Effective September 1, 2004, Pastor Nathan Johnson, the former Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, accepted the call as Senior Pastor of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, Detroit, Michigan. Pastor Johnson’s service in ministry exceeds thirty-three years. He served as Christian Education Director at Cathedral Faith Baptist Church in Dallas, Pastor Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Lane, Texas from 1986-1988, and Pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Galveston from 1988-1991, and Antioch Baptist Church in Houston, Texas from 1991 until 2004. He is a man of excellence endowed with a vision and empowered to tell God’s Message. Pastor Johnson challenges his members to be steadfast and serious about the work of the kingdom. Pastor Johnson’s work and wisdom extend beyond the walls of the church. He serves the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. as the Vice-President for the Mid-West Region and as a Lecturer. Pastor Johnson serves as Vice-President at large of the Wolverine State Missionary Baptist Convention and the Moderator of the Metropolitan Baptist District Association. He also serves on the Advisory Board at Moody Theological Seminary of Michigan. Pastor Johnson has preached in South Africa, Haiti, Ethiopia, the Bahamas and in Jerusalem. He is also in demand and receives many requests to preach citywide and church revivals and to speak at numerous conferences and civic functions. Through the proclamation of the Word, Pastor Johnson helps others to examine their lives and to strive to live by God’s Word. He has brought new souls to Christ and has helped others to recommit their lives to God. Serious and sincere, calm and compassionate, prayerful and persistent, tough and tender, unique and unifying, insightful and inspiring are all terms that may be used to describe Pastor Nathan Johnson. More than anything else, Pastor Johnson is a preacher of an uncompromising gospel. He gladly shares the “Good News,” that Christ is alive and the Lord and Savior of all. Pastor Johnson & his wife Sister Michelle are the proud parents of four children, Bridgette (Samba), Zachariah, (Shakita) Nathaniel, & Elizabeth.

Pastor D.W. Tolbert is a visionary pastor, devoted husband & father, and friend to many. As an esteemed, dynamic minister delivering powerful messages to uplift God’s people and evangelize God’s word, Pastor Tolbert brings over 30 years of dedicated ministerial service and community transformation experience. D.W. Tolbert is the Pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Muskegon, Michigan, and Moderator of the New Era District Baptist Association. Pastor Tolbert and his lovely wife, Lady Tolbert, reside in Muskegon, Michigan. They have eight adult children and twelve grandchildren.

Pastor. John DeVar Tolbert, B.S.W., M. DIV., D. Min., is the eighteenth pastor of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church of Pontiac, Michigan. He is leading Trinity Church in Exalting the Savior, Equipping the Saints and Evangelizing the Sinners. Dr. Tolbert challenges Trinity Church to be the best church FOR the community, while encouraging the Trinity Family to be an intentional inter-generational church with big arms, a loving heart, and a missional spirit. Dr. Tolbert serves as an instructor for The National Baptist Congress of The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., President of the Wolverine State Congress of Christian Education and First Vice Moderator for the Crystal Lake Missionary Baptist District Association. He also currently serves as General Secretary for the Kingdom Alliance Covenant Fellowship, Chaplain for the Detroit Police Department, and a member of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit & Vicinity. Dr. Tolbert is a retired chapel minister for the O.H. Pye III Funeral Home in Detroit. And He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate Theological Seminary. His areas of focus included New Testament Survey, Old Testament Survey, Introduction to Evangelism and Spiritual Formations. Dr. Tolbert is on the board of two Historical Black Colleges and Universities (The Morehouse School of Religion, and Simmons College of Kentucky). He is passionate about the development of ministers of the Gospel for the progress of the Lord’s church as is reflective in the 5 spiritual sons he has serving in pastoral ministry. Dr. Tolbert is equally involved in civic organizations. Under his leadership, Dare to Dream Pontiac was created. Dare to Dream is a non-profit, 501c3 community development cooperation that partners with community organizations to revitalize the City of Pontiac through programs focusing on education, health, and youth retention. One of its partners includes the Detroit Lions Alumni Association, where together they host an annual summer camp for skill development. He is also a enthusiastic Lifetime member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Tolbert has completed graduate and post-graduate studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky where he earned both a Master of Divinity with emphasis in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth (2002) and a Doctor of Ministry in Church Growth & Leadership (2015). He has a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Western Michigan University (1999). Dr. Tolbert is married to the former Ashley DeShon Wade. They are the proud parents of twins John David and Jade Ashley-Marie. and one fur baby (dog) Bolt D. Tolbert.

