The Ebenezer A.M.E. Church was organized by dedicated men and women with letters from Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church during the mid-1880’s in the home of Fannie Moore

Ebenezer was organized under Dr. B.W. Stewart, the first pastor, and Rev. C. Hunt who collectively arranged for a meeting hall at the corner of Independence Avenue and Harrison Street. They later bought as old dwelling at the corner of Third and Holmes Street that was remodeled into a church.

Dr. Stewart was succeeded by Rev. A.A. Gilbert (1890–95). After the term of the Rev. J.H. Lewis (1895–97), Dr. Gilbert returned (1897–1902). During his last pastorate he bought the lot at the corner of Admiral Boulevard and Holmes Street.

The Rev. William Hawkins, (1902–04), the Rev. T Francis McDonald, (1904–06), the Rev. J.P. Howard, an evangelist, (1906–10), came to the Holmes Street place in succession. Under the leadership of the Rev. G.W. Tolson, the Ebenezer Society bought a church building and parsonage that had been built by the German Baptists at the corner of Seventeenth Street and Tracy Avenue.

The membership of the church was about sixty when the Rev. W.C. Williams, D.D., was sent to the charge. It outgrew its building, which was sold and a lot bought at Sixteenth Street and Lydia Avenue. A stone church was built at a cost of $30,000. Of this cost, $24,000 was paid leaving a balance of only $6,000. The membership was well organized numbering about 700. The Sunday School grew from 40 to 400. The next pastor, The Rev. W.T. Osborne, D.D., who always preached to crowded houses, enlarged the balcony to increase the seating capacity of the church, and paid off an old debt on the parsonage, which was a part of the German Baptist property at Seventeenth Street and Tracy. The membership increased to 1,000.

The Rev. J.F. Griffin, D.D., (1923–24) died before he finished his first year. Then Dr. W.H. Peck (1924–28) came to the pulpit and continued the constructive development. He built a parish house for community service at a cost of $20,000 and bought two apartment buildings south of the church for $14,000 to be used in institutional work. In 1927, the parsonage at 2626 Highland Avenue was added to the Society’s holdings, making a total property value of $150,000 on which the balance of indebtedness was only $19,000. The membership of the church was 1,200. Mrs. Anna Roberts was the general superintendent of the Sunday School of 400 with seven departmental superintendents.

In July 1928, Dr. Peck was called to one of the largest churches in Detroit, Michigan and Dr. Edward R. Vaughn, dean of Western University, supplied the pulpit.

This information represents excerpts from a manuscript produced by Mrs. Olive L. Hoggins that is available at the public library.

Additional accounts of the church's history are provided in booklets of the various annual conferences.

A request is being made by the Trustees to review all historic information, compile the various accounts, and historically preserve if for generations to come.