Our Ministerial Staff

Reverend Charles Christian Adams was ordained to the Christian ministry at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, under the Pastorate of Dr. Charles G. Adams. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary of New York, New York.

Reverend Adams' affiliations include membership in the Golden Key National Honor Society. He is also a lifetime member of the NAACP. Reverend Charles C. Adams is currently serving on the Board of Trustees of the Sunshine Community School in Detroit, Michigan. He is affiliated with Emmanuel House Recovery Center, which specializes in treatment of drug and alcohol addictions. He is also a member of the Partnership for a Drug-Free Detroit, a broad-based consortium of community organizations created and sponsored by the Detroit City Council.

Some of Rev. Adams' career highlights have been his service as the Youth and Young Adult Minister for the Bronx Christian Fellowship Church in Bronx, New York, under the Pastorate of Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook. He was also a Program Coordinator for the Office of the University Chaplain at Columbia University in New York, New York, under the direction of Chaplain Jewlnel Davis. He has been a Youth Steward for the World Council of Churches Central Committee in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition to that, Rev. Adams was also a delegate for the Baptist World Alliance Youth conference in Harare, Zimbabwe. He has been a Youth Representative for both the American Baptist Churches in the U.S. and Johannesburg, South Africa. While he served as the Chaplain of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church's Rites of Passage Program, he led a delegation of graduates to Senegal and Gambia for their commencement. He has preached throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa, and has led college preparation workshops as well as delivered the commencement address twice for the Academy of Detroit. Rev. Adams has held several drug and alcohol abuse seminars at juvenile detention facilities, drug rehabilitation centers, elementary schools, and high schools.

Currently Reverend Adams serves as Presiding Pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church. He also oversees and regularly preaches for the “Saturday Nite Live” worship service. Rev. Adams is a member of the Detroit Recovery Project Board of Directors and a counselor for the Emmanuel House Recovery Center. In addition to that, he is the teacher and coordinator for the Men's Tuesday night Bible study at the Hartford Institute Building and preaches regularly at Detroit Rescue Mission's Genesis III.

Reverend Dempsey Scott Harrison, Jr. is the Assistant to Pastor in Pastoral Care. His mission is to provide a spiritual arm to all Hartford Members and Non-Members requesting care and support. He has aligned his ministry programs with Hartford Memorial's vision: “We are in the world on assignment from God to represent God's truth, God's sense of justice and God's perfect love.” He directs all efforts in Hospital/Sick and Shut-In Visitation, Funeral Planning, and interfaces with Hartford's Agape House community outreach family assistance programs.

He directs Stephen Ministries, which focuses on those who are challenged by life events and need spiritual listeners to walk with them through their crisis. Stephen Ministries was founded by Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk, Ph.D., a St. Louis Lutheran pastor and clinical psychologists and has been implemented in congregations across the United States and other countries as well. Volunteers for this ministry are trained to be “caregivers” to “care-receivers,” those needing support

An integral part of the Pastoral Care Ministry is to equip the saints in hospice care training. This ministry arose out of the Rev. Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, in Jacksonville, Florida, in February, 2006. This convocation of pastors resolved to form a partnership of churches with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and VITAS, a national hospice care organization, to increase awareness by African American churches of the benefits and availability of hospice care services. Pastor Charles G. Adams has added Hartford Memorial to this consortium of churches. Rev. Harrison launched our first volunteer hospice training modules in November and December of 2007 and a second set of training modules in January and February of 2008. Those completing the training are then assigned field practicum's, and receive official VITAS certification to function as hospice care volunteers anywhere in the United States.

Additionally, he has responsibility for Pre-Marital and Post-Marital Counseling. Instruments used were developed by Psychologist Barbara Markey. They are FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) for Pre-Marital Counseling and REFOCCUS for Married Couples.

Reverend Harrison has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan, where he did post-degree studies in Finance following graduation. This degree prepared him for a successful career at the IBM Corporation where he held management positions in Administration, Finance, Human Resources, and Training and Development, until his retirement in 1996. Reverend Harrison attended William Tyndale Bible College in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and received an Evangelism Training Certification in the Dr. D. James Kennedy Evangelism Explosion International Equipping Ministry at the Reformed Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Before coming to Hartford Memorial, Rev. Harrison served at Unity Baptist Church as Assistant Youth Pastor and Pastor of Evangelism. He and his wife were also co-teachers of the Shechinah Glory-Adult Sunday School class for 10 years. Together they developed and taught several workshops: “Living Victoriously,” “Couples Achieving Oneness-Married Couples,” and “Christian Parenting.”

His social/service affiliations include: The Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, The Ministers Council-American Baptist Churches/USA, NAACP-Life Member, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Rev. Harrison is married to Sandra Kaye. They have two sons, Deacon Dempsey Scott III, Adjunct Professor, Communication/Media Arts and Studies, Wife-Kristie, and daughter-Cerenna, and Deacon Jason Harcourt, Attorney-at-Law, Wife-Deacon Lisa, Son-Jason Harcourt II.

Deacon Curtis H. B. Kilpatrick II is Director of Youth Ministries at Hartford. He is the only son of Rev. Curtis H. B. Kilpatrick and the late Ola Belle Kilpatrick, and was born in Jackson, Alabama. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Deacon Kilpatrick joined Hartford in 1982. He began his service by teaching a Senior High Sunday School class. He taught the class for several years before being elected to serve as the Sunday School's General Superintendent, a position that he currently holds. He is also a member of the Male Chorus and the December Birth Ministry. Deacon Kilpatrick has always been drawn to activities that involve young people. He has served as Vacation Bible School director, a youth retreat presenter and leader, youth council advisor, and Children Church coordinator.

Deacon Kilpatrick is married to Emily Joanna and is the father of two sons, Curtis III and Eric Jarreau, two daughters, Carmen and Cindy, the grandfather of four grandsons, Christopher, Timothy, Daevon, and Daeon, and two granddaughters, Kennedy and Victoria.