A minister since age 16, Deon Mullen serves in new ways at Franklin Wright Settlements

The location was Pontiac. Even before Deon Mullen had a license to drive a car, he was called upon to assume a leadership role in his church at the tender age of 16.

Accepting an invitation to “preach and teach” during Sunday services and other church meetings as a teenager felt like the most natural thing in the world to do for Mullen, whose childhood was deeply connected to his church home — the Inspirational Church of God In Christ (COGIC) — where he was a drummer and sang in the choir, attended Bible study, and delivered speeches on Easter and Christmas.

“It was my pastor (Bennie Ellout Jr.) who instilled in me from a young age that the hand of God was on my life,” Mullen said with tenderness in his voice about his late childhood pastor who made the determination that a young Mullen was ready to be heard by his entire congregation and others. “He saw something in me that at the time I couldn’t see in myself, so he kept me close to him and he would allow me to sit in the pulpit and allow me to go to different meetings with him and his wife. He really took me in as a son and showed me the ins and outs of ministry. Since that time, I’ve matured and grown into my own shoes. But I’m still in the pulpit, just in a different way now.”

The “different” type of pulpit that Mullen, now 40, was referencing can be found about 30 miles south of his former church in Pontiac, as today he does most of his multitasking on Detroit’s east side at 3360 Charlevoix. The address is the headquarters of the 142-year-old Franklin Wright Settlements, where Mullen is the executive assistant to President and CEO Monique Marks, and Franklin Wright’s director of senior outreach services and engagement.

“Ever since 2014, when I walked through the front door at Franklin Wright, different doors of opportunity have opened, and they have been wonderful opportunities for me to commit myself to service,” Mullen said. “Some people think that when you say, ‘I’m a minister’ that it’s only relegated to standing in the church before a group of people, but it’s also about the service that you render to others. So, this is a good fit for me — an excellent fit —because when I’m here, I’m still ministering to people in our community through service.”

Mullen’s Franklin Wright brand of ministry was on display Tuesday morning as he and his senior outreach services and engagement team hosted a “Food & Friendship” gathering for 28 senior citizens, mostly women, who without even having to say a word signaled that Easter was near through the stylish hats that were worn by many. To call the senior citizens that came together “visitors” to Franklin Wright, or “participants” in a program, would hardly be respectful given that many who were in attendance, including 77-year-old Carolyn Thomas, have connections to Franklin Wright and the neighborhood that go back for generations.

“I’m the eighth generation of family members that have attended the Franklin Wright Settlement,” Thomas proudly stated. “I attended Ralph J. Bunche School, right at the corner, and I used to come over here as a young kid right after school. I took dancing lessons here, we used to roller skate, we did the whole nine yards. When I got married, my kids used to come here after school, so it’s just been a generational thing. So, to have the senior program now, it means a lot. And Deon is a sweetheart, no matter what he has on his mind, he will stop and listen to you, and he will do as much as he can to help you.”

On Tuesday, the array of offerings served up to Thomas and the other attendees by Mullen and his team included piping hot coffee to start the morning at 9 a.m.; an exercise session expertly led by 83-year-old Elder Varnado, which included standing and seated exercises, with some challenging step-dancing at the end; bingo games; ongoing opportunities for fellowship, including statements of gratitude from around the room, and a hearty lunch consisting of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, bread, and cake and ice cream, in honor of Mullen’s birthday, which was April 3.

But before Linda McGruder could get into any of the activities, she needed a hug from Mullen immediately at 9:21 a.m., as he walked into the cozy room where the seniors were assembled, which included neatly set tables draped with table cloths and rows of massage chairs along two walls for anyone desiring extra comfort. Later in the morning, McGruder explained why getting the hug from Mullen was a priority for her.

“Deon is the perfect person for this job, I’ll tell you that,” declared the 75-year-old McGruder, who, like Thomas, attended Ralph J. Bunche School growing up. “He takes such good care of us, like we’re his own grandmothers. This program means so much to us that we want to get back to coming five days a week like we used to (before COVID-19). But we’re content with the two days because we have to be thankful for what we have.”

There also was plenty of inspirational music playing during “Food & Friendship,” including recordings by Al Green, Maze, featuring Frankie Beverly, Stevie Wonder and more. But without a doubt, the musical showstopper was 82-year-old Carrie Thornton, who delivered a happy birthday serenade to Mullen, which ended with her unique rendition of “You Are So Beautiful.”

