Dr. Alfred D. Knight Jr. will be installed on Saturday, Dec. 15, 11 a.m., as the Jurisdictional Bishop for the Church of God in Christ, Inc. Worldwide. The event will be held at Power of the Word Worship Center, 4801 Oakman.

Knight is the pastor of Power of the Word Worship Center and founder of Power of the Word Worship Centers in Southfield and Westland. He is part of the third generation Church of God in Christ. He was saved and filled with the Holy Ghost at an early age under the ministry of Supt. Amos Warren, Sr. in Detroit. He has been married to the former Dr. Judy Denise Davis for 37 years with three adult children, Supt. Myron D. Knight (Tamicko), Dr. Kirstie L. Knight (educator) and Pastor Stephen D. Knight Sr. (Nakina) from the marriage and eight grandchildren. He accepted his call to preach in 1977 as a result of the preaching of the late Evangelist S.E. Mitchell of Dallas at Cathedral Conference Center in Detroit.

Knight began his pastoral ministry in August 1983, founding Saint Peter Church of God in Christ and two year later given the pastorate of a second church, First Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, by Bishop P.A. Brooks. It is the second oldest COGIC church in Michigan, founded in 1918; the first pastor was the late Bishop Willie Graham Shipman. He graduated from Southeastern High School on Detroit’s east side. He graduated from Ferris State College in Big Rapids, Michigan, with an Associate in Pre-Law in June 1972 and a Bachelor of Science in Administration in January 1974. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and was president of the Zeta Beta Chapter at Ferris State College from 1973 to 1974. After college graduation he was employed by Michigan Consolidated Gas Company for over 20 years. In his last position, he was manager of two divisions, Executive Customer Assistance Center and Customer Service Training. In this position he assisted many churches with bill payment problems.

In December 1979 he graduated from Central Michigan University with a Masters of Business Management. For two years, 1980-1982, matriculated in a Doctoral Educational Leadership Program at Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In June 2004, he graduated from Master’s Graduate School of Divinity with a Doctoral Degree in Pastoral Ministry. In September 2004 was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from Saint Thomas Christian College in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Alfred D. Knight has received numerous corporate and civic awards for his activism in the community.

Knight is the founder of Community and Educational Services (CES) for Families, Youth and Seniors. In partnership with the City of Detroit for the last six years they have provided a warming shelter for the homeless, serving over 30,000 men. CES is also scheduled to build over 40 homes in the area where Power of the Word Worship Center is located in 2008.

He has served in several capacities in the Church of God in Christ, including deacon, minister and elder, without charge, local youth president, district youth president, superintendent, secretary of Ordination Board, Jurisdiction Workshop coordinator; 21 years as a teacher and coordinator at Charles Harrison Mason Bible College and lastly, administrative assistant to Bishop Nathaniel Wyoming Wells, prelate of Western Michigan Jurisdiction over the Southeast Region with 43 churches. Dr. Knight will preside over Michigan Northwestern Harvest Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, Church of God in Christ. Mother Nancy F. Sanford is supervisor designee of the Women’s Department.