Charles C. Jenkins II (born December 14, 1975) is an American gospel singer, songwriter, producer, and pastor best known as the voice behind “Awesome” and as the longtime senior pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago. He led the historic congregation, often called “The Ship,” from 2000 to 2019, then built a parallel career as a Grammy-recognized recording artist with Fellowship Chicago and as a solo act. Jenkins is still active in ministry and music today, now serving as pastor emeritus while continuing to record and tour.
Charles Jenkins At a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Charles C. Jenkins II |
| Born | December 14, 1975, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA |
| Age | 50 (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Wife | Dr. Tara Rawls Jenkins |
| Children | Princess, Paris, and Charles Jenkins III (3 children) |
| Mentor | Rev. Dr. Clay Evans (founder, Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church) |
| Education | |
| Bible college | Moody Bible Institute (B.S., Christian Education) |
| Seminary | Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A., Religion) |
| Honorary degree | Doctorate of Divinity, Beulah Heights University |
| Ministry | |
| Title | Pastor Emeritus (Senior Pastor, 2000–2019) |
| Church | Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago (“The Ship”) |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Successor | Rev. Reginald Sharpe Jr. |
| Music Career | |
| Genre | Contemporary and traditional gospel, urban contemporary gospel |
| Label | Inspired People (his own imprint), EMI Gospel, Motown Gospel |
| Signature songs | “Awesome,” “#War,” “Winning,” “We Found Love” (with Kierra Sheard) |
| Awards | 9 Stellar Awards, 8 BMI Top Songwriter Awards, 22 Billboard No. 1 honors, Grammy recognition |
| Net worth | Estimated $1 million to $5 million (unverified online estimates) |
Early Life and Background
Charles Jenkins was born on December 14, 1975, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He grew up with a heart for ministry long before he had a platform for it, and by the mid-1990s that calling pointed him toward Chicago.
In January 1996, Jenkins moved to Chicago to study at Moody Bible Institute, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education. He later added a Master of Arts in Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has since received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Beulah Heights University.
Jenkins tells his call to Fellowship as what he calls a “God story.” While sitting at his desk during summer school in May 1996, he says God placed the word “Fellowship” on his heart, along with the sense that he would one day lead a church by that name. He had never heard of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church or its founder, Rev. Dr. Clay Evans, at the time.
Ministry Career: From Associate Pastor to Senior Pastor of “The Ship”
Joining Fellowship Under Rev. Dr. Clay Evans
Jenkins shared his prophetic impression with his mother, his girlfriend (later his wife), and his close friend Pastor Craig Oliver. Oliver knew Rev. Dr. Clay Evans, the civil rights-era founder of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, and helped connect the two men. Jenkins joined Fellowship’s pastoral staff in 1998, working directly under Evans.
Becoming Senior Pastor at Age 24
Evans handed the church to Jenkins in 2000, when Jenkins was just 24 years old. It was an enormous transfer of responsibility. Fellowship was already a historic institution, founded by Evans more than 60 years earlier and known for launching the ministerial careers of more than 100 pastors.
Under Jenkins, weekend attendance at Fellowship reportedly quadrupled. He expanded the church’s outreach programs, added multiple worship services, and grew the congregation into a multi-location ministry.
Retirement as Senior Pastor and Life as Pastor Emeritus
On the last day of 2019, after almost two decades leading Fellowship, Jenkins stepped down as senior pastor. He said God had placed 2019 on his heart as his final year in the role, and he discussed the decision with Evans before announcing it publicly. Evans gave his blessing, telling Jenkins, “Thank you so much for telling me the truth. I’m proud of you, whatever you do next.”
Jenkins named Rev. Reginald Sharpe Jr., then 27 years old, as his successor. Sharpe trained alongside Jenkins before formally taking over. Jenkins remains connected to the church as pastor emeritus and has said he is “never leaving Reverend Evans, my spiritual family, or Chicago.”
