Rev. Roland Stringfellow, Senior Pastor
A native of Fort Wayne, IN, Rev. Roland Stringfellow is a licensed minister with the Metropolitan Community Churches, The United Church of Christ, and The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM). Currently, he is the Senior Pastor and Teacher of Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit.
In 2010, Roland directed a national African-American faith community outreach (the "Umoja Project") working with pastors and lay leaders in the Black church to provide pastoral care for gay and lesbian members of their congregations. In 2011, Rev. Stringfellow was honored to be elected with the most number of votes to become a Grand Marshal in the San Francisco Pride Parade. In 2012, he expanded his outreach by having several articles published in the Huffington Post.
Rev. Stringfellow has been consulted by media outlets regarding his work on marriage equality and the role of people of color and communities of faith in this local, state, and national debate. He has conducted multiple workshops on the topics of race, religion, class, sexuality, and gender identity. Stringfellow holds a Doctorate in Ministry with a focus on challenging state sponsored Religious Freedom legislation that causes harm to LGBT individuals and families. He is married to Jerry Peterson and they live in Detroit.
A native of Fort Wayne, IN, Rev. Roland Stringfellow is a licensed minister with the Metropolitan Community Churches, The United Church of Christ, and The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM). Currently, he is the Senior Pastor and Teacher of Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit.
In 2010, Roland directed a national African-American faith community outreach (the "Umoja Project") working with pastors and lay leaders in the Black church to provide pastoral care for gay and lesbian members of their congregations. In 2011, Rev. Stringfellow was honored to be elected with the most number of votes to become a Grand Marshal in the San Francisco Pride Parade. In 2012, he expanded his outreach by having several articles published in the Huffington Post.
Rev. Stringfellow has been consulted by media outlets regarding his work on marriage equality and the role of people of color and communities of faith in this local, state, and national debate. He has conducted multiple workshops on the topics of race, religion, class, sexuality, and gender identity. Stringfellow holds a Doctorate in Ministry with a focus on challenging state sponsored Religious Freedom legislation that causes harm to LGBT individuals and families. He is married to Jerry Peterson and they live in Detroit.
Rev. Deb Dysert, Associate Pastor
Sometime in 1992, God began to talk to me with a voice I could no longer ignore. I had been involved in Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) for many years and found the most significant relationship with God that I had ever known while a member of MCC.
I grew up in an eastern suburb of Cleveland, the oldest of three children to very loving parents. Of course we had our challenges, as many families do, but primarily ours was a very functional family enjoying family vacations and activities together as we struggled to make ends meet and maintain quality family life. Unfortunately, I would not call us a family that was consistently involved in church life. As I was growing up, we were Christmas and Easter Christians. As I entered my high school years we became more involved in our church which was Presbyterian.
While I was attending Kent State University in the early 1970’s to get my teaching degree, I discovered MCC in Columbus, OH. Over the next 21 years, I was very involved in MCC serving in the local church (in every leadership role except treasurer and God was too smart for that!), in the Great Lakes District as clerk for 7 years, and in the South Area of the Great Lakes District. During my years of lay ministry, I discovered a call to ministry but was reluctant to heed the call. I was happily teaching pre-school age special needs students and God’s voice got louder calling me to ministry.
It was at that point I began my journey into professional ministry. I took classes offered by our denomination through Samaritan Institute, attended classes at Chicago Theological Seminary, and Chicago Theological Seminary leading to my ordination in MCC in 1996. I have served as clergy at New Spirit MCC in Cincinnati, at Jesus MCC, as Senior pastor at Divine Peace MCC in Detroit, assisted with Clergy care and representation in both the North Area and South area of the Great Lakes District, participated on the Regional Elder Nominating Team for Region 5, participated on Ordination Interview Teams, provided Pastoral Care for clergy in Region 5 working with Rev. Elder Diane Fisher, and currently as Associate Pastor at MCC Detroit.
I live in a northern suburb of Detroit with Ann, my partner of over 24 years. We have my 85 year old father living with us and Wilbur, our very quirky cat. I am currently teaching for Pontiac Schools as a teacher of severely and profoundly impaired students 13-21 years old.
Sometime in 1992, God began to talk to me with a voice I could no longer ignore. I had been involved in Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) for many years and found the most significant relationship with God that I had ever known while a member of MCC.
I grew up in an eastern suburb of Cleveland, the oldest of three children to very loving parents. Of course we had our challenges, as many families do, but primarily ours was a very functional family enjoying family vacations and activities together as we struggled to make ends meet and maintain quality family life. Unfortunately, I would not call us a family that was consistently involved in church life. As I was growing up, we were Christmas and Easter Christians. As I entered my high school years we became more involved in our church which was Presbyterian.
While I was attending Kent State University in the early 1970’s to get my teaching degree, I discovered MCC in Columbus, OH. Over the next 21 years, I was very involved in MCC serving in the local church (in every leadership role except treasurer and God was too smart for that!), in the Great Lakes District as clerk for 7 years, and in the South Area of the Great Lakes District. During my years of lay ministry, I discovered a call to ministry but was reluctant to heed the call. I was happily teaching pre-school age special needs students and God’s voice got louder calling me to ministry.
