Perfecting Church, one of the most prominent African American churches in the country with 4,500 members based in Detroit, MI, and its Bishop Marvin L. Winans, a grammy award winning national gospel singer and minister who gave the eulogy at Whitney Houston’s funeral will host the final Detroit mayoral debate on Aug. 2.
This will be the final debate ahead of the highly contested and most observed Aug. 6 primary election featuring all of the major candidates.
Bankole Thompson, a distinguished journalist and one of the most influential writers in media and politics, is the moderator of the debate. Thompson, the recipient of many awards including the NAACP 2013 Great Expectation Award “for the ability to speak truth to power,” is the editor of the Michigan Chronicle as well as a radio and television analyst.
Thompson’s forthcoming book on Detroit is titled “Rising From the Ashes: Engaging Detroit’s Future with Courage.”
The confirmed candidates for the debate include Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, former Detroit Medical Center CEO Mike Duggan, former Detroit Corporation Counsel Krystal Crittendon and former State Representative Lisa Howze. The doors of the church located on 7616 E. Nevada will open at 5:30pm.
In 2008, Thompson, moderated the heated Congressional debate in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District election at Perfecting Church, where former Congresswoman and head of the Congressional Black Caucus Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick faced tough challenges from former State Representative Mary Waters and former State Senator Martha Scott.
Bishop Winans, believes that the upcoming Detroit mayoral election will be among the most important in Detroit’s history, because of the emergency manager and the city’s filing of chapter 9 bankruptcy.
“Whoever is in leadership once Detroit emerges from financial despair … and it will emerge will chart the city’s comeback,” Winans said. “The right person must be in position to bring the city back to greatness.”
Winans said it is important that Detroit voters hear from the candidates one last time before the August 6th primary.
For more information about Perfecting Church Ministries and Pastor Winans visit perfectingchurch.org
Visit www.bankolethompson.com to learn about the moderator of Friday’s final Detroit mayoral debate.