A Church on East Grand Boulevard
Immanuel House of Prayer sits on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit, a wide historic avenue lined with churches, stately homes and community landmarks on the city's near east side. The congregation at 147 E Grand Boulevard worships in a Pentecostal, Bible-based, Christ-centered tradition that Bishop Thomas L. Johnson Sr. and his wife Lady Ellazean planted in 1975 and continue to lead more than four decades later. Its 2026 theme, "Lord Return Your Glory Back In Our House," sets the tone for a congregation that blends traditional apostolic teaching with a warm, family feel.
Founding and the Bishop's Calling
Bishop Johnson is a Detroit native, educated in the Detroit Public Schools and a graduate of Chadsey High School who went on to study at Marygrove College and later received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Detroit Urban Bible College. He says he met Jesus Christ on his own "road to Damascus" in 1970 and was filled with the Holy Spirit shortly after. After being ordained an elder in 1974, he yielded to what he describes as a clear call and established Immanuel House of Prayer in 1975. In 1994 he was elevated to the office of Bishop, and in the same year he planted a second congregation, Immanuel House of Prayer-South, in Darien, Georgia.
To extend his calling beyond the two churches, Bishop Johnson founded the Immanuel Ecumenical Council of Churches (IECC), a fellowship that brings together ministers and congregations across denominational lines for training and mutual support. He also launched F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Enrichment), a nonprofit that promotes academic growth, family stability and neighborhood development in urban Detroit. Both organizations flow directly out of Immanuel House of Prayer and carry the same apostolic heartbeat.
The Johnson Family in Ministry
Bishop Johnson is joined at the helm by Lady Ellazean Johnson, his wife of more than five decades and a Detroit native in her own right. Lady Ella, as she is known, is described at IHP as a Proverbs 31 woman whose life scripture is Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation." She is known for her gifts in hospitality, culinary arts and decorating, and for mentoring other pastors' wives. The couple have seven children and a growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The pastoral team also includes Joyce Johnson Tyus, Senior Assistant Pastor, and Stacey and Cornelius Sims, Assistant Pastors. Bishop Johnson serves as a sought-after evangelist and teacher, and the church frequently invites guest ministers such as Pastor Sian Johnson for revival services.
Weekly Worship and Bible Teaching
The main weekly gathering is the Sunday service at 11:00 AM, held in the sanctuary at East Grand Boulevard and broadcast live on YouTube so that members near and far can take part. Before the morning service, Sunday School meets at 9:00 AM over Zoom (Meeting ID 806 571 7567), giving adults an early hour of Bible study.
Midweek teaching comes in two parts. On Wednesdays at 11:00 AM, a Bible Class is offered over the same Zoom line. On Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM, the IHP Weekly Bible Academy gathers on Zoom for a focused hour of deeper study. Members and guests join from home, work or wherever they are.
Throughout the week, the church operates a Daily Prayerline at 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM Eastern. Anyone can dial in by calling the conference line and entering the access code to join the church in prayer at the start and end of each day. Prayer requests can also be submitted online, and the church prays over them in agreement.
What IHP Believes
The church's statement of faith is laid out plainly across thirteen articles on its beliefs page. IHP teaches that the Bible is the infallible Word of God and the authority for salvation and Christian living; that there is one God, manifested as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, born of a virgin, who came to reconcile humanity to the Father.
Salvation is understood as deliverance from sin and its consequences, made possible through the work of Christ and received through repentance and faith. The church practices water baptism by immersion in the name of Jesus as a public declaration of inner conversion, and teaches that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer, with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues. IHP also affirms spiritual gifts as empowerments for building up the church and extending the kingdom of God.
Other core beliefs include the Lord's Supper (open to all believers, with unleavened bread and fruit of the vine), the progressive work of sanctification carried on by the Holy Spirit, and the practice of tithing as an act of worship and surrender, grounded in passages such as Malachi 3:10, Leviticus 27:30 and Proverbs 3:9.
A Wide Circle of Ministries
The life of the church is organized into a wide circle of ministry teams that share the load of running a busy congregation.
