Detroit: Religion: Churches and other Organizations
Children's Usher Board, Bethel A.M.E. Church, Frederick St., Detroit, undated 1950s (Bethel A.M.E. Church records, Box 1) image bl004019
All Saints Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- All Saints Episcopal Church records 1891-1914.
- 1 volume.
Record of baptisms and burials.
Bethany Presbyterian Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Bethany Presbyterian Church records, 1929-1943.
- 3 volumes.
Membership rolls, minutes and reports of the session and the board of trustees.
Bethel A.M.E. Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Bethel A.M.E. Church records, 1897-1990s (bulk 1912-1969)
- 0.2 linear ft., 2 oversize items, and 2 microfilm reels.
Historical and background information; inaugural address of pastor Joseph L. Roberts; biographical sketch of pastor William H. Peck; and photographs.
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.
Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Detroit, Mich.)
- Cathedral Church of St. Paul records 1824-1995
- 7 linear feet (in 10 boxes) and 19 oversize volumes.
Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, originally St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Registers of baptisms, marriages, confirmations, communicants, and burials, 1824-1936; meeting minutes, 1824-1941; registers of church services, 1924-1995; financial records; membership lists, 1936-1940; scrapbooks and other administrative miscellaneous.
Christ Church (Detroit, Mich. : United Church of Christ)
- Christ Church, United Church of Christ, Detroit records, 1886-1966.
- 1 linear ft.
Church originally established as Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, then later (date uncertain) as Christ Evangelical and Reformed Church. After 1961, the name became Christ Church, United Church of Christ. The church originally served the German community of Detroit.
Church government documents; record books of marriages, baptisms, and funerals; and consistory minutes. (Records in German prior to 1926.)
Finding aid available in library
Church of Our Saviour (Leesville, Detroit, Mich.)
- Church of Our Saviour records, 1888-1966.
- 9 volumes.
Episcopal church located in Detroit.
Minutes of vestry meetings, 1888-1944 and 1963-1966 (8 volumes); minutes of women's guild, 1925-1928; and church register, 1906-1942.
Church of the Ascension (Detroit, Mich.)
- Church of the Ascension records, 1911-1988.
- 3 linear ft., 5 oversize volumes, and 1 oversize folder.
Episcopal church located in Detroit.
Church records include church histories, vestry minutes, annual parish meeting minutes and reports, membership directories and card indexes, scattered correspondence and bulletins, records of churchwomen's organization, and photographs; also registers of baptisms, marriages, burials, and communicants; and registers of church services.
Church of the Good Shepherd (Detroit, Mich.)
- Church of the Good Shepherd records, 1881-1907.
- 1 item.
Episcopal Church in Detroit.
Record of baptisms, communicants and burials.
Church of the Holy Spirit (Detroit, Mich.)
- Church of the Holy Spirit records, 1946-1952.
- 2 volumes.
Episcopal church in Detroit.
Register of church services and records of baptisms and confirmations.
Church of the Messiah (Detroit, Mich.)
- Church of the Messiah records, 1875-1998.
- 2.75 linear ft.
Organized in 1874, the Church of the Messiah has a long history of involvement in social action activities both within its Detroit, Michigan neighborhood and in national and international arenas. Urban ministry under leadership of Ron Spann and Dean Cole in the 1970s focused on housing, health, education, and political empowerment.
Collection composed of minutes, 1883-1963; registers of services, 1926 through 1979; scattered financial registers; and annual reports, 1926 to 1929. A member register for 1881 to 1901 includes a brief history. Scrapbooks contain significant documentation of church construction and its early history. The collection also includes a history of the church written in ca. 1922.
Congregation B'nai Israel (Detroit, Mich.)
- Congregation B'nai Israel warranty deed, 1891
- 2 items.
Deed for sale of property; and related letter.
Detroit Clericus (Mich.)
- Detroit Clericus records, 1885-1888 and 1894-1933.
- 5 volumes.
Records of monthly meetings of Detroit clergy of the Episcopal Church.
Detroit Presbyterial Association (Mich.)
- Detroit Presbyterial Association records, 1904-1986.
- 2 linear ft.
Organization of women's groups within the Detroit Presbytery.
Minutes and other materials relating to activities of the organization.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church records, 1874-1898.
- 2 volumes (in 1 box)
Vestry minutes, 1874-1898; register of families, baptisms, marriages, burials, communicants, 1875-1897.
Emmanuel-Bethel United Church of Christ (Royal Oak, Mich.)
- Emmanuel-Bethel United Church of Christ records, 1880-1974.
- 7.5 linear ft.
