Bishop Samuel Duncan, Jr.

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 Evangelist Dorothy L. Duncan began to walk in their place of purpose and destiny.  Under Bishop Duncan’s leadership, the membership has grown; church boards, ministries, and auxiliaries are high-functioning; the pulpit is filled with elders and ministers; and weekly services are well attended. In addition, the church edifice has expanded. A 9,400 square feet addition, consisting of administrative offices, conference room, nursery, computer lab, classrooms, bookstore, and additional restrooms was completed in 1998.  Plans are underway to break ground for a new 32,000 square feet expansion, including a 1,200-seat sanctuary, larger lobby, additional classrooms, larger bookstore, coffee bar, and recreation/music room.

Bishop Duncan is also the Founder & CEO of two 501c3 non-profit organizations - New Faith Ministries and Lansing Community Development Corp.  Armed with a spiritual and moral agenda, both New Faith Ministries and Lansing Community Development Corp. seeks to effectively utilize its collective influence to benefit the community, 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 has been affiliated with many community organizations such as, The Clergy Forum of Greater Lansing, Habitat for Humanity, Martin Luther King Commission, and Action of Greater Lansing.

In 1996, Bishop Duncan was appointed the Superintendent of the Charles Harrison Mason District within the Michigan Southwest Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under the leadership of the late Bishop Marvin C. Pryor. He became an Administrative Assistant in 1996 and served as the First Administrative Assistant to Bishop Pryor from 2007 until Bishop Pryor’s death on February 22, 2010.

At a meeting with SW3 following the Homegoing Celebration of Bishop Pryor, the International Presiding Bishop of the Church of God In Christ, his Grace, the Most Reverend Charles Edward Blake, Sr. appointed Bishop Duncan as the Chairman of the Administrative Assistants. In the Spirit of Excellence of which we had become accustomed, Bishop Duncan was the only man to stand when the request was made for those who desired to become the Bishop of SW3.

His Grace, the Most Reverend Charles Edward Blake, Sr. served as the Interim Jurisdictional Prelate from February 22 until May 15 at which time the Administrative Assistant Samuel Duncan, Jr. was appointed as the Bishop-Designate of SW3 in a special service presided over by the First Assistant Presiding Bishop of the Church of God In Christ, the Right Reverend Phillip Aquilla Brooks of Detroit, Michigan. This service was held at the conclusion of the Annual Bishop Marvin C. Pryor Leadership Academy.  Bishop Duncan was consecrated to the Bishopric of the Church of God In Christ on Monday, November 15, 2010 at the 103rd Annual Holy Convocation held in Saint Louis, Missouri.  He has prophesied that the half has not been told about the future success of SW3.

Bishop Duncan attended Lansing Public Schools from elementary through high school graduating from J. W. Sexton.  He has a Bachelors of Arts in Accounting from Western Michigan University, Master of Arts in Theology from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and an honorary Doctorate of Theology from the Midwest Theology Seminary.  After a distinguished career with the State of Michigan as a Certified Public Accountant, Bishop Duncan was able to take early retirement to devote full time to ministry.

In his private life, Bishop Duncan is the husband of one wife, Evangelist Dorothy L. Duncan, and the father of two children, Pastor Samuel “Cisco” (District Missionary Benita) Duncan IV, and Lady Shayla (Pastor Sheldon) Thomas, and grandfather of four 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.