Religious Leaders & Organizations
All Saints Episcopal Church (Pontiac, Mich.)
- All Saints Episcopal Church, Pontiac, Michigan oral history project, 2001-2002.
- 0.7 linear ft.
Church-sponsored project to document the history of some of its African-American members.
Transcripts of interviews, with audio cassette originals and CD-ROM copies of the transcripts. Interviewees include Richard and Catherine Craig, David and Reatha Williams, and Malissa Brice. There are also photographs of the interviewees and of the church building.
Baber, George W.
- George W. Baber papers, 1942-1970.
- 1 linear ft.
Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, pastor of various churches in Michigan and elsewhere.
Correspondence, prayers and speeches, clippings, and programs; collected A.M.E. minutes, published material, and miscellaneous; and photographs illustrative of his career activities.
Portraits, informal photos of Baber, his wife and friends; trips to the Middle East and India; and photos of Baber with political dignitaries, John F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Spiro T. Agnew, Nelson Rockefeller, and G. Mennen Williams.
Children's Usher Board, Bethel A.M.E. Church
Detroit, Mich., ca. 1955.
Bethel A.M.E. Church records.
Bethel A.M.E. Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Bethel A.M.E. Church records, 1897s-1990s
- 0.2 linear ft. and 2 oversize items; 2 microfilm reels
Microfilmed materials include quarterly conference reports; record books with lists of members, baptisms, marriages, and related information; minute books of trustees and various church groups. Original materials include historical and background information; inaugural address of pastor Joseph L. Roberts; biographical sketch of pastor William H. Peck; and photographs.
The photographs (mainly copyprints) include portraits of pastors Joseph Gomez, Joseph L. Roberts, and Norman V. Osborne; also photos of church building and of church services and groups.
Brown, Frank R.
- Frank R. Brown papers, 1980-2009.
- 3 linear ft.
Battle Creek, Michigan church historian.
Historical booklets containing photocopies of documents and photographs with accompanying text pertaining to African American churches in Battle Creek, Marshall, and Calhoun County, Michigan; also booklets about African American cultural, civic, and commercial life in Battle Creek.
Charles W. Carpenter. From
Box 1 of the Charles W. Carpenter papers.
Carpenter, Charles William
- Charles W. Carpenter papers, 1909-1970.
- 1 linear ft.
Graduate of Tuskegee Institute in 1909, later pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Correspondence, including letters from Mr. and Mrs. Booker T. Washington, 1909-1915; and miscellaneous sermons, prayers, church bulletins, reports of the Second Baptist Church and other materials concerning his work with the Ann Arbor Human Relations Commission, the Citizens Advisory Committee for a Workable Program, and the Ann Arbor Bus Committee.
Photos of Second Baptist Church and church functions; also photos of Carpenter at other ceremonies.
Cleage, Albert B.
- Albert B. Cleage Jr. papers, 1949-2005.
- 11.5 linear ft.
Detroit clergyman who took the name Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman, founder of the Shrine of the Black Madonna, and advocate of the program and philosophy of the Black Christian Nationalist movement.
The collection has been divided into seven series: Albert B. Cleage, Jr.: Correspondence, Sermons, and Writings, the files of the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit, Michigan, Church Leaders, the files of the Shrine of the Black Madonna National Office, Sound Recordings, Photographs, and Miscellaneous.
Dubuar, James
- James Dubuar papers, 1834-1866.
- 2 linear ft.
Teacher and Presbyterian clergyman in Indiana, New York and Michigan.
Sermons, addresses, and miscellaneous parish papers, primarily written in Northville, Michigan, and including material relating to Northville Presbyterian Church; also histories of various Michigan Presbyterian churches, principally in Washtenaw County, Michigan, constitution of the Northville Youths Temperance Society; temperance speech, 1838, and Decoration Day Address, 1840; scattered notes, correspondence and memos.
Franklin, C.L. (Clarence LaVaughn)
- C.L. Franklin papers, 1957-1991
- 0.7 linear ft., 1 oversize folder, and 1 phonograph disc.
African-American clergyman active in the civil rights movement in the 1960s; pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan.
Papers accumulated by Franklin's daughter, Erma Franklin, relating to the life and career of her father; include biographical information, transcripts of oral interviews; scattered sermons and correspondence, including letters from daughter Aretha and from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; topical files about his church and civil rights activities; and photographs.
Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church records, ca. 1920-2008.
- 2 linear ft.
Church history, celebratory and obsequy programs, clippings, and notebooks of materials accumulated during the pastorates of R. B. James, Solomon David Ross, William H. Crews, and Harold Knox; also bulletins of church services.
