A North End Anchor Since 1916
Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church sits on Chrysler Drive on Detroit's north side, in the neighborhood long called the North End. The church has been part of that community for more than a century, growing alongside the city around it. Detroit's Black population grew from 5,741 in 1910 to 120,066 by 1930, and a small group of women and men gathered in 1915 to make sure the newcomers had a place to worship. The Sons and Daughters Sunrise Society, as that group was called, met first in the home of Deacon and Mrs. West Ross, then formally organized as Russell Street on February 2, 1916. The founding members included Sister Sallie Stone, Sister Maggie Brown, Sister Pearl Tolbert, and Deacon West and Mother Minnie Ross, with other early members like the Mackie and Tillie boys and the Moore, Brown, and Ross families.
The young church moved to several North End sites in its first years, including locations on Holbrook Avenue and at Oakland and Alger, before putting down permanent roots in 1920. That year, under the leadership of Rev. J. O. Derrick, the congregation purchased land and built its first sanctuary, a wood-frame building members still call the Little Wooden Church. The present building replaced it.
The Little Wooden Church and the Building That Replaced It
The current sanctuary was built between 1946 and 1954 under Rev. Dr. Stephen C. "Dynamo" Campbell, a project that stretched across nearly a decade. The building has continued to evolve in the hands of every pastor since. Rev. Cullian Hill added air conditioning, purchased two vans to bring seniors to worship and to extend the reach of Vacation Bible School, and led the replacement of the rose window above the front doors with the Biblical scenes that visitors still see today. Rev. Anthony C. Campbell padded the pews and computerized the church office, and Rev. C. B. Knox opened up the pulpit so worshipers could approach the altar directly.
The most recent major changes came under Rev. Dr. DeeDee Coleman, who pastored the church for 24 years beginning in 1999. The whole building was remodeled under her leadership: an elevator and ADA-compliant restrooms made the sanctuary fully accessible, a new sound system was installed, the commercial kitchen was renovated, the pulpit was opened completely, and the baptismal pool was brought up from the basement to the main floor. New carpet and refurbished pews completed the work. The structure on Chrysler Drive is the same one that has stood here since the late 1940s, but the experience of walking into it today is shaped by two decades of steady care.
Sunday Morning at 8700 Chrysler Drive
Sunday is the heart of the week at Russell Street. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m., and the morning worship service follows at 10:45 a.m. Worshipers can join in the sanctuary or follow along on Facebook Live or YouTube. The first Sunday of each month is set aside as Communion Sunday, and several Sundays through the year carry their own character: Women's Day, Men's Day, Family and Friends Day, Mission Anniversary, and the anniversary of the Progressive Usher Board. The rhythm is familiar and unhurried, with a full choir, a spoken liturgy rooted in the Missionary Baptist tradition, and preaching meant to be carried out the door and into the week.
Wednesday Nights Around the Bible
Christian Education Night meets on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. for Bible study. The series walks through books of the Bible week by week, with each session focused on a particular passage and the people in it, from the early church in Acts to the Israelites' entry into the Promised Land in Joshua. The studies have ranged across Old and New Testament characters and have explored the cost of discipleship, the meaning of the empty tomb, and the shape of faithful leadership. Anyone can join from home by phone or video. The Zoom call-in number is 1-312-626-6799, with Meeting ID 88611493402 and Passcode 730891. Christian Education Nights pause for the summer and resume in early September.
The Prayer Line That Stays Open
One of the most distinctive ministries at Russell Street is the telephone prayer line, which is open Monday through Saturday at 12:00 p.m. and again at 7:00 p.m. Anyone can dial in to 1-351-999-4654 to pray with others and to share prayer concerns. The line grew out of a season when many members and neighbors could not easily get to the building, and it has remained a steady part of the church's life. Written prayer requests can also be sent through the church's online prayer form, with categories that range from general prayer and salvation to grief, emotional healing, marriage help, breakthrough, and seeking to conceive a child.
Pastor Byron E. Sanders and a New Chapter
Rev. Byron E. Sanders, M.Div., was elected pastor of Russell Street on June 29, 2025. Sanders grew up in a family of church leaders and Bible teachers and accepted his call to preach at the age of twenty-eight. He came to Russell Street from Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac, Michigan, where he served as an associate minister under Dr. John D. Tolbert, and before that from Commonwealth Church in Redford, Michigan.