Formed in 1974 as a result of a merger between the Emmanuel United Church of Christ (Royal Oak, Mich.), founded in 1874, and Bethel United Church of Christ (Detroit, Mich.), founded in 1912. Both churches initially served an immigrant German population. Reinhold Niebuhr was pastor of the Bethel church from 1915 to 1928.
Membership records, church council and congregation meeting minutes, records of church organizations, histories, publications, and photographs. The bulk of the records are from Bethel Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Ephphatha Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Ephahatha Episcopal Church records, 1911-1928 and 1938-1959.
- 0.5 linear ft.
Church began as Episcopal mission to the deaf.Minutes of vestry meetings, 1912-1914 and 1918-1928; bishop'scommittee minutes, 1938-1942; register of baptisms, burials, marriages, etc.,1943-1959; financial ledgers, 1911-1928.
Epiphany Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Epiphany Episcopal Church records, 1895-1975 (bulk 1930-1973).
- 1 linear ft. and 4 oversized volumes.
Parish established in 1894. Parishioners built church and community center at Cadillac and Kercheval in Detroit. Declining membership in the 1950s and 1960s led to merger in 1973 with Church of the Messiah and the eventual sale of the buildings in 1975.
Minutes from 1895 through late 1940s and 1968-1973; registers of membership for 1896-1969 and services for 1930-1973; miscellaneous administrative files including correspondence and financial records, mainly from the 1960s and 1970s.
Episcopal Church. Diocese of Michigan.
- Episcopal Church, Diocese of Michigan records, 1830-1993.
- 15.5 linear ft., 6 oversize volumes, and 2 oversize folders.
Correspondence, deeds, committee reports, church histories, minutes of the executive council, records of ordinations, dismissals and confirmations, treasurer's reports, and minutes of trustees.
First Methodist Episcopal Society (Detroit, Mich.)
- First Methodist Episcopal Society constitution, 1822.
- 1 item (photostatic copy)
First Presbyterian Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- First Presbyterian Church records, 1817-1933.
- 1 linear ft.
Formerly the First Protestant Society.
Financial records of the First Protestant Society, 1821-1847; minutes and financial records of the board of deacons, 1872-1888; Sunday school accounts, 1923-1933; pew records, deeds, constitution, scattered correspondence and minutes of various church groups and of the session, and receipts and other financial records.
Fort Wayne Presbyterian Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Fort Wayne Presbyterian Church membership register, 1906-1924.
- 1 volume.
Grace Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Grace Church, Detroit, Michigan, records, 1866-1914.
- 9 volumes and 2 folders (in 2 boxes)
Registers of baptisms, marriages, burials, communicants, etc., 1866-1914; vestry minutes, 1867-1910; treasurer's record books, 1868-1910; and miscellaneous.
Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church records ca. 1920-2008
- 2 linear feet.
Church also called Shiloh Baptist Church.
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.
Hartford Memorial Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Hartford Memorial Baptist Church records, 1922-2000.
- 13 linear ft.
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.
Henry Ford Hospital. Chaplain.
- Henry Ford Hospital Chaplain records, 1972-1993.
- 3 v. in 1 box.
During the period of these records the chaplain was often (but not always) an Episcopal priest.
Register of church services, 1980-1988; register of baptisms, 1988-1993; register of marriages, 1972-1989.
Immanuel United Church of Christ (Detroit, Mich.)
- Immanuel United Church of Christ records, 1894 and 1912-1995 (bulk 1942-1978)
- 6 linear ft. and 1 oversize motion picture.
Church established by German immigrant workers to Detroit. The congregation was formerly associated with the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Series in the record group include Administrative files, Registers of Services, Historical Materials, records of Church Organizations, Yearly Files, Publications, and Visual Materials.
Finding aid available in library
Kenjockety Club (Detroit, Mich.)
- Kenjockety Club minutes, 1904-1958.
- 0.5 linear ft. (4 volumes)
An organization of wives of Presbyterian ministers.
Lutheran Church in America. Michigan Synod.
- Lutheran Church in America, Michigan Synod records, [ca. 1917-1987].
- 42 linear ft. and 2 oversize volumes.
President's correspondence, executive committee minutes, and minutes of annual conventions; also files on individual churches in the Synod, including clippings, reports, church histories and programs; contain information on Lutheran Churches in various Michigan cities, including Detroit.
Finding aid in the library.
Mariners' Church of Detroit (Detroit, Mich.)
- Mariners' Church records, 1848-1907.
- 1 volume (typescript copy)
History of the church and record of official acts of board of trustees.
Memorial Presbyterian Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Memorial Presbyterian Church records, 1854-1938.
- 2 linear ft.
Minutes, 1881-1938; membership records; church library records, 1862-1869; women's society records; Sunday school attendance records; financial records; minutes of special trustees, 1913-1918; records of the Clinton Avenue mission of Memorial Church, including minutes, 1866-1880; Sunday school records, Russell Street Sunday school records, 1858-1862, correspondence and reports.
