Greater Exodus Baptist Church was born out of the New Thankful Baptist Church in Philadelphia. On November 21, 1971 the church was officially organized. Greater Exodus moved to its present location at 704-714 North Broad Street in 1974.

A New Beginning with Pastor Herbert H. Lusk, II

In 1982 Reverend Herbert H. Lusk, II accepted the call to pastor Greater Exodus Baptist Church. Before coming to Greater Exodus, Pastor Lusk played professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles. When he accepted the pastorate at GEBC, the church had eroded in its finances and its membership. By 1982, Greater Exodus had seventeen members, infrastructure damage totaling $400,000, utility bills of over $32,000, and was on the brink of bankruptcy. The immediate neighborhood of the church was drug and crime infested and the poverty rate was one of the highest in the country. Between 1982 and 1989 the church recovered from near bankruptcy, paid all its outstanding debts, repaired all its structural damages, and made infrastructure improvements in excess of $1,000,000!

A new beginning and a great vision began in the 1990's.

• In 1991 Pastor Lusk created People for People, Inc. This non-profit organization was created to bring socio-economic hope and education to church members and the larger community.
• In 2000 the People for People Community Development Credit Union began operation.
• In September 2001, the People for People Charter School opened to more than 300 students. The school is housed in the newly modernized eight-story building which was formerly the Philadelphia Traffic Court Building.
• The President of the United States visited Greater Exodus Baptist Church in July 2001 as part of the promotion of the President's faith-based initiatives.
• Justice Sunday III was hosted by GEBC in January 2006

Greater Exodus is known locally, nationally and internationally because of the spiritual leadership of Pastor Lusk. During his tenure at Greater Exodus the church has grown from 27 active members to over 1,500, while countless thousands of others in need have benefited from the work the Lord is doing through the ministries of Greater Exodus. Greater Exodus is currently preparing for expansion of its present sanctuary to accommodate an ever-increasing membership.