It was at that point I began my journey into professional ministry. I took classes offered by our denomination through Samaritan Institute, attended classes at Chicago Theological Seminary, and Chicago Theological Seminary leading to my ordination in MCC in 1996. I have served as clergy at New Spirit MCC in Cincinnati, at Jesus MCC, as Senior pastor at Divine Peace MCC in Detroit, assisted with Clergy care and representation in both the North Area and South area of the Great Lakes District, participated on the Regional Elder Nominating Team for Region 5, participated on Ordination Interview Teams, provided Pastoral Care for clergy in Region 5 working with Rev. Elder Diane Fisher, and currently as Associate Pastor at MCC Detroit.
I live in a northern suburb of Detroit with Ann, my partner of over 24 years. We have my 85 year old father living with us and Wilbur, our very quirky cat. I am currently teaching for Pontiac Schools as a teacher of severely and profoundly impaired students 13-21 years old.
Brian Londrow, Minister of Music
Brian Londrow is an accomplished musician, having performed throughout the Detroit area, the state of Michigan and Canada. He studied under Ms. Grace Winchester who was a student of Friedheim and Granger, Mr. Wesley Fishwick and Mrs. Helen Parkins. Before graduating from Aldersgate he attended Macomb Community College where he also accompanied musicals and choruses.
Brian has received honors in piano performance from the Saskatchewan Music Festival and the Detroit Musicians League. He has performed for the Oakland Festival Ballet Company, Oakland University Department of Theatre and Dance, and the Flint School of Music and served as an audition accompanist for the New York City Ballet.
Brian has directed and accompanied a wide variety of musicals including ‘Tommy,’ ‘Pippin,’ ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Once On This Island,’ ‘My Way,’ ‘Godspell,’ and ‘Little Women,’ just to name a few.
Currently Brian is celebrating his 25th year as Music Minister at Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit and his 9th year as Artistic Director for Detroit Together Men’s Chorus.
Brian Londrow is an accomplished musician, having performed throughout the Detroit area, the state of Michigan and Canada. He studied under Ms. Grace Winchester who was a student of Friedheim and Granger, Mr. Wesley Fishwick and Mrs. Helen Parkins. Before graduating from Aldersgate he attended Macomb Community College where he also accompanied musicals and choruses.
Brian has received honors in piano performance from the Saskatchewan Music Festival and the Detroit Musicians League. He has performed for the Oakland Festival Ballet Company, Oakland University Department of Theatre and Dance, and the Flint School of Music and served as an audition accompanist for the New York City Ballet.
Brian has directed and accompanied a wide variety of musicals including ‘Tommy,’ ‘Pippin,’ ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Once On This Island,’ ‘My Way,’ ‘Godspell,’ and ‘Little Women,’ just to name a few.
Currently Brian is celebrating his 25th year as Music Minister at Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit and his 9th year as Artistic Director for Detroit Together Men’s Chorus.
Barb Hardison, Office Administrator
Martha grew up in Michigan and attended the University of Michigan. At the age of 20 she moved to Washington, DC and with the exception of five years spent in Munich, Germany, she lived there for the next twenty-some years. She earned a BA (English) and Master of Library and Information Science from University of Maryland. For several years Martha worked for contractors and think tanks in the Washington area as an information specialist/librarian/database manager.
Born and raised a United Methodist, when she responded to God's call to ministry, attending Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, where she earned her Master of Divinity in 2002. In her initial year as a "probationary elder," however, she came out and began her transfer to UFMCC; she was ordained in Washington DC in 2004.
Martha identifies as a pansexual woman. Currently she serves both as pastor of MCC Windsor, which is across the Detroit River from Detroit and as the Office Administrator for MCC Detroit. She is also President of the Board of the Windsor Pride Community Education and Resource Centre. She has a grown son, Ben, who lives in Washington, DC; her interests are in history, theology, worship creation, queer theory, literature, and music. She is also staff for her cat, Dylan.
Martha grew up in Michigan and attended the University of Michigan. At the age of 20 she moved to Washington, DC and with the exception of five years spent in Munich, Germany, she lived there for the next twenty-some years. She earned a BA (English) and Master of Library and Information Science from University of Maryland. For several years Martha worked for contractors and think tanks in the Washington area as an information specialist/librarian/database manager.
Born and raised a United Methodist, when she responded to God's call to ministry, attending Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, where she earned her Master of Divinity in 2002. In her initial year as a "probationary elder," however, she came out and began her transfer to UFMCC; she was ordained in Washington DC in 2004.
Martha identifies as a pansexual woman. Currently she serves both as pastor of MCC Windsor, which is across the Detroit River from Detroit and as the Office Administrator for MCC Detroit. She is also President of the Board of the Windsor Pride Community Education and Resource Centre. She has a grown son, Ben, who lives in Washington, DC; her interests are in history, theology, worship creation, queer theory, literature, and music. She is also staff for her cat, Dylan.