Music Career: From Choir Director to Chart-Topping Artist
The Best of Both Worlds and “Awesome” (2012)
Jenkins created a record label for his church called Inspired People, which signed a worldwide distribution deal with EMI Gospel. On June 12, 2012, The Best of Both Worlds, credited to Pastor Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago, hit stores. The album topped Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart and reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200.
The breakout single, “Awesome,” became a modern gospel standard. Jenkins has described it as a celebration of “who God is and what He does,” and fans around the world have told him the song carried them through hospital stays, surgeries, and personal crises. The Best of Both Worlds won five awards at the 2013 Stellar Gospel Music Awards.
Any Given Sunday and “#War” (2015)
Jenkins and the choir returned with Any Given Sunday in March 2015, again topping the Gospel Albums chart. The lead single, “#War,” became one of his most recognized records and remains a staple of his live shows.
Going Solo: Think About These Things and Beyond
While staying on as Fellowship’s senior pastor, Jenkins launched a solo recording career separate from the choir, starting with the funky, R&B-leaning single “Winning.” That set the tone for his 2016 solo debut, Think About These Things.
He has kept recording steadily since: the 2021 holiday project A Charles Jenkins Christmas, the single “God Be Praised” with Elder Eric Thomas, a collaboration with Kierra “Kiki” Sheard on “We Found Love,” the 2023 EP Gospel Music Changed My Life, and the single “Never Knew Love” with R&B legend Stephanie Mills. In 2025, Jenkins released the album Date Night along with the single “It’s My Birthday Month.”
Rise to Prominence and Influence
Jenkins built something rare in gospel music: a career that runs in parallel lanes as senior pastor of a major urban congregation and as a Billboard-charting recording artist. He has earned 22 Billboard No. 1 honors, 9 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, 8 BMI Top Songwriter Awards, Grammy recognition, a Soul Train Music Award nomination, and 7 Dove Award nominations.
Beyond music and the pulpit, Jenkins built a reputation as a Chicago civic power broker. He has served on the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, the Board of Trustees for the City Colleges of Chicago, the Illinois Attorney General’s advisory board, the Illinois State Treasurer’s advisory board, the Illinois Department of Transportation advisory board, and as chairman of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s PUSH Board. He was a key voice behind Chicago’s Big Box Ordinance, which helped bring Walmart and Target into the city, and he played a role in Uber’s Chicago launch.
Jenkins also founded the Fellowship Educational and Economic Development Corporation (FEED), a 501(c)(3) focused on education, job creation, public safety, and urban renewal in Chicago’s inner-city neighborhoods. He led a statewide campaign encouraging African Americans to become organ donors, work that earned him Illinois’ Gift of Hope Lifesaving Partner Award.
Books and Publications
In 2021, Jenkins released SEASONS: How To Grow And Succeed During Times Of Transition, a book written to help readers navigate change in their own lives. The timing mirrored his own transition out of the senior pastor role at Fellowship.
Personal Life
Jenkins is married to Dr. Tara Rawls Jenkins, an author and speaker. Together they have three children: Princess, Paris, and Charles Jenkins III. The family has largely kept the children’s day-to-day lives out of the public eye.
Outside of church and music, Jenkins has built a wide-ranging entrepreneurial resume. He works as a film executive with NBW Films, has designed fashion, and serves as a Ministry Partner at Vanderbloemen Search Group, a firm that helps churches with executive search and succession planning, an area where his own transition at Fellowship gave him direct, personal expertise.
Ministry Philosophy
Jenkins has described his approach to leadership as rooted in authenticity rather than performance. “Young people want honesty, transparency, and they want to know it’s real,” he has said. He credits much of Fellowship’s growth under his leadership to that willingness to be vulnerable in the pulpit rather than projecting an image of having everything figured out.
