Our Story
In 2001 God sparked a dream in the hearts of six Bible College students. Through prayer, Bible study, and serving the community, the spark grew into a small flame that attracted 25 dreamers who were also passionate about starting a new Church in Metro Detroit. God used the excitement and dedication of this small group to fan the flame of God’s call and Church of the King was officially launched on September 16, 2001, just five days after the tragedy of 9/11.
In 2002, our current facility on 12 Mile Road was given to us by Berkley Assembly of God…for free! What started as a spark was now a full flame as the excitement built. A strong group from Berkley Assembly joined in with what God was doing in this new congregation called Church of the King. During the next few months the building was renovated and the story about the “Miracle on 12 Mile” spread, leading to a full house, on Resurrection Sunday, for our first service in our “new” building.
The flame of passion and love that sparked the congregation’s humble beginning is still burning strong today. Church of the King has continued to grow both in numbers and in impact. Every year hundreds of individuals and families are impacted by what God is doing in Church of the King and through its members.
It started with a spark and has continued to stay aflame.
Being around something that is on fire makes it easy to start burning. We not only want to keep fanning the flame God has put in us, but desire to see it catch in others. We know God also wants you to experience the joy that starts with a spark. If you know you need Him to spark something in your life, we invite you to come and be a part of the story with us at Church of the King.
Pastor Tal & Gwen Sullivan
Tal and Gwen each experienced the blessings of growing up in families that love Jesus and value participation in His Church. Tal was well on his way to becoming a Physical Therapist when God began to redirect him and Gwen to what is now a wholehearted calling to pastoral ministry. In 1995, a few years after being married, Tal and Gwen helped start a new church on Detroit’s eastside, a life-changing experience that God used to call them into pastoral ministry. In September 2001, the Sullivans came to Church of the King’s very first service to support Pastor Brad Leach, the church’s founding pastor, and were soon invited to be a part of the ministry team. After serving for almost eight years as the Family Life Pastor, God led Tal to the responsibility of Lead Pastor when Brad resigned to go and plant a church in Philadelphia. Tal and Gwen love spending time with their three adult children and they are passionate about helping people experience healthy, thriving relationships with God and each other. They feel great joy seeing people encounter the life-changing love and power of God, and believe it is available for everyone!
Pastors Wayne & Erica Beason
Both Pastors Wayne and Erica came to know Jesus at a young age as they grew up in Christian households where they started their journey of learning the Bible and developing their strong faith. Individually, they sensed God leading them to train for pastoral ministry. They obeyed, pursued Biblical education and ministerial credentials and have come to Church of the King with many years of ministry experience and hearts ready to serve. Since 2014, Pastor Wayne has served as our Associate Pastor, overseeing LifeGroups, Hospitality and other behind-the-scenes ministry needs. Pastor Erica leads the Children’s Ministry and manages much of the Office Administration. Together, Wayne and Erica firmly believe in the importance of strong, Godly families, emotionally healthy relationships, and the power of God to change lives. The Beasons are a blended family and have 6 children and 7 grandchildren. They are passionate about people coming into a personal relationship with Christ and moving in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Josue & Rebecca Calito
Josue and Rebecca, both coming from pastoral families, were raised in the church where they actively served the Hispanic and English communities in Windsor, Ontario. There they developed a deep passion for serving Jesus and inspiring others to do the same. When Josue was brought to Detroit for work, they both agreed that God was leading them to Michigan. Soon after moving, they plugged into the warm and welcoming community at COTK.
With a heart for youth, Rebecca has comprehensive experience working with children across various school boards, particularly those with learning disabilities and behavioral challenges. On the other hand, Josue works as a registered nurse in a stepdown ICU, where he provides compassionate care for patients and their families during their most vulnerable times. Together, as the youth leaders at COTK, they are dedicated to making a lasting impact on young lives and fostering a strong foundation of faith in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Mary Mergos
Bio coming…
COTK Leadership Team
OUR MISSION
We believe the vision God has given involves everyone in our church. It applies to us as INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, and as a CONGREGATION We want to focus on three areas of connection: with God, our church family, and people not yet connected. Our vision is that through connecting in all of these areas we will not only have stronger and deeper relationships with Jesus, but we will be better equipped to go and share the Good News with those around us!
Through Praise
PSALM 146:1-2
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Through Prayer
PHILLIPIANS 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Through Bible Study
2 TIMOTHY 2:15
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Through Fellowship
HEBREWS 10:25
25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Through Serving
GALATIANS 5:13
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Through Discipleship
PROVERBS 27:17
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
Through Evangelism
MATTHEW 9:37
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Through Missions
ROMANS 10:13-15
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Through Compassion
ISAIAH 58:6-7
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
OUR BELIEFS
The Father
We believe there is one God who is the Creator and the Ruler of the universe. He eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Son
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, in His virgin birth, His sinless life, His atoning death on the cross, His resurrection on the third day, and that He will return again to reign as Lord of lords.
MATT 1:23 | HEB 4:15, 7:26
1 COR 15:3, 1 COR 15:4 | JOHN 11:25
ACTS 1:11 | 1 TIM 6:13-16
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that empowers each Christian to live a godly life. The body of each believer is a “temple” in which the Holy Spirit is present. Therefore, every believer must foster a life of being filled with the Spirit, which is both an initial and an ongoing experience for Christians. The Holy Spirit provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, guidance in doing what is right and spiritual gifts to edify the church.
ROM 8:11 | 1 COR 6:19-20
EPH 5:18
We believe that the entire Bible is the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God and that men were moved by the Spirit to write the books of Scripture. The words of the Bible are the primary source for teaching and equipping Christians for a life of righteousness.
We believe that human beings were created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him, but became alienated from that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, humanity is totally incapable of coming back into a right relationship with God by one’s own effort.
We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross solely provides for the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, salvation is received only when a person places his faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as the sufficient payment for one’s acknowledged sin. This salvation is not earned but a gift available by the grace of God alone.
We believe that for every Christian the old way of living for oneself is in the past and the new way of living for Christ is for the present and for the future. By obedience to the Scriptures and daily yielding to the Spirit we will mature and become conformed to the image of Christ, which should be exhibited by love for God and for one’s neighbor.
We believe that the church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus is the Head. The purpose of the church is to gather believers to glorify God by being a powerful witness for Jesus Christ in a lost world. God wants to edify and build up His church, this is why the Holy Spirit gives a variety of spiritual gifts to believers such as-encouragement, serving, teaching, healing, prophecy, etc. We practice two ordinances in the church instituted by Christ Himself: water baptism and Holy Communion.
We believe that Christ’s power to heal, evident in the Gospels, is available to all believers today through his atoning sacrifice. The church is to lay hands on the sick, anoint them with oil, and pray faithfully for their recovery.
We believe that Christians who have died will be reunited with those still alive at the second coming of Jesus Christ. This event will be followed by the millennial reign of Christ, a final judgment, and the appearance of a new heaven and a new earth.
Church of the King is affiliated through fellowship and accountability with the ASSEMBLIES OF GOD. We are part of the MICHIGAN DISTRICT.
