Detroit / Michigan / United States
In America, the Black Church began when slaves met secretly to hold religious services apart from their white masters. Since then, the Black Church has been a place of worship and has provided the education, the leadership and the political forum for Black-Americans. In the Detroit area there are a great number of historical Black Churches, the Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church is definitely one of them. The Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church has been a centering force in Detroit, Michigan since early 1916. The Sunday School of The Russell Street Baptist Church was the Mother organization of the church, as it gave birth to the Church. The Sunday School was called "The Sons and Daughters Sunrise Societys Organization." It was in the Sunday School that the idea of a church was born. The Sunday School was organized October 2, 1915. All available records agree that the first services was held in the home of the Rosss, who were the leading spirits of the new Church. They were involved with much of the making of the Churchs policies. The original Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church was organized on February 2, 1916, in the home of these organizers, Deacon and Mrs. West Ross. Their home was located in the area known as the Northend. Another leading family in the beginning church were the Hills. Later, The Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church moved from the Rosss home to a storefront located on Oakland at Alger. The Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church is the oldest church located in this Section of Detroit. Currently it is located at 8700 Chrysler Service Drive. It is boarded on the west by the 1-75 expressway, on the east by Knox Street, the North by Holbrook Street and on the South by Alger. The Church sits right on the corner of Alger and 1-75. As we examine and observe the historical facts surrounding the organization and development of this great religious institution, the period from 1916 to 1930 was the formative years of the church. From 1916 to 1920, the church experienced a period of instability. It was said that when the naming of the church was in progress, the congregation cast marbles and the Baptists won by one marble. Just as the General Motors Corporation had an unstable beginning, The Russell Street Baptist Church did also. 1916-1920 was truly the period of turbulence and self-finding. Those years were a formative period for the Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church. It is very unfortunate that a true and detailed record of the events of this period and the contributions of each Pastor were not recorded. It is obvious that Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church grew out of a need for Black people of Detroit, and was organized to meet the needs of the Northend, as there was not a church located in this area. During this time, the automobile industry was beginning to grow very rapidly. Many Blacks came from the South looking for employment. They were able to find employment with the automobile companies. As they settled in the Detroit area, they were looking for a place of religious worship. The Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church provided this spiritual outlet and spiritual growth for many of the blacks who came to the North seeking employment during this industrial migration. As General Motors, Chrysler and Ford Motor Company sought to build cars, Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church was building souls. Up until this time, The Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church had been Pastored by Rev. Harris, Rev. Craige, Rev. Sam Hill and Rev. B.J. Smith. Also, up to this point, it is written that the church had only one Deacon, who was West Ross. This would account for the frequent changes in Pastors and the slow progress of the church. As the concentration of power in the hands of a single person has proven the undoings of many organizations. In December 1919 when the church was located on the corner of Oakland and Alger, a scholarly statesman, Rev. J.O. Derrick came from Ypsil
