MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in the neighboring suburb of Garland—Hagos moved away from home for the first time to attend Criswell College Divinity School in the post-Obama pre-pandemic 2000s.
Hagos found and accepted Jesus into his heart around 12- years -old after believing for a long time that he wasn’t bad enough to need a savior.
“I was a relatively good kid growing up, but looking back I realized the Lord pursued me throughout my childhood, regardless of my thoughts. He was there with his hand over my life, even when I thought he was probably needed more elsewhere.”
Watching his pastor preach in ‘big church’ around 4th grade, Hagos started to desire to do the same work. By high school, he was teaching Sunday school and leading bible studies in youth groups. Divinity School was therefore a simple transition and decision to make later on.
By God’s grace, Annually attending a popular Dallas preaching conference while receiving his education (in hindsight) was one of Hugo’s most consequential ordered steps.
It led him to meet Pastor Charlie Dates…
“When I met him through a friendly general preacher friend introduction one year, that was it. Just a greeting….but I saw him preach every year at this conference and made it a point to greet him every year and he never forgot me. I would see him once a year, and he never forgot my name. He was always just so kind to me.”
That kindness warped into several learning and mentorship opportunities offered back to back in a compounded amount of time. Hagos applied for the Progressive Baptist Church Summer internship for graduate seminary students last year. Since then, God orchestrated things in his own time. This past fall, Pastor Charlie Dates offered Hagos an open position to join the PBC staff fresh out of his last semester at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. Hagos officially moved to Chicago the first week of January and started off strong by preaching the house down by the third Sunday. (Catch his first sermon as a PBC pastor here)
Experience Pastor Samuel Hagos
“In a very real sense, you guys are the first ones to give me a chance, and I will be forever grateful for this kind of start into professional ministry”