As Detroiters watched the mayoral contest unfold, Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield’s momentum was undeniable, and it was evident by her decisive win that the city wanted her to be the city’s next mayor.
But even though Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. did not emerge as the next mayor of our city, his candidacy was far from a defeat in a larger sense. Instead, it was a reaffirmation of something vital about Detroit – that serious, rooted, values-driven leadership remains essential, and that the work of building community need not end with an election.
For 27 years, Rev. Kinloch has been a quiet but unshakable pillar of our city. He took the helm of Triumph Church in Detroit when it numbered fewer than 100 members. Today, it serves tens of thousands across multiple campuses, and his pastoral leadership has become a laboratory for neighborhood uplift, economic empowerment, and spiritual encouragement…