For those who know me, I have been involved in racial reconciliation for quite some time. Our church, Lord of the Harvest Christian Fellowship, sits at the border of Warren and Detroit. Our mission has always been to bridge gaps, both racially, and socioeconomically. When we planted out we were given the mandate not to be another typical church, and we have worked toward that sine 1997.
Right around 2006 our senior pastor, Mike Osminski, ran across the path of Matt Parker, the founder of Institute for Black Family Development and the Skillman Foundation. Matt Parker was discipled and inspired by Dr. John Perkins of CCDA. Matt Parker was working on a little project before the 2006 Superbowl at Ford Field. That project was an outreach that kicked off the Detroit Partnership, a five year partnership of urban and suburban churches where all come together as equals and learn from each other to promote true unity in the body of Christ among the diverse ethnicities. Approximately 24 pastors came together to begin this journey.
The Detroit Partnership is now in the 13th year of this five year commitment. These pastors have come together and tackled many issues most wouldn’t dare dream of. Recently the partnership was passed from Matt Parker to Mike Osminski and Taylor Cox. Two pastors of different congregations, two different ethnicities, and coming together to model what the Apostle Paul talked about as becoming “one new man” in the context of our community. This ministry is still going, it has ministered to thousands over the years with annual outreaches at multiple sites, it is still tackling hard issues, and it is a ministry that I personally believe every church in the metro Detroit area needs to be a part of.
I took a some time at the recent joint worship service to talk with a few people and try to capture some of the thoughts of those who have been in the group for some time. The video is a little long, but worth the time.