Recall Detroit of the late 1930s. Warren Avenue Missionary Baptist Church was just beginning. Incorporated in 1938 the church had been organized the year prior. The congregation purchased parcels with at least one two-family home. First services were held on October 7 1937. It’s unclear if services were in the two-family dwelling. But it was likely the case.
Reverend William R Matthews answered the call. He became pastor of Warren Avenue Baptist Church on September 23 1938. He was just 24 years old. The pastor and loyal members worked hard. They spent hours with carpenters plumbers and plasterers to build the church.
The Warren Avenue Missionary Baptist Church grew. By the 1950s the parish had about 1500 members. There were fifteen auxiliaries. These included a burial association a youth church and an educational fund. They also had a federal credit union and more. Church-affiliated credit unions were a pillar of support. They bolstered black neighborhoods in Detroit and nationwide. Most banking institutions didn’t offer mortgages and loans to Black Americans. These credit unions helped Detroiters buy homes start businesses and establish credit.
Cora Mae Brown spoke at Warren Avenue Missionary Baptist Church in 1956. Brown was the first black woman elected to a state senate seat in the United States. She was closing out her second term.
The Warren Avenue Baptist Church Choir was known across the city. It often performed for special events like anniversaries and celebrations.
Claudette Rogers and William ‘Smokey’ Robinson were married here on November 7 1959. They were both members of The Miracles. Claudette joined after her brother was drafted into the Army. She is known as the ‘First Lady of Motown.’
In 1957 Warren Avenue Missionary Baptist Church celebrated its 20th anniversary. Around this time the congregation prepared funds. They wanted to purchase the building to the rear of the church. A community center was to be erected there. The former J Sands & Sons would transform. In the 1950s it was a machine shop and factory. The only addition was the staircase on the Rivard side. It was shrouded in colorful glass.
The church was listed as newly renovated in the 1960s. The community center was likely complete at that time. The church may have seen upgrades too.
The Warren Avenue Missionary Baptist Church was in the paper frequently in the 1950s. It appeared occasionally in the early 1960s. After the death of the Detroit Tribune Detroit’s black population wasn’t covered as much in the large newspapers.
In 1970 the Warren Avenue Baptist Church Choir presented a concert of spirituals. It was held at Ford Auditorium downtown.
In 1980 Reverend William R Matthews was named minister of the year.
Reverend William R Matthews collapsed at his home on October 26 1990. He died at 76 years old. He was to attend a banquet at the Westin Hotel the next day. It was to highlight his long pastorship of the Warren Avenue Baptist Church. Matthews attended Detroit’s Miller High School in Black Bottom. While enrolled he taught Sunday School and a youth group at New Mt Zion Baptist Church. He was likely a member of that parish when it moved.
Matthews received a Bachelor’s Degree in philosophy. He got it from the University of Detroit. He also earned a Master’s Degree in History and Education from Wayne State University. At the time of his death he was working on a doctorate. He was married to his wife Alice for 51 years.
After his death the Warren Avenue Missionary Baptist Church continued. The church was active at this location until the pandemic. Since then they have moved the congregation. They relocated to Schoenherr Street in northeast Detroit.
Though this church and attached factory-turned-community-center are on an island they’re centrally located. It’s a short walk from the Detroit Institute of Arts. It is also a quick bike ride from Eastern Market.