Bishop Samuel Duncan, Jr. is known as a man of character, integrity, and wisdom. Appointed as pastor of the Lansing Church of God in Christ in June 1992, he and 1st Lady Duncan began to walk in their place of destiny. He has served faithfully at all levels of ministry including Y.P.W.W., Budget Director, Platform Chairman, Board Member of the Jurisdictional Ordination Committee, District Superintendent and Administrative Assistant. Because of his faithfulness, God has richly blessed his ministry and provided opportunities for him to minister across denominational barriers.
Bishop Samuel Duncan Jr. was consecrated as Bishop in the Church of God in Christ on November 15th, 2010 in St. Louis Missouri during the 104th Annual Holy Convocation by Bishop Charles E. Blake, Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ Incorporated.
As Prelate of the Michigan Southwest Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction COGIC he oversees more than 25 churches throughout the state of Michigan, including churches in Saginaw, Flint, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Detroit.
Bishop Duncan is also the Founder & CEO of New Faith Ministries. Armed with a spiritual and moral agenda, New Faith Ministries seeks to effectively utilize its collective influence to benefit Lansing residents, and to respond to the challenges and issues that face the Greater Lansing Area and beyond.
Active in the community, Bishop Duncan has served on numerous boards and been affiliated with many community organizations such as The Clergy Forum of Greater Lansing, Habitat for Humanity, MLK Commission, and Action of Greater Lansing.
Bishop Samuel Duncan Jr. attended Lansing Public Schools from elementary through high school graduating from J.W. Sexton. Then he attended Western Michigan University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting. Bishop Duncan is currently attending Grand Rapids Theological Seminary pursuing a Master of Arts focusing on Theology.
He is a man with a God-given mission to minister to the whole man; spirit, soul and body. Striving for excellence, he is setting new standards and raising the bar for ministry.
Like Joseph, he has a God given dream, in which he strives to see God’s vision for His church unfold in this very hour. Bishop Samuel Duncan Jr. has been a leader and blessing to Lansing COGIC and the city of Lansing.
In private life, Bishop Duncan is the husband of one wife, Evangelist Dorothy Duncan, and the father of 2 children, Samuel “Cisco” Duncan, IV (Benita), and Shayla (Sheldon) Thomas, and grandparent of 4 wonderful grandchildren. More importantly than all that has been stated, Bishop Duncan wants you to know that he’s saved, sanctified, baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost.
Samuel Lee Peppers, born October 16, 1949, to Elder J.C. and Lizzie Peppers in Itta Bena, Mississippi. He was the second of eleven children in the Peppers Family. The family enjoyed each other and were all educated in the school system of Lorfore County. He married Missionary Ruth M. Rowry and they spent a wonderful life together for twenty-seven years until The Lord called her home. The Lord said to Adam it is not good for man to be alone therefore, The Lord blessed Pastor Peppers with his wife Mother Earlie M. Peppers on June 17, 2006 and married for 13 years until the Lord called her home in 2019.
Pastor Peppers pursued higher education at Valley State University and graduated with a BS Degree in Industrial Education. After graduation, he attended the University of Kentucky at Lexington Kentucky, graduating with a degree in Education. Sam was recruited and employed by The University of Michigan, where he worked as a faithful employee for thirty-three years serving in the printing department as a purchasing agent. He was an avid fan of U of M sports, especially football and basketball and was a season ticket holder for many years! “Go Big Blue!”
Samuel came to faith in Christ at an early age and remained in the church all of his life which continued when he was called to the ministry. He was a faithful member of the Fountain Church of God in Christ serving the same church, for over fifty years, in many capacities under his spiritual father and mentor, Pastor Booker T. Rimson; one of the greatest preachers, teachers and leaders that ever walked the face of the earth and truly a great man of God. In 1995, Pastor Peppers was appointed the Pastor of Fountain COGIC (later renamed Greater Fountain) where he pastored for twenty-four years. He also served as District Superintendent of the Headquarters District COGIC, and Administrative Assistant in Michigan Southwest 3rd Jurisdiction COGIC under Bishop Marvin Pryor and Bishop Samuel L. Duncan Jr. He was a member of the Jurisdictional Executive Board and the Jurisdictional Ordination Board.
Administrative Assistant Emeritus Samuel L. Peppers passed from this life on Friday, December 29, 2023. His Motto was “You Have To Be FAT: Faithful, Available, and Teachable To Serve The Lord!” His vision is to see “every member, on every pew SAVED, and filled with the HOLY GHOST”. He always had a great passion for our youth; always believing that they are the church for today and the future. He was also the Spiritual Leader of the Peppers Family. Most importantly, he was a man of prayer, holiness, righteousness, and godly living! Thank God for Pastor Peppers’ faithfulness, teachings, and service to Greater Fountain Church of God In Christ, the Ann Arbor-Washtenaw County area, and beyond.
We believe in loving, and serving the community as a whole with an emphasis on the church family.