Second Baptist Church of Detroit sits at 441 Monroe Street in the heart of downtown Detroit, Michigan. The oldest religious institution owned by Black people in the Midwest, it opened in 1836 and has stood at its current Monroe Street location since 1857. Today the church is a working congregation, a civil rights landmark, and a stop on the historical tour of Detroit, all at once.
A Station on the Road to Freedom
From 1836 until the end of the Civil War in 1865, Second Baptist served as a station on the Underground Railroad. Members and shelterers fed, clothed, and hid enslaved people who were making their way north, then helped them cross the Detroit River into Canada. An estimated 5,000 people passed through the church on their way to freedom, in open defiance of the Fugitive Slave Laws.
The building still carries that story. Tours are run by the Detroit Underground Railroad Historical Society, which is based at the Croghan Street Station, the recreated depot beside the church. Visitors can sit in the station and hear accounts of the runaways who rested at Second Baptist before crossing the river. The historical society offers three tour formats designed to fit different schedules.
A Voice in the Long Fight for Equal Rights
The struggle for freedom did not stop at the Canadian border. In 1843, the first State Convention of Colored Citizens met at Second Baptist and demanded the right to vote. The Equal Rights League returned with a second petition in 1865. Both were denied. The congregation kept pressing until the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments ended slavery, granted citizenship, and enfranchised Black men.
In 1859, abolitionist Frederick Douglass spoke at Second Baptist just before meeting revolutionary John Brown at a Detroit home to plan methods of freeing enslaved people. In 1863, the church hosted a public reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had freed enslaved people only in the rebellious states, leaving the nation half-slave and half-free. Three years earlier, in 1839, the church had opened the city's first school for Black children, and in 1870 a member, Fannie Richards, became Detroit's first Black career public school teacher. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ralph Bunche was baptized at Second Baptist in 1927.
The congregation also helped shape the city's economic life. Pastor Rev. Robert Bradby persuaded Henry Ford to hire Black workers, a decision that helped spark the Great Migration of Black Americans to Detroit. Later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Second Baptist and told the congregation it had raised more money for the Montgomery Bus Boycott than any other church. Dr. Carter G. Woodson visited to campaign for Negro History Week, which later became Black History Month.
Sunday at Second Baptist
The Sunday schedule begins at 9 a.m. with Sunday School, held both in person and on Zoom. The main service follows at 10:30 a.m. and is described by the church as a traditional worship experience with a modern feel. The service is also broadcast on Facebook Live and YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
Midweek, the church gathers for Bible Study on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., currently held on Zoom. A telephone prayer line is also open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 7 a.m., noon, and 7 p.m., and on Friday at noon. The number for the prayer line is 1-646-558-8656.
Where to Park Downtown
Free validated self-parking is available at the Brush Street Parking Garage at 1001 Brush Street, between Lafayette and Monroe across from the Atheneum Hotel. Visitors scan a QR code inside the garage, pay contactlessly with a credit card and their license plate number, and then scan a second QR code at the church for 24 hours of free parking. The Hollywood Casino at Greektown parking structure on the I-375 Service Drive and Monroe is offered as a second option for visitors 21 and over, though it may be closed on game days.
Music, Youth, and a Congregation that Serves
The Music and Arts Ministry carries on a long tradition with the Voices of Praise choir, a Contemporary Choir, a Youth Choir, the Divine Revelation Liturgical Dancers, and the Celestial Handbell Ringers.
The Youth Ministry, governed by the Youth Coordinating Council, gathers young people for youth group activities, Sunday School, and community outreach. Programs include Vacation Bible School, a Robotics Camp, Youth Financial Literacy, the Small Fry Retreat, and Family, Friends and Kin. A Mommy and Me ministry serves the youngest families, and there are dedicated programs for seniors.
On Tuesdays, the church opens its doors for B.O.W.L., Bread of Whole Life, a ministry to the hungry and homeless where all are welcome to share a meal. The Brotherhood, the men's ministry, traces its roots to the late 1950s and serves as mentors within the church and the wider Detroit community. The Health Ministry offers first aid during worship services, health screenings, seminars, and several Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Healthy Spirit sessions a year, complete with a shared healthy meal.
The pastor is a certified trainer with Healing Communities USA, working with re-entry citizens, and the church is an ambassador for the Black Church Food Security Network.
Pastor Lawrence W. Rodgers
Rev. Lawrence W. Rodgers, who came to Second Baptist from the Westside Church of Christ in Baltimore, is the church's 24th senior pastor. An honor graduate of Harding University with a master's in divinity from Howard University School of Divinity, he has taught courses on theology and decolonization in eSwatini and Ghana, and was part of the Howard University delegation that returned the ancient manuscript Twee MS100 to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in 2016.
Pastor Rodgers is an Adjunct Professor at Abilene Christian University and a consultant for the Carl Spain Center for Race Studies and Spiritual Action. He has worked with homeless neighbors, survivors of human trafficking, as a youth mentor, and in adult literacy. He is the author of Inward Revolution: A Journey of Radical Transformation.
Guiding the church alongside Pastor Rodgers are Troy Stinnett as Chair of the Trustee Board and Iva Lawrence as Chair of the Deacon Board.
Supporting the Work
Second Baptist welcomes gifts in person, by mail to 441 Monroe, online through Zelle to treasurer@secondbaptistdetroit.org, on CashApp at $SecondDetroit, by text to 313-710-6108, through PayPal, and through Givelify. Supporters can also enroll a Kroger Plus card in the Kroger Community Rewards program under Second Baptist Church of Detroit, NPO #TS040, and direct a portion of their grocery spending to the church.