Thornton, who worked for 26 years at Detroit’s Main Post Office and was a member of a Post Office Choir that performed at New York’s Madison Square Garden, said Tuesday’s performance was impromptu, but nonetheless it was filled with meaning for her.

“Deon is a very humble person and a God-sent man,” said Thornton, who has been involved with Franklin Wright programs for about a year. “I just love him, as well as the young lady who is over us (Monique Marks), she, too, is a God-sent person and I’m thankful for all of the people that are a part of her team. I think this program is a blessing from God, really, because you would be surprised how some seniors are living alone. They’re lonely, they don’t have anything to do and no one comes to visit them. But I’m one to go out. I’m 82, but you would think I was 28, because I like to help people. My mission in life is to help people, forgive people and love people.”

Shortly after Thornton’s inspiring gesture, and as positive words continued to flow across the room, Franklin Wright Settlements CEO Monique Marks, who had been a quiet, smiling observer during much of the morning, was moved to speak: “This is what community looks like. This is what progress looks like. I love y’all for real!”

And love, Franklin Wright-style, also means being prepared for a change in plans. Ordinarily, on Easter, Franklin Wright Settlements would serve as a meals-on-wheels distribution site, which would entail delivering meals to the homes of Detroit seniors on the holiday. However, because of a decision made outside of her organization by a community partner, Marks learned April 2 that the home delivery of meals on Easter would not happen. But there was no need to panic for seniors that visited Franklin Wright during the week of April 3, including on Tuesday and Thursday, as enough free food was given to seniors to prepare a home-cooked Easter meal: Dearborn Brand hams, Jiffy corn muffin mix, and most of the ingredients needed to cook made-from-scratch macaroni and cheese and other dishes.

To execute the plan, Mullen’s help was required on Tuesday, as he helped transport bags of food to cars in the Franklin Wright parking lot that were waiting to take seniors home. For that task, Mullen needed to show off his muscles, to a degree. But minutes later, after each senior had departed, Mullen took a moment to think about himself and revealed that in some ways he was as vulnerable as the people he serves daily.

“These are not tears of sorrow,” Mullen said at one point as he explained challenges that he has been dealing with during 2023, including being told he had “two small aneurysms” during a doctor visit he initially thought was just to have stitches removed from above his eye after he slipped on ice near his home on Jan. 29. And while still trying to process a most serious health issue that he was told he had been living with prior to his fall, Mullen lost two aunts in a span of 30 days and learned that an older cousin was hit by two vehicles while crossing a street.

But through it all, Mullen says he is strengthened by his work at Franklin Wright.

“For our community, Franklin Wright is a place where you’re going to be safe, you’re going to be warm, you’re going to receive quality services, and you’re going to be loved on. But I get just as much back from the people I serve,” explained Mullen, who confided that he was afraid when Marks first asked him three years ago to take on the extra duties of directing Franklin Wright’s senior outreach program on a temporary basis. “Coming to Franklin Wright is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

And on Easter, while Mullen is not scheduled to be at the Franklin Wright offices, his plan for the day, as he described it Tuesday afternoon, sounds very much like what he has been doing most of his life.

“On Sunday morning, I will be actively listening to the Resurrection Sunday message delivered by Pastor Josh (Shockey) at Motor City Church downtown. And then, after taking that Word, I will leave equipped to do ministry,” Mullen said. “There are some people that I want to take dinner to and see about them to make sure that they are OK, because holidays like this can be difficult for some people. And along with the Word, I will absolutely bring the energy we felt today with our seniors at Franklin Wright and I’ll use that to let the people I visit know that everything is going to be all right, which will help me deal with my current situation as well.”

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and lifelong lover of Detroit culture in all of its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at: stalley@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/.

Franklin Wright Settlements: Providing services and resources to Detroiters since 1881

President and CEO: Monique Marks

Programs include:

* After-School Enrichment

* Early Childhood Development—Early Start

* Family Growth & Development

* Food Distribution

* Senior Outreach Services

* Youth Success Academy Teen Center

Locations:

* 3360 Charlevoix St.

* 7375 Woodward Ave.

* 4141 Mitchell Street

Website: www.franklinwright.org

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Service to seniors in Detroit is a 'ministry' for Deon Mullens