Detroit Evening Report: Detroit mourns the loss of Rev. Charles G. Adams

The Rev. Charles G. Adams, beloved retired pastor of Detroit’s influential Hartford Memorial Baptist Church and at one time one of the most prominent pastors in the country, died Wednesday after a long illness. He was 86.

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Adams served as pastor at the church for more than 50 years before he was succeeded by his son, Rev. Charles C. Adams, in 2019. He had been in declining health after suffering a stroke four years ago.

Adams was known for using the church’s resources to foster economic development on property near his church.

During his ministry at Hartford Memorial, the Detroit native built a reputation for using church resources to foster economic development and affordable housing. His congregation started with about several hundred members and grew to nearly 10,000 during the course of his leadership.

Adams graduated with honors from the University of Michigan and Harvard University and went on to become a doctoral fellow in Union Theological Seminary in New York City.  From 1962 to 1969, he served as pastor of the historic Concord Baptist Church in Boston, before coming back to Detroit to serve as the pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church.

City officials and leaders, including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, remembered him as a “tireless fighter for the people of Detroit.”

Other headlines for Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023:  

• The Detroit Housing Resource HelpLine was created for Detroiters who need a place to stay for the night, are facing eviction or are living in a home with major repair needs. The city is using $20 million in one-time American Rescue Plan Act Funds and $2.6 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help pay for the program and sustain it through 2024.
• The Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Detroit announced a major milestone this week in the future of mobility and electrification, as crews have finished installing the nation’s first wireless-charging public roadway at the Michigan Central innovation district in Detroit.
• Black Tech Saturdays is a networking event that is promoting diversity, innovation, and community wealth to support Black tech. The next event will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 16.
• The 49th annual Noel Night holiday open house will return to Midtown Detroit this Saturday, Dec. 2.

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