Hammond Church of God in Christ (Detroit, Mich.)
- Hammond Church of God in Christ records, 1964-1989
- 0.3 linear ft.
Church and Sunday school account books detailing money offerings; bylaws and other organizational records; brief history; publications and other mailings; and photographs.
Snapshots of choir, pastor, and exterior of church building.
Annual Harvest Day Celebration, Second
Baptist Church, Ann Arbor, ca. 1940.
the Charles W. Carpenter papers.
Hartford Memorial Baptist Church records (Detroit, Mich)
- Hartford Memorial Baptist Church records, 1922-[ongoing]
- 17 linear ft.
Detroit, Michigan, African American church.
Files concern church governance and policies; church committees and other organizations; and church events, celebrations, and services; also include publications and topical files with information on pastors Charles Hill and Charles Adams.
Haviland, Laura S.
- Laura S. Haviland papers, [ca. 1868-1933].
- 100 items.
Lenawee County, Michigan educator, and temperance and anti-slavery activist.
Scrapbook, correspondence and other miscellanea concerning her work as a missionary with the American Home Missionary Society after the Civil War; also biographical sketch by Adda Camburn Church; and photographs.
Hill family
- Charles A. Hill family papers, 1917-1981
- 2.7 linear ft.
Charles A. Hill was pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church (formerly Hartford Avenue Baptist Church) in Detroit, 1920-1969.
Papers of Charles A. Hill and family pertaining to his church activities and to his involvement in various political and civil rights causes; includes minute book to the meetings of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP, 1944-1947; collected material on Hill and his activities gathered by the Detroit Police Department; and scrapbooks of clippings and photographs of Hill relating to his role as a pastor.
Scrapbooks of photographs and other memorabilia detailing his pastoral career and his involvement in Detroit events. Included are portraits and informal photos of Hill and his family; also photos of church events and groups.
Program from St. Paul A.M.E.
Zion Church, 1957. From Box
1 of the William Alexander
Hilliard papers.
Hilliard, William Alexander
- William Alexander Hilliard papers, 1946-1980 (scattered dates).
- .5 linear ft.
Pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church, Detroit, Michigan, 1947-1959; bishop of A.M.E. Zion Church, 1960-
Church reports written by Hilliard and his wife Edra Mae Hilliard, programs, published A.M.E. Zion Church materials, biographical information, and photograph of Hilliard and his wife, Edra Mae Hilliard.
McIntire, Carl
- Carl McCintire publications, 1933-1993 (bulk 1960s-1970s).
- 3 linear ft.
Native of Ypsilanti, Michigan; clergyman, president and founder of the International Council of Christian Churches, editor of the Christian Beacon, and founder of the Twentieth Century Reformation Hour, and affiliated organizations.
Sermons, tracts, books, and miscellaneous materials written by McIntire; biographical and historical materials about McIntire and organizations with which he was affiliated; and various materials published by the Christian Beacon Press and the Twentieth Century Reformation Hour.
Michigan Association of Free Will Baptists
- Michigan Association of Free Will Baptists records, 1838-1953.
- 2 linear ft.
Constitutions, minutes and financial records of the yearly meetings, 1838-1891; also records of the Michigan Association, 1889-1953; the ministers' conference, 1869-1916; the state young people's organization, 1891-1893; and the women's missionary society, 1890-1891; sketch of Hillsdale College; and indenture and miscellaneous business and legal papers.
Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church (Battle Creek, Mich.)
- Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1925-2008.
- 4 linear ft.
Battle Creek, Michigan African American church.
Records of church conferences, board, and trustees meetings; also materials relating to the church as gathered by church historian, Frank R. Brown.
New Bethel Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- New Bethel Baptist Church records, 1979-2002.
- 0.3 linear ft.
Organized in 1932, New Bethel Baptist Church has long been a center for religious development, civil rights leadership, and social action in the Detroit neighborhood of Linwood. Its pastors have included C. L. (Clarence LaVaughn) Franklin and Robert Smith, Jr.
The collection consists of booklets and promotional materials pertinent to a variety of commemorative programs (1979, 1985-1988), and two membership handbooks (1987, 1988). Program booklets contain numerous photographs and some church history and pastoral biography.
New Harmony Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- New Harmony Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.) record book, 1946-1959.
- 1 vol.
African American Baptist Church.
Record book includes financial records, membership lists, record of offerings, and minutes of scattered meetings.
New Hope Baptist Church (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
- New Hope Baptist Church records, 1965-2004
- 1.3 linear feet.
