Church of the Holy Spirit (Livonia, Mich.)

The idea that an Episcopal mission should be founded to serve southwest Livonia and the adjacent areas began in 1964 when Bishop Richard S. Emrich asked the people of St. Andrew's, Livonia, to obtain property for that purpose. A ten-acre site on Newburgh Road just north of Joy Road was purchased in July 1964.

Early in 1968, a committee was formed at St. Andrew's from among families living in the southwest section of Livonia. Concerned about the nature of their "mission," members of these families were apprehensive about acquiring a physical plant which would absorb a significant portion of their resources at the expense of missionary efforts and service to the community. The committee made the decision not to build.

The first service was held in July 1969 after the decision was made to share the building owned by All Saints Lutheran Church at Newburgh and Joy Roads. A year later the growth of the mission made sharing no longer practical and a building owned by the Merriman Road Baptist Church located on Cowan Road near Wayne Road in Westland was leased. It was home for the congregation for the next nine years. Concerns about the need to be located in Livonia made it necessary to reconsider constructing a church building. With the support of the Diocese, a new building was erected on the Newburgh property. Services began there the third Sunday of Easter, 1980. The building was dedicated September 21, 1980.

The Community Outreach program ranked of highest importance next to worship. Based on what is referred to as the "Virginia Plan," which advocates dedicating fifty percent of a parish's resources toward the support of community projects, this program was funded from the Mission budget and augmented with the time and talent of members. Other projects included CESA, Crossroads, Mariners' Inn, First Step, St. Christopher's House, Campus Crusade for Christ, St. Peter's Church -- COTS, Special Ministry for Epilepsy, Hospice, and the Presiding Bishop's Fund.

Like several other Episcopal churches and missions in the Detroit metropolitan area, the Church of the Holy Spirit lost membership in the 1990s and into the new century. The last service of the church was May 11, 2011.

From the guide to the Church of the Holy Spirit (Livonia, Mich.) records, 1969-2011, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)