Pastor John E. Collins Sr. was born in Yazoo County Mississippi on September 14, 1955. He is the oldest of 4 children born to John Collins Jr. and Laura B. Collins. His parents raised him in church from a very young age. Around the age of six he confessed a hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and was baptized by the late Rev. Willie A. Kelly at the Rising Sun Baptist church located at that time 3103 W. Polk St., Chicago IL. It was evident even at a young age that God had choose him to preach the gospel.

He is one of the charter members of Great True Vine MB Church and has always been active in the ministry. He has been the organist for the church, served as president of the choir, crowned as a Deacon of the church, Financial Secretary, Sunday school and Bible Class teacher. He is known for his God given ability to expound on the Word of God.

In 1991 he accepted his call into the gospel ministry and on April 27, 1991 he preached his first public sermon, titled “Who’s on the Lord side “(1 Kings 18:16-20). On Sunday April 28, 1991 Pastor LC Caver license him to preach and in September of the same year he was ordained. He continues to grow in God’s Word, attended CBI, and has obtained a Bachelors of Arts in Theology from Morris Booker Memorial College, Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and a Master of Christian Ministry from Faith Evangelical Seminary and working on his Doctoral Degree. He has served as Vice President of the United Baptist State Convention of Illinois, Vice President of the Congress of Christian Education of the United Baptist State Congress of Illinois, Vice President of New Baptist Ministers Fellowships of Chicago and Vicinity, and Vice Moderator for the Sunlight District Association. In addition he owns and operates his own Real Estate Brokerage, “Collins Realty.”

He is married to his beautiful wife Gail for 36 years and they are the proud parents of 6 children, Takisha, Jaquice, Brooke, Tacori, Tamika, and John Jr. and five grandchildren. He is a cancer survivor and shares his testimony of how God is a healer. Everywhere he goes he proclaims that, “What Prayer and the Word can’t do, just can’t be done.”