The Pilgrim Baptist Church was organized as Rockford's second church for Negroes on Monday August 6, 1917 under the name of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. The first ordained pastor of Pilgrim Rest was Reverend T. P. McGee, who served for seven months and twenty-seven days beginning on October 1917. Under his leadership, property was purchased at 846 Montague Street, Rockford, Illinois.

The second pastor of Pilgrim Rest was Reverend Jesse Walden, who was chosen in 1918.He was a chaplain at nearby Fort Grant, in Rockford Illinois. The third pastor was Reverend G. W. Dudley, followed by J. W. Fitts who served for two years, followed by W. R. Jackson,who was the first pastor to serve more than 10 years. Pastor Jackson served for eleven years, and was succeeded by Reverend E. H. Woods, who served as pastor for ten years.The first two pastors went on to organize two well-known local churches after their short tenure with Pilgrim Rest. Reverend Jesse Walden, organized Bethel Baptist Church in 1918, and Reverend T. P. McGee, organized New Zion Baptist Church in 1924.

In October 1944, the Reverend E. H. E. Gilbert was called to pastor, and served as senior pastor for forty-four years. Reverend Gilbert was a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary and attended Virginia Union Seminary in Richmond Virginia. He later received a degree in Humanities from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. As Pilgrim's longest serving pastor, Reverend Gilbert is credited with initiating many of the spiritual and social ministries in the church today ...More