Ann Arbor, Michigan, African American church.
Files relating to church administration and activities; financial record books and reports; minutes of church officers; church anniversary booklets and other publications; and other subject files.
Parks, Lyman S.
- Lyman S. Parks papers, 1962-1977.
- 4 linear ft. and 1 oversize folder.
Pastor of the Grand Rapids A. M. E. First Community Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, city commissioner, acting mayor, and later mayor, 1971-1975.
Mayoralty files, political materials, scrapbooks of career activities, and photographs.
Portraits; photographs of Parks with various public figures, and of Parks at numerous official functions, including Mayor Exchange days at Warren, Southfield, and Saginaw, Michigan.
Pennington, Jasper Green
- Jasper Green Pennington papers, 1969-2007
- 2 linear ft.
Episcopal clergyman at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Ypsilanti, Michigan; also local historian of Washtenaw County, Michigan.
The Pennington papers relates primarily to his activities with the Washtenaw County Historic District Commission. Other materials concern general Episcopal Church activities in Inkster and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Of special interest are the historical research papers prepared by Pennington on Episcopal and Ypsilanti topics.
Potts, Robert L.
- Robert L. Potts papers, 1966-1992.
- 4 linear ft., 11 sound cassettes
Episcopal priest, member of the executive committee of the Metropolitan Detroit Citizens Development Authority, civic organization established with the goals of improving the economic, social, educational, cultural and general welfare of the people of the city of Detroit, Michigan; also coordinator of the Youth Opportunity Council of Detroit.
Executive committee minutes, financial statements, and miscellaneous papers relating to his activities; also writings of his son, Randolph Potts; also sound recordings of sermons given by Potts.
Sound recordings of sermons preached at Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit, Michigan.
Presbytery of Marshall (Mich.)
- Presbyterian Church, Presbytery of Marshall minutes, 1838-1870.
- 3 vol.
Material concerning the anti-slavery movement.
Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
- Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Flint, Mich.) collection, 2000-2010.
- 0.1 linear ft. and oversize folder.
Church organized in 1875 in Flint, Michigan; named in memory of William Paul Quinn, fourth bishop of the A.M.E. Church.
Anniversary brochures, 2000, 2008, and 2010; also scanned photographs of historic marker in front of contemporary church facility; also scanned photographs of previous buildings and of church pastors and early members.
Robinson, Hubert Nelson
- Hubert Nelson Robinson papers, 1948-1984.
- .3 linear ft., 2 v. [outsize] and 3 folders photographs.
Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Scattered correspondence, and clippings detailing his career, church programs and printed material; also photographs.
Portraits; photos of Robinson and his family at farewell reception prior to trip to South Africa; photos of church services and ceremonies, and of honorary degree ceremonies for Robinson; and group photos of bishops of the A.M.E. Church.
Salvatore, Nick
- C. L. Franklin oral history project, 1998-2002.
- 47 transcripts of interviews and 117 audiocassettes (in 3 boxes).
Professor of history at Cornell University.
Recordings and transcripts of interviews conducted in the course of his research into the life and career of C. L. Franklin, African American clergyman, long-time pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, and active participant in the civil rights movement.
Sampson, Frederick G.
- Frederick G. Sampson papers, 1970-2008.
- 1.25 linear feet and 1 oversize folder.
Pastor of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan.
Pastoral files include church programs, newsletters, souvenir booklets, and events file relating largely to church's African American Male Spirituality Week; also writings, sermons, biographical material, and photographs.
Second Baptist Church, Ann Arbor, ca. 1900.
From the publication "Second Baptist Church
centennial, 1865-1965". MIRLYN entry
Second Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Second Baptist Church records, 1911-1989,
- 14 microfilm reels
Annual reports, financial records, histories, minutes of advisory board meetings, pastoral correspondence, annual and quarterly publications, and weekly bulletins; include files of pastors Robert L. Bradby, Sr. and Allan A. Banks, Jr. detailing in part their efforts in finding employment for members of Detroit's black community, especially with the Ford Motor Company; and photographs.
Photograph of church exterior, 1920; photograph of gym class, 1912, and of servers at church banquet, 1916.
Smith, Charles Spencer
- Charles S. Smith papers, [ca. 1875]-1923.
- 4 linear ft.
Teacher and bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church.
Correspondence, sermons, speeches, photographs, articles, manuscript history of the A.M.E. Church, and printed material; include material relating to church activities, to his visits to Africa, the settlement of Liberia by American blacks, the education of blacks and related topics; and scattered papers of his wife Christine Shoecraft Smith, and their son, Charles S. Smith, Jr., concerning his World War I activities.