- Care Ministry reaches out to those who are sick, shut-in, grieving or facing hardship through phone calls, hospital visits and home visits.
- Christian Education Academy oversees Bible Study, Sunday School and Youth Church, providing structured Christian growth for every age.
- Ministerial Alliance is made up of licensed and ordained ministers who support the Senior Pastor through prayer, scripture reading, administering communion, baptism, anointing, teaching and preaching.
- Outreach witnesses and wins souls for the kingdom while meeting practical needs in the community and beyond.
- Servant Care supports the pastor during services by tending to practical needs and upholding him in prayer, and helps plan the annual pastoral anniversary celebration.
- Kingdom Keepers is the custodial team responsible for keeping the building and grounds clean.
- Music Ministry leads praise and worship with the goal of edifying the body and drawing others to Christ.
- Hospitality includes Ushers, Greeters and Guest Services, all working together to make every visitor feel welcomed.
- Communion Ministry prepares the bread and wine for the Lord's Supper, sets the communion table and cares for the trays and linens used in the service.
Youth and Children: T.U.G., Covenant Kidz and Heaven Helpers
IHP's youth ministry is built around three distinct groups, each with its own identity. T.U.G. - The Unstoppable Generation is the teen and young-adult track that promotes godly living through creative, fun Bible teaching and a strong peer community. The group has attended youth camps outside Detroit and holds fundraisers such as an annual bowling event in St. Clair Shores.
For younger children, Covenant Kidz is the ministry focused on "connecting kids to God" through age-appropriate teaching and activities. Heaven Helpers is the next step, exploring Christ in ways suited to older elementary kids. Together the three groups form a continuous pipeline of discipleship from early childhood through the teen years, and they regularly participate in church-wide events such as Family and Friends Day and the annual picnic.
Community Outreach Through F.A.C.E.
Outreach to the wider Detroit community flows through F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Enrichment), the nonprofit Bishop Johnson founded to support families and neighborhoods. F.A.C.E. promotes academic growth and development within the urban community, partnering with other organizations to address needs that go beyond the church walls.
Inside the church calendar, that outward focus shows up in events such as the IHP Community Thanksgiving, a free Thanksgiving dinner open to neighbors and held at the East Grand Boulevard campus, and the Re Joyce Annual Scholarship Fundraiser and Concert, which raises money for students pursuing higher education. The annual picnic, held at Belle Isle, brings the whole IHP family together with food, fellowship and fun.
IECC and the Wider Network
The Immanuel Ecumenical Council of Churches is the fellowship Bishop Johnson launched to support pastors and ministries across lines of denomination, race and background. IECC promotes diversity and unity while endorsing apostolic doctrine, and it works to transcend denominational barriers, religious prejudice and spiritual biases. Licensed and ordained ministers under IHP belong to the IECC fellowship and benefit from its training and accountability.
IECC also hosts an annual conference. The 2026 IECC Conference is set for July 23 to 25 at Ohio University Chillicothe's Bennett Hall auditorium in Ohio, with the theme "Strengthening Our Leaders in Perilous Times." Registration, license renewal, vendor applications and group transportation from Detroit are all coordinated through the church.
Connecting With Immanuel House of Prayer
Visitors and newcomers can join IHP in person at 147 E Grand Boulevard, online through the YouTube livestream on Sunday mornings, or by Zoom for Sunday School and the weekly Bible Academy. Prayer requests can be submitted online, and the daily prayerline is open to anyone who wants to join the church in prayer at 6 AM and 8 PM Eastern. Giving is available online, and the church maintains a member portal with a downloadable member's handbook and forms.
Beyond Sunday morning, IHP lives out its calling through its many ministry teams, its F.A.C.E. nonprofit work in Detroit, its three-pronged youth ministry and the wider IECC fellowship. Whether someone arrives for a midweek Bible study over Zoom, drops in for Thanksgiving dinner or sends up a prayer request from across the country, Immanuel House of Prayer is built around the same conviction its founders have carried since 1975: that proclaiming the Word, reaching the lost and showing God's love is the work the Holy Spirit has called this body to do.