He also treats transition as a spiritual discipline rather than a crisis. His decision to step down from Fellowship while the church was thriving, and his public framing of that choice in SEASONS, reflects a belief that healthy leadership means knowing when to hand off “the baton,” in his words, because “it’s never about a person, it’s always about the work.”
Awards and Recognition
- 9 Stellar Gospel Music Awards
- 8 BMI Top Songwriter Awards
- 22 Billboard No. 1 honors across singles and airplay charts
- Grammy Award recognition
- Soul Train Music Award nomination
- 7 Dove Award nominations
- BET Networks ICON Man of Change Award
- Black Enterprise Magazine’s Urban Business Game Changer Award
- Illinois’ Gift of Hope Lifesaving Partner Award
Interesting Facts About Charles Jenkins
- He became senior pastor of a major Chicago congregation at just 24 years old.
- His hit “Awesome” started as a worship moment in his own church before it ever reached radio.
- He runs his own record label, Inspired People, which he built out of Fellowship’s ministry.
- He served on Morehouse College’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Scholars and Preachers.
- He helped bring both Walmart and Uber into Chicago through his civic and policy work.
- He is a trained fashion designer in addition to his music and ministry work.
Charles Jenkins Timeline
- December 14, 1975: Born in St. Petersburg, Florida.
- January 1996: Moves to Chicago to attend Moody Bible Institute.
- 1998: Joins the pastoral staff at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church under Rev. Dr. Clay Evans.
- 2000: Becomes senior pastor of Fellowship at age 24.
- June 12, 2012: Releases The Best of Both Worlds with Fellowship Chicago; “Awesome” tops the gospel chart.
- 2015: Releases Any Given Sunday, led by the single “#War.”
- 2016: Launches his solo career with Think About These Things.
- December 31, 2019: Retires as senior pastor of Fellowship; Rev. Reginald Sharpe Jr. succeeds him.
- 2021: Publishes the book SEASONS and releases A Charles Jenkins Christmas.
- 2023: Releases the EP Gospel Music Changed My Life and the single “Never Knew Love” with Stephanie Mills.
- 2025: Releases the album Date Night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pastor Charles Jenkins from?
Charles Jenkins was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, on December 14, 1975. He has been based in Chicago since 1996, when he moved there to attend Moody Bible Institute.
How old is Charles Jenkins?
Charles Jenkins was born December 14, 1975, which makes him 50 years old as of 2026.
Where is Pastor Charles Jenkins today?
Jenkins lives and works in Chicago. He stepped down as senior pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church at the end of 2019 and now holds the title of pastor emeritus, while continuing to record music, run his Inspired People label, and serve on civic and educational boards across Illinois.
Is Pastor Charles Jenkins still alive?
Yes. As of the most recent public reporting, Jenkins is alive and active, having released the album Date Night in 2025. Claims suggesting otherwise circulating on social media are not backed by any credible news source.
What is Rev. Charles Jenkins doing now?
Jenkins continues to release new music, most recently the 2025 album Date Night. He also works as a film executive with NBW Films, serves as a Ministry Partner at Vanderbloemen Search Group, and remains active on several Illinois civic and educational boards.
Is Pastor Charles Jenkins married?
Yes. Jenkins is married to Dr. Tara Rawls Jenkins, and the couple has three children together: Princess, Paris, and Charles Jenkins III.
How many children does Charles Jenkins have?
Charles Jenkins has three children with his wife, Dr. Tara Rawls Jenkins: daughters Princess and Paris, and a son, Charles Jenkins III.
What is Charles Jenkins’ net worth?
Online estimates for Charles Jenkins’ net worth range widely, from roughly $1 million to $5 million. These figures come from unverified celebrity net worth sites and should be treated as rough estimates rather than confirmed facts.
What happened to Pastor Charles Jenkins?
Nothing scandalous. In 2019, Jenkins voluntarily retired as senior pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church after nearly two decades, handing the role to Rev. Reginald Sharpe Jr. He continues to record music and remains active in ministry as pastor emeritus.