Portraits; photographs of Smith as part of larger church groups; photographs of church groups and buildings; also snapshots and postcards of the largely African American resort communities of Idlewild and Baldwin, Michigan.
Charles Spencer Smith, ca. 1890
St. Matthew's and St. Joseph's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Matthew's and St. Joseph's Episcopal Church records, 1884-1997.
- 12.5 linear ft.
Church formed in 1971 from the merger of two Detroit, Michigan, Episcopal parishes.
Historical and informational files; vestry minutes and treasurer's records; records of church organizations; publications and church bulletins; subject files; scrapbooks; and photographs.
Photos of church buildings, member activities, and church leaders.
St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church records, 1920s-[ongoing]
- 6 linear ft.
Correspondence, administrative files, Sunday bulletins, and topical files relating to the activities of the church and its pastors, most notably William Hilliard and William C. Ardrey.
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Timothy's Episcopal Church records, 1928-2010.
- 7 linear feet, 17 oversize volumes, and 1 oversize folder.
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, which ceased operation in 2010, was formed from the merger of St. Timothy's and St. Augustine's in 1968. St. Timothy's was established in 1928 as a store-front church in Detroit. St. Augustine's was established in 1929 following a survey taken by the Vicar of St. Cyprian's of the homes along 8 Mile Road in northwest Detroit and in the suburb of Inkster, west of Dearborn. St. Augustine's was intended to minister to the African American community in this area.
The bulk of the records relate to St. Timothy's and include parish registers with records of communicants, baptisms, confirmations, burials, and marriages; registers of church services; treasurer's record books; record books containing names of members and record of their giving; vestry minutes; subject files; church newsletters and bulletins, and photographs and a videotape. The records of St. Augustine's date from 1929 to 1968. These records include a parish register and a register of church services, and a file of correspondence and other papers of the Rev. E. D. Morisseau.
Universal Hagar's Spiritual Church.
- Universal Hagar's Spiritual Church records, 1925-2012, bulk 1999-2012.
- 1.3 linear feet.
Universal Hagar's Spiritual Church was founded by George W. Hurley in 1923 in order to promote the study of the science, phenomena and philosophy of spiritual religion and is based in Detroit. The church is also affiliated with Hagar's School of Mediumship and Psychology and the Knights of the All Seeing Eye.
The collection includes material from the early years of the church's operation, but the majority of the collection documents church activities after the year 2000. included are publications, records of annual convenings, organizational miscellanea, scattered correspondence, and program materials.
Waddles, Charleszetta
- Charleszetta Waddles Autobiography, ca. 1975
- 1 folder
Pentecostal minister and founder of the Perpetual Mission for Saving Souls of All Nations in Detroit, Michigan.
Describes her mission work and other aspects of her life.
Walls, Floyd Atwood, 1920-1987.
- Floyd Atwood Walls family papers, 1967-1995.
- 1 folder.
Pastor of Shiloh Church of God in Christ, Ypsilanti, Mich., and jurisdictional bishop of the Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ in Canada.
Clippings, programs, and some correspondence relating to Bishop Floyd A. Walls and his family.
Washington, Georgia M.
- Georgia M. Washington papers, 1940s-1950s.
- 0.2 linear ft.
Detroit African American church woman and cosmetologist.
Event programs and other publications from Hartford Ave. Baptist Church, other Detroit churches, and area cultural performances; cosmetology publications; and snapshots of family, friends, and trips.
Wealthy Park Baptist Church (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Wealthy Park Baptist Church records, 1892-1985.
- 16 linear ft.
Church originally established as a Sunday school mission of Fountain Street Baptist Church in 1875. The Church was officially incorporated as Wealthy Street Baptist Church in 1886. In 1988, following the move of the church to the Grand Rapids suburbs, the name was changed to Wealthy Park Baptist Church.
The record group has been arranged into the following series: Church Administration (2 linear ft.; 1892-1975); David Otis Fuller correspondence and sermon files (9.5 linear ft.; 1928-1985); Missionary correspondence (4.5 linear ft.; 1923-1980); and Photographs (.1 linear ft.; ca. 1920s-1980s). The missionary correspondence consists of letters and circulars from church-sponsored missionaries serving throughout the world.
Woods, John A.
- John A. Woods papers, 1932-1989 (bulk 1970-1989).
- 1.5 linear ft.
AME pastor with churches in Albion and Ann Arbor, Michigan.