickens Temple. Pastor Haynes served in many roles in the 1st Jurisdiction while attending G.B Pickens, such as District Foreign Mission President, Financial Chairman, and trustee Board Member. Pastor Haynes, along with his First Lady Devetta, also served as acting Youth Pastors at Picken Memorial Temple, COGIC. In 1995 the Lord had called Pastor Haynes to a new work in the Lord’s vineyard for the harvesting of souls into God’s Kingdom. This work had been on hold for many years until 2006 when the Lord Jesus pressed on our Pastor’s heart that now was the time to act. So, in 2006, Pastor Haynes along with his wife founded a ministry called the Tree of Life Ministries.
PASTOR FAMILY
Pastor and 1st Lady Devetta Haynes has been married for the past 24 years. They have one daughter Chaz, and two Grandsons Tyler and Cartez. In 2011, Pastor Haynes obtained his Master’s degree in Community Counseling and in 1980 he received his Bachelors in Architectural Building Technology.
OUR CHURCH’S NAME
God had given our Pastor the name (THE TREE OF LIFE MINISTRIES OF CHICAGO) for our ministry to do a work, in the Lord’s vineyard. The name of our church is taken from the book of Revelation 22:2 “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manners of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations”. These twelve manners of fruits are twelve areas of ministries within the church. There are three divisions of ministry that are designed to serve the holistic needs of mankind.
Tree of Life Ministries
These Divisions are:
• The Executive Division (Corporation, Business, Financial, and Organization).
• The Ecclesiastic Division ( Spiritual, Worship, Prayer Intercession, Ministries of Help, and Bible Study).
• Humanitarian Division, ( Focus on the Natural needs of Mankind, Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Natural Relationship).
TLMC Timeline
CHURCH HISTORY TIMELINE
In 2006
Pastor Haynes started an outreach ministry on the west side of Chicago, working with ex-offenders, as part of St. Leonard’s Ministry. In this, he has seen many men’s lives touched and changed by the power of God.
In 2010
Around four years later Pastor and 1 st Lady departed their beloved Pastor Wells and their Church family at Pickens Memorial, and began the work that the Lord had called them to.
The Pastor and 1st Lady Haynes started having service in their home on Tuesdays and Sundays, and at that time it was just them along with their daughter and grandchildren. Later that year, Pastor’s sister Edna Rich joined as their first member.
In 2011
TLMC moved to its first church home located at 10655 South May Street. During our time there, most of our members joined our ministry.In the summer of 2011, we had fifteen souls to be Water Baptized. In November, the church remodeled the downstairs worship hall, as a part of the church's expansion.
In 2012
TLMC officially became part of 1st Jurisdiction COGIC, as a new and special ministry in the City of Chicago.
In 2013
Our church relocated to 10015 South Halsted Street, Gospel Truth MB Church, Where Wealthy Mobley, is the founding pastor, and Keith Hayes is the pastor. We thank God, and Gospel Truth Church for opening their doors during the time of our transition.
In 2014
Pastor’s and 1st Lady home was open to the church members once again, for four months. December of 2014 was our last service in their home, as we prepared to transition to a place we could call home. On December 29, 2014, We closed on our Place of Worship - New TLMC Church Home 3636 West 83rd Street - TO GOD BE THE GLORY. Welcome to our Home. Over the next several years the church continued to serve the needs of mankind, by feeding the homeless, passing out tracts in the community, visiting nursing homes, hospitals, and donating to several organizations. Intercessory prayer and fellowship remain a part of the church mission.
March 2020
TLMC was able to raise $12,000.00 for the Pastor’s Birthday, the love offering was used for the purpose of replacing the roof, gutters, downspouts, along with a facial upgrade to GOD BE THE GLORY.
December 2020
TLMC Church made our last mortgage payment for our church building, with a handful of faithful member’s our church is now paid in full to GOD BE THE GLORY.
January 2022
TLMC has completely upgraded the church’s offices and the bathrooms to GOD BE THE GLORY.
This part of our vision has come to pass and now we plan on expanding the labors in God’s Ministry for each division in fulfilling the Tree of Life’s mission of twelve fruits of life in ministry.
We are seeking the Lord that he provides TLMC, a youth leader, a Minister of music and musicians as we continue to grow. Men and women that love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and want to labor in God’s vineyard for building His Kingdom in the lives of God’s people, as we wait on Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s expected return.
