History

How it all started...

Linwood Church of Christ’s long and interesting history began approximately in 1925, with its first worship service held on Hudson Street in Detroit, Michigan.  After which, the congregation moved to Willard School located on Hamilton at Davidson in Highland Park.  Later, a storefront on Labelle at the corner of Lincoln, and then the first permanent place on Ford Avenue at the corner of Thompson, in Detroit, Michigan.  It was at this location that Bro. James Stewart became Linwood’s (then, Ford Avenue Church of Christ) first full time-Minister.
 
Many ministers have served the congregation, such as Bro. Alonzo Rose, Bro. Charles Webb, Bro. Joseph Lewis, Bro. Orum Trone Jr. and Bro. Alex Davenport. However, Bro. Zebedee Bishop was the minister on two different occasions. He help build, and labored at the Wyoming Church of Christ after which, in1972 he returned to Ford Avenue (Ford/Linwood Church of Christ) to serve as Minister.  After several years of sacrificing to raise funds, Bro. Zebedee Bishop, Bro. Walter Balloon Sr. and Bro. Jessie Bishop Sr. as Elders, were able to break ground of a new site, at the current location of 14001 Linwood on May 1975.  Occupancy took place the following year on Mother’s Day 1976.  December, 1989, Linwood Church of Christ was blessed to burn its mortgage.
 
In 1982, Bro. Paul McClendon was ordained as Elder, which in later years Bro. Lawrence Collins, Bro. Marshall Powell, Bro. Theodore Griffin, and Bro. Tommy Slaughter was all ordained.  Along with others (whom became Elders), in the 1980’s Bro. Samuel Anthony served as deacon).  In 1996 Bro. Easley Daney, Bro. Fred Gary, and Bro. Waymond Guthery were ordained as Elders, while Bro. David Stovall II, Bro. Mark Gibson, and Bro. Henry Davis was ordained as Deacons.
 
After serving the congregation for over 25 years, Bro. Zebedee Bishop retired, Bro. Marshall Powell resigned as Elder, and Bro. Jerry Macon became the next Minister.  Within this time, Bro. Theodore Griffin, and Bro. Tommy Slaughter resigned to serve another congregation, and sadly, Bro. Easley Daney passed on from life to eternity.  After three years, Bro. Jerry Macon departed the Linwood Church of Christ to form what is currently known as the Metro Central Church of Christ.  After which, many Ministers served the Linwood congregation, such as Bro. Charles Wilson, whom implemented the “ministry of reconciliation” for 2 years, Bro. James Mark Thompson, whom carried the congregation from 90 members to 800 within one year, and 1100 members within 4 years.
 
Due to the overwhelming growth of the congregation during Bro. James Mark Thompson’s tenure, the church moved its worship service from the Linwood location to the Shiner Theater in Southfield, Michigan to await the completion of a new larger edifice on Dexter Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.  However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Bro. James Mark Thompson departed the congregation.  The end of 1996 was very difficult for the Congregation.  In spite of the circumstance, several members remained under the leadership of Bro. James Mark Thompson to form another church, while others returned back to the Linwood location, with Bro. Paul McClendon, Bro. Waymond Guthery Sr., Bro. David Stovall II, and Bro. Fred Gary serving as Elders.  At the end of 2006, Bro. Fred Gary resigned as Elder, relocating south, while early in 2007, Bro. Paul McClendon became Elder Emeritus, having served the congregation for over 30 years.
 
After Bro. James Mark Thompson departure many Ministers served the congregation for transitional purposes, two of those individuals were Bro. Jason Moore of the Royal Oak Church of Christ, and Bro. Donale Stewart of the Franklin Road Church of Christ.
 
Installed in September 2007 as Ministers, Bro. Donale Stewart and Jason Moore brought a wide range of leadership abilities to the congregation. With the synergy of the Elders; Waymond Guthery Sr., and David Stovall II, Trustees; Rahman Kenyatta, John Mack, Samuel Black, Stanley Davidson, and Sylvester Jones, their primary focus was “pressing forward, and building the church quantitatively and qualitatively through spiritual and loving relationships, and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
However, at the beginning of 2011, God had advanced his purpose within the Linwood Church of Christ.  She found herself in the midst of another transition that would reshape the face of the congregation.  Early in the year, Elder Waymond Guthery Sr. resigned which caused the dissolving of the overall Eldership.  A month later, Elder David Stovall II resigned from leadership and, a week after Elder David Stovall II’s resignation, Minister Jason Moore resigned to pursue other tasks within the Royal Oak Church of Christ.  This, however, opened another chapter to the Linwood church of Christ; organizing the leadership with Bro. Donale Stewart still as the Evangelist/Minister, and a new Trustee board (Rahman Kenyatta, Paul McClendon, John Mack, Samuel Black, Stanley Davidson, and Timothy Darby Sr. also named as the Congregation Leading Brothers);
 
In 2012, Paul McClendon and Timothy Darby Sr. vacated the Leadership and Trustee Board for personal reasons.  In 2014, Rahman Kenyatta made his eternal transition, and in 2015 Linwood installed Taylor Todd as Assistant Minister and named Henry Capers as a member of the Trustee Board/Leading Brother.  However, for personal reasons, after three months, Taylor Todd resigned and vacated the Assistant Minister’s position, thus leaving Donale Stewart remaining as Minister, and Samuel Black, Stanley Davidson, John Mack, and Henry Capers as Trustees and Leading Brothers; all united with the vision to continue a focus on Christ, pressing forward, and building the church as God commands, quantitatively and qualitatively through spiritual and loving relationships, and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 

Expanding the vision...

“Let us Rise Up and Build” (Neh. 2:18). The Nehemiah Project is Linwood Church of Christ's 10-year plan of action to build upon the spiritual past and establish a solid foundation for the present and future. We are seeking to accomplish this via a seven-point focus; Spiritual & Character Development, Financial Stability, Outreach, Retention, Linwood Community Initiative, Continual Facility Upgrade, Continual Developing Leadership and Succession.