Sanders is a Doctor of Ministry student at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and holds a Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Michigan State University. He has also spent more than two decades in the financial services industry, including as a Branch Manager in Training and a Private Client Banker at JPMorgan Chase, and he owns and manages a financial services firm of his own. The combination of pulpit and workplace experience shapes the way he talks about stewardship and discipleship. He is married to Lady Chatrise, and together they have a blended family of eight children and three grandchildren. His vision for Russell Street is a Christ-centered community where people are informed and transformed, and where discipleship and evangelism flow naturally from lives rooted deeply in God's Word and love.
Reverend Dr. DeeDee Coleman, Pastor Emeritus
Rev. Dr. DeeDee M. Coleman is the church's first female pastor and now serves as Pastor Emeritus. A native of New Orleans, she was baptized at age five at Fairview Baptist Church under the late Rev. Walter Washington and served there for 35 years before being called to Russell Street in November 1999. Her ministry has reached internationally; she has preached and taught in the Bahamas, London, France, Scotland, Israel, and Africa, and she is recognized as a prophetic pastor, a passionate leader, and a social justice activist.
Dr. Coleman is the Chair of the Progressive National Baptist Convention's Commission on Social Justice and Prison Ministry, and a board member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. In December 2016 she became the first woman elected as the 18th President of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, after 16 years of service in that body. She is the founder and Executive Director of Wings of Faith, a national reentry specialist who trains others across the country in best practices for returning citizens. She has received the Edwin T. Dahlberg Peace Award from American Baptist Churches USA, the 2018 Sojourner Truth Award, and the Fannie Lou Hamer Award. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration, a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, a Doctor of Ministry, and a Doctor of Divinity. Her motto is: "If I can help somebody along the way, then my living won't be in vain."
What Russell Street Believes
The church's statement of faith is grounded in classic Baptist convictions. Russell Street confesses one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal in power and glory. Members affirm that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, who accomplished redemption through his death on the cross and rose physically from the dead. The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Christ and to dwell in every believer from the moment of salvation.
The church teaches that salvation is a gift from God, received by faith the moment a person accepts Jesus Christ. The Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is the verbally inspired Word of God, infallible, without error, and the final authority for faith and practice. The church itself is described as the body and bride of Christ, a spiritual organism made up of all who are born again, with Jesus as its head. The mission of the church is local and worldwide: to bear witness to the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ, in Detroit and in every nation.
The People Who Run the Church
Pastor Sanders leads a ministerial staff that includes Rev. Stancy Adams, Pastor Emeritus Rev. Dr. DeeDee M. Coleman, Rev. Pecola Bell, Rev. Kevin Brewer, Rev. Jimmie Clark, Evangelist Laura Clark, Rev. Michael Kennedy, and Rev. Shawnta' McDougle. The Diaconate Ministry, chaired by Harold Collins with Jimmie McDougle as Vice Chair, Virginia Garrett as Second Vice Chair, and Charles Harmon as Third Vice Chair, is a deep bench of deacons and deaconesses, with Franklin Mills serving as Deacon Emeritus. The Trustee Ministry, chaired by Kizzmett Collins with Renee Whitmire as Vice Chair, oversees the church's business and property. Adrian Rushin serves as Church Clerk.
Reaching the City and Giving
Russell Street has a long history of community work, sharpened under Dr. Coleman's leadership with outreach programs and the founding of Wings of Faith, a reentry ministry for returning citizens. The church still offers Vacation Bible School, hosts Women's Day, Men's Day, and Family and Friends Day, and gathers men for an annual tailgate. Giving is an act of worship at Russell Street, and members and supporters can give in three ways: through the Givelify app, by Zelle to Russell Street Baptist Church, and by mail to 8700 Chrysler Drive, Detroit, Michigan 48211. The general contact email is info@rsmbchurch.org and the phone is 313-875-1615.
Visiting Russell Street
The church is at 8700 Chrysler Drive, Detroit, MI 48211. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. and worship follows at 10:45 a.m. The sanctuary, the elevator, and the restrooms are all ADA accessible, and the baptismal pool is on the main floor for those wishing to be baptized. Worshipers who cannot attend in person can watch on Facebook Live or on YouTube. Wednesday night Bible study meets at 6:00 p.m. by Zoom, and the prayer line is open at 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 1-351-999-4654. A recording of every Sunday service is kept in the video gallery, which holds years of services for anyone who wants to catch up or share a favorite sermon. The welcome is warm, the doors are open, and the church is a place where, as Pastor Sanders says, encountering Christ in authentic community gives people not only hope but a home.