More than 60 Venezuelan migrants have arrived in Detroit and are being assisted by the Church of the Messiah while staying at a shelter nearby. Many are fleeing economic hardships and political corruption. One Detroit Senior Producer Bill Kubota spent a Sunday afternoon at the Church of the Messiah talking to the migrants and people helping them.
Read MoreA new PBS docuseries, “GOSPEL,” from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. delves into the origins and influence of gospel music on Black spirituality. Host Stephen Henderson talks with Stacey L. Holman, the director and producer of the docuseries, about gospel’s rich history, its impact on the Black church, Detroit’s connection to the genre, and how other music genres have been influenced by gospel.
Read MoreDetroit and the nation are mourning the loss of one of this country’s most influential Black ministers. Rev. Dr. Charles G. Adams, pastor emeritus of Detroit’s Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, passed away at age 86. Rev. Charles Christian Adams, the son of Rev. Adams, talks about his father’s legacy after more than 50 years in the pulpit.
Read MoreThe “Black Church in Detroit” series examines how technology trends are shaping the present and future of the Black Church. Two Detroit pastors, Rev. Carnel Richardson of New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church and Pastor Aramis Hinds from Breakers Covenant Church International talk about their churches’ journey adapting to the technologies brought forth by the pandemic and the future of artificial intelligence in ministry.
Read MoreAmerican Black Journal’s “Black Church in Detroit” series examines the role of the city’s religious community in the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom. Bishop Mbiyu Chui of the Shrine of the Black Madonna #1 delves into the often-forgotten connection between the city’s Black churches and the historic civil rights march.
Read MoreIn observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, “American Black Journal” host Stephen Henderson has a frank conversation with Rev. Dr. Carla Spight-Mackey, a clinical specialist at Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, about the need for resources and ways for ministers can get mental health support.
Read MoreAmerican Black Journal’s “Black Church in Detroit” series examines the important role the Black church plays in supporting the city’s schools and students through DPSCD’s Faith-Based Initiative and Every School Day Counts program.
Read MoreChurch of the Messiah Pastor Rev. Barry Randolph hosts an awards ceremony honoring Detroit’s first responders after they kept residents and property safe during two fires on the city’s East side.
Read MoreIn the wake of the recent mass shootings across the country, “American Black Journal” looks at the Black church’s moral and spiritual roles in helping curb gun violence in the community. Rev. Cindy Rudolph at Oak Grove AME Church talks to her congregation about the violence. Plus, host Stephen Henderson has a frank conversation about the root causes of the shootings, the church’s role in disrupting the violence, and the candid concerns of young people.
Read More“American Black Journal” explores how gospel music grew from the blues. Host Stephen Henderson sits down with Baptist pastor and blues musician Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. to explore the connection between the blues and gospel music, and their symbolic, symbiotic relationship. Plus, they discuss gospel music’s roots in the African American community then and today.
Read MoreAmerican Black Journal Producer AJ Walker talks with Dr. Brandon Waddles, a composer, arranger, choir director and music instructor at Wayne State University, about how Negro spirituals uplifted enslaved Africans brought to this country and how it served as a universal language that helped lead them to freedom. Plus, they discuss R&B singers, past and present, whose musical roots stemmed from the Black Church.
Read More“American Black Journal” producer AJ Walker meets with Rev. Cindy Rudolph, of Oak Grove AME Church in Detroit, to learn more about how the church reacted and adapted new ways of worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rudolph talks about having to quickly adapt to remote services, online tithing and increased community outreach, all in the midst of her first few months as the church’s new senior pastor
Read MoreHost Stephen Henderson sits down with Bishop Charles Ellis III of Greater Grace Temple, Rev. Dr. Steve Bland, Jr. of Liberty Temple Baptist Church, and Pastor Semmeal Thomas of City Covenant Church to talk about the changes to their worship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More“American Black Journal” producer AJ Walker visits St. Charles Lwanga parish, formerly known as St. Cecelia Church, for a wide-ranging discussion with its pastor, Fr. Theodore Parker, as the parish prepares for its 100th-anniversary celebration. The two talk about the history of Black Catholicism, the church’s name change and the controversy over a painting of Black Jesus.
Read MoreDetroit’s Black Catholic population isn’t what it used to be. What was once a thriving religious community here has dwindled over the years. Host Stephen Henderson sits down with leaders from the University of Detroit Mercy and the Archdiocese of Detroit for a discussion about the dwindling population of Black Catholics and parishes Detroit and what efforts are being made to rebuild the community.
Read MoreStephen sits down with ‘The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song,’ documentary producer and director Stacey Holman to hear her perspectives on the series’ impact and the importance of the church in the Black community.
Read MoreAs part of American Black Journal’s Black Church in Detroit one-year anniversary episode,...
Read MoreOrlando Bailey of BridgeDetroit visits Second Ebenezer Church to talk with its senior pastor.
Read MoreJoin us February 1 for this live virtual watch party event as we explore and honor the significance and history of the Black Church in Detroit.
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