Rev. U.S. Pride
The Reverend Mr. U.S. Pride was born in Prescott, Arkansas, but moved to Rockford, Illinois in 1947. According to the 50th Anniversary New Zion Baptist Souvenir Book, he attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and joined New Zion Baptist Church in July 1957 as the new pastor, bringing with him his wife Vivian, and their children Roy, Wayne, Dale, Debra, and David.
Reverend Pride lived on 3rd street in the parsonage of New Zion Baptist with his family. His son David Pride said in an Interview that the community around this street was very strong, citing 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th streets as the location for some of his strongest memories around Beloit.
Notably during Reverend Pride's tenure as pastor the church began to make greater efforts to connect with the Beloit community, via radio broadcasts and the purchasing of a church bus. Reverend Pride announced his retirement in 1986 but according to the Beloit Daily News he agreed to continue serving until 1987 to ensure his position was filled.