About Me
Bishop John Seth Bailey was born on June 9, 1896 in Daphney, Alabama. He was the tenth of fifteen born to Edmond and Caroline Bailey, Sr. He heard the gospel of sanctification and baptism of the Holy Ghost preached by the late Elder Monroe Jones, of Mobile, Alabama in 1918. He gave his heart to God and was saved from his sins with real knowledge of God in his life. On June 3, 1918, he was married to Miss Anna J. Thomas.His pastor admired his fervency of spirit and faithfulness and appointed him Sunday School teacher. Later, he became Deacon of the Church. His name is engraved in stone and will be there as long as his home church stands in Mobile, Alabama.In 1918, he was inducted into the U.S. Army, American Expedition Force. The Lord blessed him there; seeing many of his comrades go down, he continued to trust God and He brought him out safely. He was discharged in 1919 with greater determination to give his life to the Lord.In 1924, he and his late wife Anna J. moved to the city of Detroit, Michigan. He found saints and connected with Saints Home Church of God in Christ, where Elder J.P. Payne was pastor. Again, he was recognized for his faithfulness, spirituality and fervency of spirit. He answered his calling and was ordained in 1926.The Late Bishop John Seth Bailey began his work in the ministry in Michigan in 1924 when he and his late wife, Anna, came to Detroit, Michigan and connected with Saints Home Church of God in Christ, under the pastorate of Elder J.P. Payne. Bishop Bailey acknowledged his call to the ministry, and was ordained in 1926. Elder Bailey and his late wife, Anna J. founded Bailey Temple Church of God in Christ on McKinley Avenue on Detroit's west side. God told him "This Is The Place". He cleared the land and erected a tent and had just four members. Later, the tent would be filled and he would build his first church In 1932, his wife, who had been faithful and who had worked so untiringly, was called home to be with the Lord. After the passing of his first wife, he married Mother Annie Lee Pennington. In 1934, he was appointed District Superintendent of District Number One by State Overseer, Bishop I.W. Winans. At that time the Church of God in Christ in the State of Michigan was one body.Because of the growth that had taken place in Michigan over the years, and by the leading of the Holy Ghost, Bishop Mason, the founder of the Church of God in Christ, saw that the work in Michigan could be better served if the State had more than one General Overseer. So in 1946, Michigan gave birth, and Supt. J.S. Bailey was appointed by Bishop Mason as Bishop of the newly created Diocese, made up of an aggregation of churches from the Mother State. The Mother State, at that time presided over by Bishop C.L. Anderson, Sr., was then named the Northeastern Jurisdiction of Michigan; and the newly created Diocese, presided over by Bishop J.S. Bailey, was named the Southwestern Jurisdiction of Michigan. Bishop Bailey chose Dr. Mary Lou Belvin, who previously served as his District Missionary, to work with him as the Jurisdictional Supervisor of the Department of Women. Mother Belvin faithfully organized and grew the women's work in Southwest Michigan.The magnitude of the work of this Pioneer, Father and Organizer in Michigan is immeasurable. Bishop Bailey founded Bailey Temple Church of God in Christ. He also nurtured, financially assisted and Pastored the Mother Church in Michigan, initially known as Livingstone Street Church of God in Christ, founded by the late Elder W.G. and Mother Mary Mangum Johnson. In 1961, a new House of Worship for the Mother Church, now known as Seth Temple Church of God in Christ, was purchased under the leadership of Bishop Bailey. This late Visionary also purchased Bailey Cathedral Church of God in Christ, the current Headquarters of Southwest Michigan First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, Inc.Under his leadership the number of churches in Southwest Michigan Jurisdiction grew from a few to over one hundred churches. In 1975, Dr. Annie L. Bailey went home to be with Lord. In 1976, God gave Bishop Bailey another jewel as his wife, Sister Iner R. Whittler. She was a loving, faithful and fully dedicated wife, who attended to the needs of her husband until the Lord called him into His eternal rest.On Sunday, August 5, 1984 Bishop John Seth Bailey, pastor of Seth Temple Church of God in Christ, Bailey Temple Church of God in Christ and the Presiding Prelate of Southwestern Michigan Jurisdiction, closed his eyes entering his eternal rest.On the evening before his death according to Iner Bailey, Bishop Bailey spoke to her these final words," The Lord will beautify the meek with salvation. No doubt about it, Holiness is right and the Lord will take you through."When he died, he left the world a legacy of his achievements as a warrior of God. In what he built, in what he fostered, in what he initiated, in what he believed, in the fight of faith that he waged, in all of the Christian endeavors that he propagated, Bishop John Seth Bailey "LIVES ON".
