Metropolitan Church of God has roots dating back to 1884 when leaders of the Church of God Reformation Movement (Anderson, Indiana) engaged in evangelistic ministries in the Detroit area. Efforts toward an established congregation took place around 1900 under the leadership of T. J. Cox (1854-1934), a White minister who entered the ministry in 1886. Those who worshiped with Cox met in a house on Mack Avenue. Leroy Sheldon, another white minister, was also an active leader in the Detroit area during this period.
The Church of God is one of the first ten churches to be organized in Detroit. Second Baptist Church has the distinction of being the oldest African American church in Michigan, established in July 1837. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church traces its origins in Detroit back to 1841. St. Matthews Episcopal Church started in 1846. Ebenezer A.M.E. Church began in 1871 as a mission work of Bethel A.M.E. Church. The Church of God has the distinction of being the first interracial church in Detroit. Second Baptist, Bethel A.M.E., and Ebenezer A.M.E. were all African American.
Around 1912 Christiana Janes, an African American became pastor of the people previously nurtured by Cox and Sheldon. From all indications, this was the first interracial congregation of the Church of God with Black leadership, while the majority of members were White.
In 1914, a controversy arose about the advantages and disadvantages of interracial congregations in evangelistic efforts. The dispute resulted in a separation between the African American members and the White members. In 1915 the African American members left the group at Beniteau and Goethe and established themselves as a separate group near the downtown area of the City. From these two churches many of the other Detroit area Church of God congregations emerged, either directly through evangelistic efforts, or indirectly through mobility shifts, group disagreements, etc.
The Metropolitan Church of God was organized in May 1954 under the leadership of James Earl Massey, who served as pastor until 1976. During Massey’s tenure, Samuel G. Hines served as interim pastor (1964-1966) while Massey was on a missionary assignment to Jamaica. The first major meeting place was The Danish Brotherhood Hall located on W. Forest near Twelfth Street. The congregation met there for worship, fellowship and ministry until August 1955, when facilities at 2705 Joy Road were secured. The present church building at 13400 Schaefer was purchased in July 1971.
Robert O. Dulin, Jr. has served Metropolitan since February of 1974. He has ministered as the Pastor since 1976. Kevin W. Earley has worked alongside Pastor Dulin as the church’s Associate Pastor since August of 2003.
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