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Mercy House

Joan Marie Hutchison

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:2,3

The area traditionally known as Cass Corridor but now re-named, despite resistence, "Midtown", has for many years been the poorest zip code in Detroit. The lives of the broken and the broke, ex-convicts, prostitutes, addicts and the mentally ill gather here. The shambles of burnt out shells, roach-infested apartments and crack houses line the littered streets, with pieces of plastic and paper chased by the wind and shattered glass cramming the curbs. Now in a neighborhood lying in the shadow of the Medical Center and Wayne State University, gentrification has begun to take place; in the wreckage of buildings of brick and stone, remodeling and even new construction is being developed, including condominiums of $200,000 and $300,000. Trendy eateries like the Parisian - style Twingo¹s or the Avalon bakery have sprouted, standing near neighborhood classics like Mario¹s and Traffic Jam and Snug.

Some would say that these bright changes are the hope of this dismal area. But there is a obscure gem that has even more to offer. Long before this transition began, there were individuals who wished to serve and grant hope to this community who began a ministry that was eventually named "Mercy House." Behind the basic block storefront at the corner of Alexandrine and Cass, beats the heart of a ministry that bleeds with love for people in the community, whether the wretched poor, or the swelling number of the well-to-do. Something in the church¹s irregular history points to something great in the church¹s future. This is a church borne of persistent hope in the midst of despair. This is the stuff of grit and beauty.

The ministry has a nomadic past. It began as part of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) denomination back in the early 1970s. Elder Leon Humphries and James Knight from Anderson Memorial COGIC began holding street services on Second Street. Later, Reverend Harvey Presberry helped out. With the popularity of services, however, they found they needed a building and soon found one located next to a gay bar and a Universalist spiritualist church. In a curious twist, the bar owners, angry that a church was next door, called the city of Detroit to try to shut down the church. But the church persisted in faith. Around this time, two women came down to lend a hand. One of them was Sister Lanie Weathers. She and her friend Sister Sophie came down and conducted prayer walks around the bar and six months later, the bar went out of business.

Eventually, Sister Lanie met Dr. Ingersoll who owned the art and music school across the street. She was truly a friend, allowing Lanie to have church services in her building. That historic building was originally a funeral home that even provided services upon the death of Henry Ford. Dr. Ingersoll also owned the building where Mercy House is now established and in time sold it to Lanie in behalf of the Church of God around 1980. About that time Reverend Robert Reynolds began to pastor the church under the name United Faith Temple Church Of God. Sister Lanie oversaw the ministry outreach that was connected to it known as United Faith Service Center. The church offered services on Sunday and midweek, and the service center provided meals and clothing to the needy of the area.

Pastor Reynolds continued until the early nineties, when his nephew Reverend Mike Krisel assumed the pastorate. After Pastor Krisel resigned in 1995, Reverend R. Kenneth Shelton received permission from the Church of God in Michigan to continue the effort.

In January of 1996, another interesting event occurred when Shelton and Pastor Richard Brennan met at the building to discuss how to begin clean up and how to conduct ministry. Shelton recounts a fascinating story at their meeting:

There was a knock at the door and when I answered I saw a tall black man wearing a Detroit Lion¹s jacket. It was very cold outside and I noticed he was not wearing gloves or a hat, and the coat was unzipped. His speech was slurred and I could hardly understand him. I finally figured out that he wanted to eat. I told him we would be back in three weeks for our first official meal.

Three weeks later we organized a meal and I was scheduled to meet a half dozen volunteers at the site. Early that morning the Lord had led to me to a passage of Scripture in Isaiah:

"And it will be said: ŒBuild up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.¹ For this is what the high and lofty One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ŒI live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit. To revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.¹" (Isaiah 57:14-15, NIV) As I made my way into the city I meditated on that scripture and the Lord assured me that was his plan for the church in the Cass Corridor.

When I arrived I met our workers and before preparing to serve, shared the scripture with them. There was an immediate sense of God¹s presence and everyone present seemed stirred by that scripture. As we joined hands to pray, there was a knock at the door. When I answered, I found the tall black man that had been there three weeks earlier. His slurred speech led me to believe he was drunk or high and in my mind I thought, "This guy¹s a burnout!" I let him in and told him to have a seat; that we were not ready to serve yet. When I turned to go back and pray with the group, he grabbed my arm. I looked at him and he said, "I came to tell you something. Look in my eyes. Some people think I am a burnout because I talk this way. I¹m not a burnout I just have problems. I came to tell you build! Build up this place! Move the obstacles out of the people¹s way!" The hair on the back of my neck stood stiff as I realized God had sent this "lowly one" by to confirm his word. We continued our conversation for a few minutes and he told me all about the area and the people. He told me that not everyone there was bad and that some had emotional or mental problems; some had been abandoned and some were truly abusers of some kind. We prayed, ate and and this man, Yule by name, became a regular at Mercy House for the next few years.