Metropolitan Christian Council (Detroit-Windsor)
- Metropolitan Christian Council (Detroit-Windsor) records,?1920-2006
- 8 linear ft.
Federation of Detroit Christian churches established in 1919 as the Detroit Council of Churches of Christ. The Council was established to aid local churches in their evangelistic and social service programs. The council was known as Metropolitan Detroit Council of Churches (1962-1975) and Christian Communication Council of Metropolitan Detroit (1976-1999).
The record group documents the activities of the Council from the early 1920s until 2006. Records include annual reports produced by the Council, minutes from administrative meetings, pamphlets and promotional materials, photographs of council leadership and churches, topical files, records from General Assembly meetings, and videotapes of television programs produced by the council. Videocassettes of television programs produced by the Council including discussions of faith-based issues and artistic programs directed toward youth; and photograph portraits of Council officers.
Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion.
- Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion records 1941-2006
- 4.5 linear feet, 21 oversize volumes, and 1 oversize folder.
Organization originally established in 1940 as the Detroit Round Table of Catholics, Jews and Protestants. The organization held seminars and workshops, sponsored lectures, and organized annual Brotherhood Week events. The name of the organization has had several name changes. In 2006, it became the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion.
Scrapbooks, 1942-1952; program files; record books detailing activities of the Women's Division of the Greater Detroit Round Table, 1952-1992; and photographs.
Most Holy Trinity Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Most Holy Trinity Church records, 1834-1869.
- 1 microfilm reel.
Catholic parish largely composed of Irish immigrants..
Records of baptisms, marriages and deaths. (In English and Latin; permission of donor required)
Finding aid available in library
New Bethel Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- New Bethel Baptist Church records, 1979-1988.
- 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. Franklin and Robert Smith, Jr.
The collection consists of five 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 volume.
African American Baptist church.
Record book includes financial records, membership lists, record of offerings, and minutes of scattered meetings.
Olivet Presbyterian Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Olivet Presbyterian Church records, 1933-1945.
- 2 volumes.
Minutes and membership rolls.
Parishfield.
- Parishfield records, 1948-1971.
- 2.5 linear ft.
The Parishfield community (1948-1967) was a semi-independent agency of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan established to create a ministry of lay people who would further the mission of the church in society. The community, which was first based in Brighton, Michigan, hoped to renew the church through an awareness of society's critical issues. Meetings centered on broad topics that included religion, industry, corrections, freedom, and poverty. Hoping for more active involvement in the problems of urban society, Parishfield-Detroit opened in 1962. In 1966, the community moved its total operation to Detroit and the Brighton site was closed. Parishfield disbanded in 1967.
The records of Parishfield are organized into the following series: Correspondence, Background information, Publications, Photographs, Staff files, Administrative Records, Groups, Meetings, Programs, and Miscellaneous. The record group includes correspondence and other files of Parishfield administrators Francis O. Ayres, Roger Barney, and James Guinan. The staff files include notes and other materials of Guinan who participated in civil rights demonstrations in Detroit and in the South during during the 1960s. The Programs series includes information pertaining to the work of Detroit Industrial Mission.
People's Tabernacle (Detroit, Mich.)
- People's Tabernacle articles of association, 1878.
- 1 item.
Free tabernacle for the evangelization of the masses.
Redeemer Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Redeemer Episcopal Church records, 1928-1952.
- 0.4 linear ft. (3 volumes)
Name changed in 1936 from Church of the Redeemer.
Records of baptisms, marriages, burials, and membership; also treasurer's reports.
Second Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Second Baptist Church records, 1911-1989, bulk 1926-1988.
- 14 microfilm reels and 1 folder.
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.
St. Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church records, 1886-1988 (bulk 1944-1969).
- 3 linear ft.
Historical and other background information; vestry records include correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, registers of church services, and other subject files; records of church organizations; files pertaining to church camp and special church services; printed materials, and photographs.
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Barnabas Episcopal Church records, 1908-1940.
- 2 volumes.
Record of baptisms, marriages, and burials.
St. Christopher's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Christopher's Episcopal Church records, 1958.
- 1 folder.
Papers relating to the dedication of the church.
St. Columba's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Columba's Episcopal Church records, 1917-2003.
- 5 linear ft. and 18 oversized v.
St. Columba's Episcopal Church in Detroit, Michigan was established in 1913 as a mission extension of Old Christ Church, was incorporated, and continued functioning until 2003.
The record group includes administrative records, vestry records, official church registers, and information on church activities; also photographs.
St. George's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. George's Episcopal Church records, 1885-1935.
- 5 volumes.
