St. Stephen Embarks on the Next 100 Years
By Sister Patricia Marshall, 4thEpiscopal District
With the onset of 2019, the Rev. Darryl Williams excitedly hit the ground running to usher St. Stephen AME Church in Detroit, Michigan, into its second 100 years. He looked forward, with anticipation, to beginning his appointment at St. Stephen on October 1, 2017. When he and his wife, Laurelyn, arrived, they had already visited the church on several occasions during over 30 years of his ministry in the 4thDistrict. However, they were not prepared for the devastation and decimation they encountered surrounding the desolate neighborhood where the church is located. St. Stephen had been on the same corner of Stanford and Cobb for 100 years but only a handful of the homes remained in what had once been a vibrant, working-class neighborhood.
The church had always been well-maintained but looked like a jewel in a tarnished crown. Yet, as a generational church, its members travel from near and far to attend and support the church of their childhood. It is in the church where they received their parents and grandparents’ legacies which provided the very foundation of their Christian tenets and values. The members of St. Stephen took great pride in their church motto: “The church where the Word, Prayer and Love make the difference.” They enthusiastically launched a campaign to celebrate their 100th anniversary. When the Centennial Celebration concluded on November 18, 2018, it proved to be successful financially and in its evangelism. Many former members came back to the church to participate in the events and many of them remained. Bishop John Franklin White, the presiding prelate of the Fourth Episcopal District, closed the Centennial Anniversary with a powerful sermon entitled, “We’ve Come This Far by Faith” from Hebrews 11:1-40.
Pastor Williams introduced a four-part plan called the M.I.L.E. Program, designed to give St. Stephen financial stability for the future. Each letter in the acronym represents a component for investment projections to be implemented by its members for the benefit of the church. In addition, Project 100 Growth Ministry was birthed to encourage continued Christian growth.
In the year since he has taken the helm, Pastor Williams has impacted his congregation in a myriad of ways. First and foremost, he and his wife have displayed a partnership that is a model example of what a marriage should be when a couple in ministry is equally-yoked. The chemistry that has been built with his church is comparable to a good marriage and is irrefutable. Second, he is a dynamic preacher and teacher whose message resonates with his listeners. Third, he spent his first year forging relationships with his members to learn who they were and what skillset they had. In doing so, he has gained their trust and willingness to join together for a synergistic approach to make needed transformations. Also, because the community was in ruins, he felt the necessity to develop liaisons inside the city’s government. His goal was to become acquainted with city officials and department heads that could be called on for assistance when needed.
In addition, it was important to let those in power realize that St. Stephen played an important role in Detroit and intended to be around for another 100 years. His philosophy is that the church cannot do the same things that it has always done and expect different results. Since he is a visionary, he looked past the present and shared the challenge of restoration in the future. In doing so, members that have never been involved in working for the church are now doing so and pews that have been empty in the past are once more filled. In August, St. Stephen will have the honor of hosting the Annual Conference for the Fourth Episcopal District under the guidance of Pastor Williams.