With the help of many volunteers and dedicated pastors, especially Cathy Hill who came down with her husband Bob, the church provided meals for the homeless. Cathy was also helped by Charissa Sapp and Patience Hogan. Others led Bible studies and Sunday services. Ed and Cindy Shaw gave consistent leadership as Discipleship Pastors from 1996 until July of 2000 and worked hard to make Mercy House a fully functioning church.

Back in 1996, when the Church of God assumed leadership, the place was a disaster: there was no ceiling tile with wires, light bulbs hanging and the furnace was broken down; people walked around shivering in their coats in a hard Michigan winter. The bathrooms were unusable. If the workers needed facilities, they would run across the street to the fire station. We used old wooden pews for seats, the water in the kitchen didn¹t always work and still isn¹t very tasty. And the basement....well, the less said about it the better. But what we did have and do have is a great spirit of love.

Worship has been an important factor at Mercy House, as with many churches. The Shaws were joined for several years by Rick and Meg Stawinsky. Rick led worship with his fiery guitar in a style that has been referred to as "going to Heaven on a Harley." He was joined by a band that included a drummer, bass player, saxophonist, and keyboardist. Rick Stawinsky¹s electric guitar would blast through as he led the band through praise and worship songs, including his variation on Bob Dylan¹s "You Gonna Have to Serve Somebody." But even though his sounds could be brash and energetic, he could also move with the gentle wind of the Holy Spirit, in a quieter form of worship that would lead the congregation into the throne room of God. Rick¹s wife Meg is a fireball evangelist who led many to Christ. Her evangelism at Mercy House was an outgrowth of her lifestyle; her fervent hunger to see souls saved included witnessing while jogging or grocery shopping. She was even interviewed on the local Christian station WMUZ for her lifestyle of ministry. Meg, Georgia Elliott, the church mother, and others would often dance in front. Eventually, Rick and Meg left for California for his job with Maranatha Music, a Christian organization. After their departure, their friends Tim and Linda Drinkard took over worship. Tim, also an extremely gifted guitarist, came into his own style, and enjoyed this time to worship despite his heavy schedule as an ER doctor. Linda joined in with strong vocals. But the Drinkards left for Indiana. For awhile, no one was regularly leading worship, but eventually Joan Hutchison helped out for several months with a keyboard that she purchased with a gift from her surrogate mother and the church mother for Mercy House, Georgia Elliott. Georgia, a feisty, energetic retired schoolteacher, is the church mother. During the worship, she can be seen dancing up front to honor God. She is not afraid to confront and loves to encourage. She is an inspiration to the many people who love her, and warms with her smile and she performs various duties as required: directing the offering, exhorting the congregation, dole out Bibles.

It was rough edged and gritty, like a Third World mission. We never knew who would preach. Some were long-winded and would hold the hungry crowd an hour or even two hours while some listeners dozed off or drifted out the door. Some speakers were good and some were awful, one even preaching that if anyone had any fear or any fault, really, he or she wasn¹t really saved. Some speakers made a habit of sharing how awful they were before they became Christians, to the point that it became an old cliche to make their story more dramatic. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And actually some of the greatest transformations can occur well after someone becomes a Christian.

Joan Hutchison, an English instructor at Oakland Community College, would not only come down and help sometimes, but also, for a year or so, brought her students down for extra credit. These students were the generally sheltered children of Oakland County, the third wealthiest county in the country. They sat in the services or doled out sandwiches. For some it was a bit of a shock but an often interesting experience. And fruit was born of this exercise. One student organized the store room while the service was going on, not wanting to hear a church service, but was able to hear the service and later said it was "pretty cool." One student came down with her father, who gave his life to the Lord. On another occasion, one of the students did.

After the Shaws left for Traverse City, Reverend David Skiles served the last six months of 2000 as the Discipleship Pastor and even long before this provided direction for much of the renovation of the facilities. His wife, Carrie, organized a children¹s ministry involving many area churches.

