Detroit churches vow to serve Detroit during NFL draft

As the NFL Draft approaches Detroit April 25-27, Detroit-area churches are committed to serving the community. Some of the realm’s historically black churches, similar to Detroit’s Ebenezer AME Church, have been in the town for over 100 years.

Gena Williams McClanahan is reportedly focused on helping the town get well from the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to retaining the church’s parishioners focused on lessons and app provided by Bible. “The Bible is your lifelong study guide. And regardless of what comes your way, there’s something within the Bible that talks about it,” Williams McClanahan said before teaching an “Old Testament overview” to eight church members via Zoom.

Williams McClanahan continued: “This neighborhood in northwest Detroit has been hit hard by Covid-19; we’ve got had economic difficulties and other problems, so we try to bring light to the community and lift everyone’s spirits. You cannot uplift one person and leave three behind – everyone needs to be uplifted. So not only does downtown Detroit need renovation, but all of Detroit needs renovation. The project is just here for 3 days after which it’s gone – we’re all the time here.

William Burke, director of Christian Education Ministries at First Baptist International, talked in regards to the city’s sync with the NFL and what he believes connects the town with tourists going to the town for the NFL Draft. “One of the primary things people will see once they come to our city is an entire bunch of churches on different corners. That’s good for me.”

Burke continued: “This tradition never stops, even during the draft. That’s why we can’t stop our work, including our Bible study on Thursdays, because it’s about helping people be fully prepared for life when they walk out that door. But when we also look at the wonderful landscape being created in the city center and think about all the tourists coming here, it is important that we ask ourselves what impact this has on not only how we evangelize, but more importantly, how we do it, what God asks us to do, and that means to serve.”

Other churches, similar to Ebenezer AME Church in Detroit’s historically black Nardin Park neighborhood, will engage in community service activities by the point the draft begins.

Edna Walker, a church member, said the church’s work in the neighborhood is significant to her. “The draft is important because there are people in Detroit that will be helped by it, and I wish I could take some people from our church to see everything that will be going on, but what we do as a church to support people in our regular community is also extremely important.”

Walker continued, “The church represents the people and the community, and when our people had nowhere to go, the church was there. Our reason for existence is to serve others. Providing food is something we have only been doing for two or three years and we have not done it with the intention of replacing any existing agencies, but the need for food among our vulnerable population has increased. From what we have seen, the demand for food is increasing. And when the draft ends, there will still be many people in need.”