Records of baptisms, confirmations, membership, and burials.
St. James Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. James Episcopal Church records, 1924-1993.
- 6 linear ft. and 1 oversize volume
Church located in the Brightmoor area of Detroit.
Vestry meeting minutes; administrative files; registers of services; registers of baptisms, burials, marriages, etc.; records of different church organizations; bulletins of special church services; yearly files of collected clippings, photos, and other materials regarding church activities.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Luke's Episcopal Church records, 1900-1905.
- 1 volume.
St. Luke's was discontinued in 1905.
Records of baptisms, marriages, and burials.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich. : 1897-1923)
- St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Detroit, Mich., records 1898-1924
- 0.1 linear ft.
Located at Thaddeus St. and West End Ave. in Detroit, St. Mark's merged with Church of the Ascension in 1923.
Register of baptisms, confirmations, communicants, marriages, and burials, 1898-1911 (with some gaps); vestry minutes, 1923-1924.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich. : 1927-)
- St. Mark's Episcopal Church records 1927-1994
- 4 linear ft. and 1 oversize volume.
Located in the Seven Mile-Gratiot area of Detroit.
Registers of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials, etc.; registers of church services; vestry minute books; records of church organizations; historical information; subject files; and photographs.
St. Martha's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Martha's Episcopal Church records 1948-2007
- 1 linear foot and 2 oversize volumes.
Church established in 1947, named St. Bartholomew's as a parochial mission of St. Matthias. In 1951, the church was named St. Martha's Mission and Parish. The church closed in 2007.
The record group includes registers of church services, 1975-1993; registers of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials, etc., 1948-2007; annual reports, 1997-2006; building specifications and land purchase file; publications and historical miscellaneous.
St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Mary's Episcopal Church records, 1990-2000.
- 2 v. in 1 folder.
Registers of church services including attendance and name of celebrant.
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 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.
St. Matthias' Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Matthias' Episcopal Church records, 1901-1978.
- 2 linear ft. and 5 oversize v.
Episcopal church located in Detroit.
Sacramental records including baptismal, marriage, and burialregisters; registers of confirmations and communicants; vestry minutes; andphotographs.
St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church records, 1957-1987.
- 4 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. Peter's Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Peter's Church records, 1859-1986.
- 1.5 linear ft. and 2 oversize v.
Episcopal church in Detroit, Mich.
Registers of marriages, baptisms, burials, communicants, and confirmations, 1859-1967 (record books for 1920-1967 are oversize volumes); vestry meeting minutes, reports, and correspondence, 1944-1955 and 1975-1986; minute book of church men's group, 1923-1943; and miscellaneous other records.
St. Peter's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Peter's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church records, 1880-1980.
- 5 linear ft.
Histories, minutes of meetings, treasurer's reports and minutes; records of youth and women's organizations; and yearbooks and church newspaper. (Partially in Danish)
Finding aid in the library.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- St. Thomas Episcopal Church records, 1885-1988.
- 3 linear ft. (5 boxes).
Church established as mission Sunday School in 1884 and disbanded in 1988 because of declining membership.
Registers of baptisms, marriages, burials and communicants; registers of church services; vestry minutes, annual parish meeting minutes, bishop's committee minutes, correspondence, budgets and treasurer's annual reports, and photograph albums.
Ste. Anne's Church (Detroit, Mich.)
- Ste. Anne's Church records, 1704-1844.
- 3 microfilm reels.
Oldest Catholic parish in Detroit.
Parish register and record of baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials (in French). There is restricted access to these records. Reel 3 also includes records of Most Holy Trinity Church, 1834-1869.
United Church of Christ. Michigan Conference.
- United Church of Christ, Michigan Conference records, 1840-1975.
- 20 linear ft.
Formed from the Michigan Conference of the Congregational Church and the Michigan-Indiana Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Retired records of individual associations and churches, including files on a number of Detroit churches; also photographs.
United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Presbytery of Detroit.
- United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., Presbytery of Detroit records, 1828-1974.
- 13 linear ft.
Minutes, rosters of ministers, and statistical and financial records; also retired records of individual Presbyterian churches, including the Cadillac Boulevard, Broadstreet United, Third Street Union Mission Sunday School, Church of the Redeemer, Forest Avenue, Marston Avenue, and the Welsh United in Detroit, the Hamtramck United, Waterford Center, and the Ida Presbyterian Church; and miscellaneous synodical files.
United Presbyterian Church of North America. Presbytery of Detroit.
- Presbytery of Detroit minutes, 1852-1948.
- 4 volumes
Picketers protesting "race mixing" at Bushnell Congregational Church, Southfield, Rd., Detroit, 1958 (Gerald L.K. Smith papers, Box 100) image bl004016