Rev. George W. Waddles, Jr. serves as Pastor of Second Baptist Church of Ypsilanti. He is married to his best friend and love of his life, Angela (Rogers) Waddles. The Lord has blessed them with three wonderful children: Erin, Zachary and Andrew. He became a Christian and was baptized at the Ninth Street Baptist Church of Lawrence, Kansas on April 11, 1977. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from Truman State University, a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Master of Educational Administration from Texas A&M – Texarkana. Pastor Waddles has served as a lecturer and instructor for the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, the Wolverine State Baptist Convention and Huron Valley Baptist District Association. He currently serves as President of the Huron Valley District Congress of Christian Education. He is also the Vice President of the Ypsilanti – Ann Arbor and Vicinity Ministerial Alliance. Acts 11:24 is his life verse, “For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

Dr. Lewis is a native of Saginaw. She graduated from SVSU with a degree in Sociology, a BSN, MSN, and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification. Her PhD is from Michigan State University with a post-doctoral certificate in rural health from University of New York at Binghamton. Dr. Lewis a Sunday School teacher, Dean of the Christian Leadership School for Prince of Peace Missionary Baptist Church and the Saginaw Valley District Congress of Christian Education. She is a nurse educator in the Saginaw Valley District Ushers and Nurses Ministry and the newly appointed State Director of Christian Education for the Wolverine Missionary Baptist State Convention. Dr. Lewis has been a full-time faculty member (Professor of Nursing) at Saginaw Valley State University since 1994 and currently serves as the coordinator for the FNP program.

President Davis has been a member of Trinity 53 years and serves in various ministries such as singing in the Voices of Trinity choir, team-teach the Adult Bible Exposition Life class (Sunday School), Women’s Ministry, Christian Education Ministry, Culinary Ministry, and Jail Visitation Ministry. She served as president of the Crystal Lake Missionary Baptist District Association Woman’s Auxiliary from 1991-1995 and as the General Recording Secretary for the Association from 2015-2019. Sister Davis is the Coordinator of the Fashion Share Outreach Project for the Woman’s Auxiliary to the National Baptist Convention USA Inc., and a writer for The Mission Study Guide, the official organ of the Woman’s Auxiliary National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., in addition to serving on the Advisory Committee. She self-published and released her first book titled, “Joyfully Single,” in 2005 and has presented at the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education Singles’ Conferences, District and Church single’s conferences, as well as a Women’s Day and retreat speaker. Her favorite scripture is Psalm 121.

Born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan. A member of New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church of Saginaw, Michigan, serving under Pastor Alfred Harris, Jr. She serves as Secretary of the Deaconess Ministry as well as other church ministries. Past Chairperson of the Saginaw Valley Deaconess Ministry, where before she served as Secretary. Serves on the WSBC United Sisterhood Luncheon Scholarship Committee. My favorite scripture: Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Crist who strenghthens me" NKJV.

Dr. Elyse is privileged to serve as Dean of the Teaching Ministry of Tabernacle and past Dean of the Metropolitan District Congress of Christian Education. A strong supporter of association work within the Baptist community she serves with the Baptist World Alliance Women Auxiliary and the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. Sunday School Publishing Board's Division of Christian Education. She is a certified instructor and passionate for the work of Christian Education and Mission. She has a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in the Management of Nonprofit Agencies where she specializes in succession planning and protecting the vision and heart of the leader. She is honored to steward the life of one daughter.

Deacon Bill Quarles is a proud member of First Trinity Baptist Church, serving under the leadership of Rev. Ezra L. Tillman, Jr. He serves as a Deacon, General Superintendent, and as Church Administrator. He has been a Certified Dean for over twenty-five years. He is the former Dean of the Great Lakes Baptist District Leadership and Educational Congress and the former Assistant Dean of the Wolverine State Congress of Christian Education.