In February of 2001, however, the church received its current pastor, Darren Cole and his wife Constance, who also have three children. Years ago, the Lord gave Darren a vision for pastoring an inner city church. Much has happened in that time as the Lord prepared he and his family, as well as Mercy House. The Coles met in the military, and have lived in a variety of locations including Hawaii, South Dakota, and most recently Alaska. God had a specific time for returning him to this area and opening the door here, where God is fulfilling a dream. Already, the Coles have conducted a prayer walk in the area, wearing military fatigues, as they led Christians from other churches in spiritual warfare. The church has a new worship leader as they have moved to morning services, a gifted, humble man by the name of Robert Wilcox. He and his wife Wendy had been coming down for many weeks before that, providing support and encouragement.

As mentioned, the neighborhood is shifting, and these changes are reflected even at Mercy House. Although this area has been known as Cass Corridor for decades - made famous, briefly, by an arts group in the Œ70s and made infamous for its high crime and destitution, Mayor Dennis Archer and the city have bestowed upon it the more upscale title of "Midtown." The area, near the growing Theatre District, Medical Center and Wayne State is drawing more upscale residents and the city. The Church of God officials met with city officials and then decided to discontinue the meal service. In January of 2001, Mercy House eliminated this phase of the ministry, despite regrets at losing this ministry and the fear that the congregation would basically disappear. Beginning on Easter Sunday, 2001, services began at 11:00 a.m. with a 10:00 Sunday school. Although attendance has fallen somewhat, there is still a steady core of people who are hungry for the presence of the Lord. Also some people still come in just to keep warm. But that¹s okay - as Meg Stawinsky once mentioned, the Prodigal came home initially to just get a decent meal, and yet he gained so much more. The Church of God denomination, in keeping with the neighborhood transition, also wanted to re-name the facility and call it "Midtown Family Center." The name change was not a popular idea; it sounded antiseptic and suburban. In February, a new pastor was put in place, Darren Cole who, along with his wife Constance, had a vision for an inner city ministry long before they crossed paths with Mercy House. The idea was to establish a pastor who would develop this into a full-fledged church, including a children¹s ministry, and plant other churches. Cole seems to be the right man for the job with his passion for Christ, helping people, and his integrity. But in a bold decision, he met with the Church of God officials in order to retain the name of "Mercy House" and prevailed. For many, it seemed like God had confirmed the ministry through the name that Rev. Shelton had given it. There was great peace about it.

Also, for some time, Ivan and Iris King have also been instrumental in the congregation. Ivan leads the Wednesday night Bible study, and Ivan assists with testimonies on Sundays. He and his wife faithfully attend and provide support and encouragement in several ways.

Gradually the building and the atmosphere have become more refined. There is ceiling tile, instead of a ragged, leaky overhang called a roof. Wooden cabinets line the kitchen and bathrooms actually work. There are carpet, chairs and chandeliers in the sanctuary. The platform includes a wooden pulpit, with a white grand piano and the sanctuary is even decorated with plants and kente cloth.

Also there is more order, although some regulars from early days are missed. We no longer have Yule,the poor man who suffered from a closed head injury and sometimes didn¹t know what he was doing, as he would stand and make motions during worship or preaching. He disappeared. There are simply rumors about his fate. Shelby is also gone. She and her boyfriend Sylvester had been regular attenders and helpers when she disappeared for several months and was eventually, miraculously found in a hospital recovering from an automobile accident - none of her i.d. was on her. She is recovering but neither have darkened the door for many months. Gone too are, as mentioned, the Shaws, the Stawinskys, the Drinkards and others. We have had a wedding, as well as a funeral for a sweet lady named LaDonna. Many of us keep these memories. But as it says in Isaiah 43, we are not to focus on the former days, but recognize that God is doing a new thing, a wonderful thing.

God has already done great things here, but the best is yet to come. In this area of transition, where the past has given broken dreams, broken lives torn by emotional and psychological pain, drug abuse, crime, and prostitution, with ritzy condomiums rising from the ashes, even pushing out the poor, there is a corner at Alexandrine and Cass where there is no concern of class, money, or the cloud of the past. It is a corner of hope and certainly a place where all may find mercy in this barren land; where all who are thirsty, may drink their full. As the Word says, in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord He is good." The Lord is indeed building a place for His people here, a place of healing, a place for outcasts; a dwelling for hope where men, women and children find mercy.