Church to host minister appreciation banquet
North Broadway Church of Christ will honor Amir Bracken
“It’s been an honor for me to be here. I know transitions can be extremely difficult as change is never easy. This congregation has embraced my family, embraced me, and we are grateful for that.”
— Amir Bracken
In the Bible, the number seven symbolizes completion, as the book of Genesis states God created the Earth in six days and rested on the seventh.
And seven years marks the reason why the North Broadway Church of Christ
in Mount Clemens will hold an appreciation dinner
Sunday to honor Amir Bracken, the presiding minister.
He took over the leadership after the death of the longtime minister, James Thompson, in 2018.
Members of the non— denominational church said the congregation will host the event to show their appreciation to Bracken and his family, after seven years of his minister leadership.
“Minister Amir Bracken has not only served as the minister for seven years, but he, along with his wife, have made a tremendous change of a more way to connect with the community as well as servicing the needs of the congregation and bringing us up to date with the use of technology,” said Theresa McGarity, a member and Mount Clemens city commissioner.
As Thompson neared the end of his 50 years of service at North Broadway Church of Christ, he trained Bracken and worked with him for a year before he died.
“It’s been an honor for me to be here,” Bracken said Thursday. “I know transitions can be extremely difficult as change is never easy. This congregation has embraced my family, embraced me, and we are grateful for that.”
Bracken said he met Thompson through a program at the church known as the Midwestern Christian Institute.
That steered him toward a new career path.
“I wanted to advance my Biblical knowledge, so I came to his school,” he said. “I had no idea of becoming a preacher, but here I am.”
Bracken, 48, and his wife of 21 years, Andrea, have three adult children and one granddaughter.
The Detroit native, who says he was “raised in the church,” earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources management, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology. He also is employed as a psychologist for Team Wellness, where he works with children suffering from anger, depression and trauma issues.
He said guiding the church through the COVID crisis was one of the biggest challenges he faced, but in the end, it served a purpose.
“That, to me, confirmed God’s work here because we never missed a beat. We look for confirmation from God all the time, and that confirmed my being here,” Bracken said.
The Minister Appreciation Banquet will be held 2-5 p.m. Sunday at Tina’s Country House, 50870 North Avenue in Macomb Township. Tickets are $60. For more information, call 586-202-8788.