Our Mission
We are a witnessing church after the words of Jesus: "For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost" Luke 19:10.
Fountain COGIC History (1928 - 2005)
In 1928, Eld. Kissertine, Overseer of the Church of God In Christ, sent Eld. Montgomery and his wife to Ann Arbor to start a spiritual work there. Shortly after arriving, Eld. Montgomery was arrested and put in jail for preaching the Word of God. When he left, there were but a few saints, and they would hold services in their homes and/or worship in the church in Ypsilanti. One day the Lord blessed the Church Mother Johnson to rent a little store located at 616 High Street at the intersection of Fuller and Depot Street. She lived in a small room in the back and held services in the front.
Later, Eld. Willie Rimson was sent to Ann Arbor, and he labored there for awhile. During that time, he acquired a piano and more chairs for the church. After he left, a number of pastors came, but they soon left when they saw there were only a few saints that made up the congregation.
Eventually Eld. Robert L. Ford was sent, and he worked days as a cook and preached the gospel at nights. He came up with the idea to remodel the back romm into a kitchen and serve food to raise money for the church. Soon after, he was able to establish a building fund. At the time of Eld. Ford's resignation, the church had an increased amount in the treasury and acquired property on Fourth Avenue.
In 1943, we were blessed when Overseer Cleveland Landis Anderson sent Eld. Booker T. Rimson Sr. to Ann Arbor to become pastor. He worked days in Detroit and initially rode the Greyhound bus to Ann Arbor at night to hold worship service. Seeing that the pastor needed reliable transportaton, Sis. Callie Marshall decided to raise funds for the down payment of Eld. Rimson's first car. This goal was accomplished and the car was purchased for Pastor Rimson. Soon the membership increased and under his leadership, the church was able to purchase the building at 616 High Street and remodel the storefront into a church; yet, Eld. Rimson had a vision of a larger edifice and that vision became a reality.
In October 1962, the church purchased the property at 411 Fountain Street. The church was then incorporated with the state of Michigan and underwent a name change to Fountain Church of God In Christ. The membership flourished and grew. God blessed Pastor Rimson and the congregation to continue through many difficulties and trials, including the prolonged sickness and death of his wife Corrine Jones Rimson.
Pillars of the beginning of Fountain were Sr. Deacons Williams Scruggs, Rufus Taylor, Charles Hooks; Elders J.D. James, Lattimore Haywood, George Jackson; Mothers Josie Anderson, Sallie Jackson, Alice Torres, Luella Reed, Susie Scruggs, Mabel McKinney, Grace Jackson, Ruth Walker, Nannie May Fly; Sisters Corrine Rimson, Ethel McGinnes, Louise Haywood and Callie Marshall. We cherish the memory of these saints today.
In January 1955, our second Church Mother, Annie Rowry, was called home to be with the Lord after a lengthy illness. Mother Mary Lee Scruggs was then appointed Church Mother.
In March 1995, our beloved Pastor Booker T. Rimson was called home to be with the Lord. Our lost was felt throughout the state of Michigan and the National Church Of God In Christ. On April 27, 1995, Eld. Samuel Peppers (one of Eld. Rimson's sons in the gospel) was appointed pastor of Fountain COGIC by Administrative Assistants Fred Cunningham and George Bennett. He was officially installed by our Bishop Marvin C. Pryor in December 1995.
Pastor Peppers continued the vision of "Dad Rimson" for a larger edifice and in May 1996, our present church was purchased here at 530 W. Stadium Boulevard. We held our first service on Sunday, September 6, 1998, and Phase 1 of remodeling was completed in October 1998.
Pastor Peppers, soft-spoken, fervent in prayer, proclaimer of God's Word, and full of Holy Ghost power and love for the people of God, has been leading this church for over 10 years. In 2003, he was elevated to District Superintendent of Headquarters District, Southwest Michigan 3rd Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. His beloved wife, Sis. Ruth M. Peppers, a loving, diligent, and God-fearing leader who sincerely loved God's people worked in the ministry alongside her husband until she was called home to be with the Lord on November 2, 2004. She is greatly missed, and we are blessed that her spiritual legacy endures.
We are currently experiencing spiritual and natural growth through the constant and fervent prayers of the our Pastor and the Prayer Warriors of Fountain.
