A Ministry Born in a Detroit Living Room
Total Life Christian Ministries, known throughout the neighborhood as TLC, has been meeting in living rooms, storefronts, and sanctuaries for three decades on the east side of Detroit. What began on March 26, 1995 as a gathering of eight people in the home of Bishop Daryl Harris and his wife, Pastor Wytrice Harris has grown into a community-rooted ministry whose worship services now take place in the Matrix Community Center on McNichols Road, in the heart of the Osborn neighborhood.
TLC's motto, taken from John 10:10, frames everything about the church: "I have come that you might have life, and that you may have it more abundantly." Members and visitors alike will hear that vision echoed in the church's catchphrase, "We Are In This Thing 4LIFE."
From Living Room to a Detroit Cornerstone
The story of TLC is one of steady growth, shaped by prophecy and partnership. Bishop Harris first sensed the call for the ministry years before it became real. In January 1995 he and Wytrice, then newly married, sat in their living room and discussed what God was putting on his heart: a ministry that would be honest about both spiritual and practical struggles, that would speak to the whole person - body, soul, and spirit - and that would be built on the truth of God's word. The name Total Life Christian Ministries came out of that vision.
Within a year, the home gatherings outgrew the space. In March 1996 the young church moved to a small storefront on Hayes. By January 1997 the fellowship had grown again and TLC began sharing a building with Apostolic Way Church on Van Dyke Avenue. That year of partnership, TLC's leaders say, gave the church the chance to develop the close-knit "TLC love" that still defines the community. In January 1998 TLC moved into its own building at 13158 Gratiot Avenue, a property that had been in Bishop Harris's family and which fulfilled a prophecy given two years earlier that the church would return to its beginnings.
From the Gratiot location TLC launched a number of ministries that still shape the church today, including its Youth, Married, Single, Women, and Men ministries. The church also started Life Academy as a teaching ministry, and developed its understanding of the five-fold ministry described in Ephesians. In January 2012 TLC entered a new chapter, partnering with Matrix Human Services and moving its services into the sanctuary of the Matrix Community Center on McNichols Road. The partnership gave TLC more room to grow and opened new outreach opportunities in the surrounding Osborn neighborhood.
Sunday Mornings, Mid-Week Bible Study, and Saturday Prayer
TLC holds a steady weekly rhythm that centers on Sunday mornings and a Wednesday Bible study. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by the main Worship Service at 10:45 a.m. On Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m., the church gathers for Bible Study. Services are also available online through the church's YouTube channel, and the media library holds past sermons for anyone who wants to revisit the preaching.
On Saturdays at 6:00 p.m., the TLC Prayer Line is open. Anyone who wants prayer for a particular situation can call in and join with intercessors who pray over requests together. Written prayer requests can also be submitted online, and an intercessor follows up with each one.
Bishop Daryl Harris: Founding Pastor and Community Builder
Bishop Daryl Harris is the founding pastor of Total Life Christian Ministries and one of its most visible leaders in the city of Detroit. Under his leadership TLC has grown from a living-room gathering into what the church describes as "a transformational force in the city of Detroit."
Bishop Harris's ministry extends well beyond the sanctuary walls. He works as the Faith Based Coordinator with Cease Fire Detroit and helped start the Faith Based Coalition of Detroit, an effort that serves victims of violence. He has also partnered with several community organizations, including the Osborn Business Association, Matrix Human Services, 482Forward, and the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA). He also serves as a Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Detroit.
Inside the church, Bishop Harris preaches what TLC describes as a "practical faith for practical people." His apostolic gift, the church says, has been recognized in the way his preaching reaches across denominational lines, traditional boundaries, and cultural biases. He is also a singer, musician, songwriter, and author. Bishop Harris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Faith Evangelical Christian Schools. He has been married to Pastor Wytrice Harris since 1992, and together they have two children, Amari and Imani.
Pastor Wytrice Harris: Teacher and Shepherd
Pastor Wytrice Harris joined her husband in founding TLC in 1995 and was officially ordained as pastor in 1998. She came to faith in April 1993 at the age of 22 and quickly developed a deep love for the Word of God that led her into ministry. Her gifts of teaching, prophecy, and discernment are central to the way TLC disciples its members.
Pastor Wytrice has a particular ministry to women in the body of Christ, and she often shares her own painful life experiences openly to help others break free in theirs. Her academic background includes a B.A. in Psychology, a B.S. and M.A. in Pure Mathematics, and a M.Ed. in Instructional Technology, which she brings to the teaching ministry she leads alongside Bishop Harris.
Outreach in the Osborn Neighborhood
Community service has been part of TLC's identity since its earliest days on Gratiot Avenue. The church ran a Thursday evening feeding program for the homeless and needy, and distributed clothes, food, and gifts-in-kind to families who came to the church for help. Those outreach rhythms continue in the Osborn neighborhood through TLC's partnership with Matrix Human Services and a number of local groups.
The partnerships TLC maintains today are an important part of its ministry. The Osborn Business Association connects the church to neighborhood revitalization, while Matrix Human Services, 482Forward, and the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA) provide social service and educational opportunities for residents. The church's ongoing work with Cease Fire Detroit and the Faith Based Coalition of Detroit keeps it engaged with families affected by violence in the city.
Life Academy and Teaching Ministries
Teaching is one of the church's core values. Life Academy, started during the Gratiot years, remains a key part of TLC's ministry, designed to deepen members' understanding of God's word and equip them for service. Alongside Life Academy, TLC's ministry departments for Youth, Married couples, Singles, Women, and Men continue to provide focused small-group communities within the larger church family.
The church also produces a regular series of devotionals through the "Overcoming the Enemies of Self-Love" series, with written reflections, scripture, and a daily practice for readers who want to grow in self-awareness and faith.
What TLC Believes
TLC's statement of faith is rooted in the Bible, which the church teaches is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. The church believes in one God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It teaches that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, died for our sins, and rose again, and who now sits at the Father's right hand and will return in a personal, visible, and imminent way.
Salvation, the church teaches, comes through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, and is entirely by grace, apart from good works, baptism, or church membership. TLC practices full-immersion water baptism and observes the Lord's Supper as ordinances for those who have established a relationship with Christ. The church also teaches that a true believer is eternally secure in salvation, that every believer should grow toward spiritual maturity through obedience to the Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, and that Christians are called to live balanced lives that prioritize the Kingdom of God.
Joining TLC and Staying in Touch
TLC invites visitors to come as they are. Sunday mornings begin with Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and the main worship service at 10:45 a.m., and the Wednesday Bible Study at 6:00 p.m. is open to anyone who wants to dig deeper into scripture. The Saturday evening Prayer Line is open to anyone with a request they would like lifted up.
The church can be reached by email at info@tlcministries.org or by phone at 855-485-2674. Those interested in speaking engagements with Bishop Harris or Pastor Wytrice can fill out the engagements form available through the church, and prayer requests can be submitted online. The church's YouTube channel carries streamed services and past sermons, and the e-giving page as well as Cash App ($TLC4lyf) and PayPal make giving straightforward. Branded apparel is also available through the church's Life Activewear online store.