This week on One Detroit: 

One Detroit looks back at Church of the Messiah’s community impact for 150th anniversary 

The Church of the Messiah, at the corner of East Grand Boulevard and East Lafayette Street in Detroit, will commemorate its 150th anniversary this year with a special gala event Nov. 1 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Detroit. This year’s anniversary theme, “The Audacity of Faith,” celebrates the church’s 150 years of service and community building.  

Founded in 1874, the original church suffered a fire, and at that time a new one was scheduled to be built. The mission was built from the remains of the charred former Church of the Messiah, giving the ministry its name and structure. Today, the church serves a diverse congregation of members in Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood.

But the church’s mission extends far beyond worship. It offers vital services such as affordable housing, employment assistance, medical care, and free internet access for residents. Additionally, the church has an 84-member marching band that promotes literacy. Each year, Church of the Messiah Pastor Barry Randolph organizes the Silence the Violence march and rally, one of the largest anti-gun violence events in the country.

One Detroit has covered stories originating from the church about the lives of young men living in Islandview, affordable housing initiatives and successful entrepreneurs. One Detroit’s Will Glover looks back at those stories. And Randolph talks about the church’s milestone anniversary, its community engagement efforts, its support of local entrepreneurs and more.

Church of the Messiah marks 150 years of service, community building in Detroit

The Church of the Messiah Detroit will commemorate its 150th anniversary this year with a special gala event Nov. 1 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Detroit. This year’s anniversary theme, “The Audacity of Faith,” celebrates the church’s 150 years of service and community building.  

Host Stephen Henderson talks with Church of the Messiah Pastor Barry Randolph about the church’s upcoming anniversary. Plus, Randolph reflects on the church’s beginnings in Detroit, its move to the present location, the mission and work of the Episcopal Church, the importance of youth leadership, and the church’s impact in Islandview. Watch the full story here. 

OPINION | One Detroit political contributors discuss races to watch in the 2024 election

OPINON | As Election Day approaches, campaign ads permeate the airwaves and presidential candidates continue to make trips to Michigan, a swing state. 

One Detroit’s political contributors Stephen Henderson, host of “American Black Journal,” Nolan Finley, Editorial Page Editor of The Detroit News and Zoe Clark, Michigan Public’s political director, weigh in on some of the races they are watching closely. 

Couple finds love through communication, education and cultural differences

It was love at first sign. The moment Lily Mendoza and Jim Perkinson met at a conference, they each knew they’d found their life partner, and since getting their life together as activists and educators have been full and rich, yet embedded with their cultural complexities.

Mendoza, born and raised as a pastor’s child in the province of Pampanga in the Philippines, came to America for graduate school in 1995. When she arrived, she began working on the indigenization movement in the Philippine Academy and the Philippine diaspora in the United States.  

Perkinson, who’s also a professor and a poet, grew up in Cincinnati and migrated to Detroit in 1974 “to be part of a Christian community experience on the (city’s) East side,” he said. Being a member of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah for 15 years allowed Perkinson to learn about Detroit, and the people and cultures that call it home, through a different lens. 

Now, nearly two decades after getting married, the couple sits at Belle Isle Park and reminisces about when they first met, the poem Perkinson wrote that won Mendoza’s heart, the cultural backgrounds they’ve had to learn about each other, and what it’s been like building a life together in Detroit. In this segment of the five-part series, a part of One Detroit’s AAPI Story Series, Mendoza and Perkinson talk about how they’ve navigated the differences between their cultures throughout their relationship and what they’re still learning.

Things to do in Detroit this weekend: November 1, 2024

Spooky times in and around Detroit continue with Halloween-themed events and Día de los Muertos celebrations. Plus, the holiday season is right around the corner with the All Things Detroit Holiday Shopping Experience and Food Truck Rally.  

There are also several upcoming performances to check out including Stan Barnes and Friends, Steve Martin and Martin Short, an Oakland Symphony Orchestra concert and more. One Detroit contributors Dave Wagner and Cecelia Sharpe of 90.9 WRCJ share what’s coming up on “One Detroit Weekend.”