Our Partners

We are bringing together a gifted and experienced group of Metro Detroit-based partners to help find and tell stories of faith. The partners include newsmakers, storytelling coaches, artists, musicians, theologians, writers, and filmmakers, all who will help curate these stories and storytellers so they reach wider audiences in ways that are authentic and compelling. 

As an Episcopal church rooted in Metro Detroit and shaped by the Gospel’s inclusive call to love, justice, grace, forgiveness, and community, Christ Church Cranbrook is committed to telling a fuller story about Detroit that reflects the vibrant faith, creativity, and courage that have sometimes been hidden in plain sight. As the founding and facilitaing organization of this project, Christ Church Cranbrook aims to build on decades of deep collaboration with faith communities, social service agencies, cultural institutions, and local artists and creatives. We envision a multifaceted project with our diverse partners so that we collectively reimagine Detroit as a city of living faith.

Detroit PBS will lead a multimedia storytelling and civic engagement initiative exploring how Christianity shapes Detroit’s people, places, and public life. Anchored by Christ Church Cranbrook, the project will highlight diverse stories of faith, resilience, and moral leadership through a multi-format portfolio that includes short-form digital stories, half-hour broadcast specials, annual town halls, a capstone documentary, and two live storytelling events curated by Satori Shakoor. Leveraging its trusted, community-centered approach, Detroit PBS will distribute content across broadcast, digital, and in-person platforms to ensure authentic representation, editorial excellence, and broad public engagement.

Encounter Map is a participatory initiative led by a Detroit-based artists’ collective and organized by Detroit-based artist Billy Mark. The Encounter Map reimagines Metro Detroit through mapped stories of divine presence. Collected across neighborhoods in everyday settings, short video and audio testimonies are layered into an interactive map that allows users to explore faith stories by place, theme, or format. Through story collection, listening stations, community story walks, and a public searchable map, the project creates an evolving, community-driven resource that uplifts unheard voices, bridges divides, and invites audiences to see Detroit as a living spiritual landscape shaped by faith, resilience, and connection.

The Cranbrook Project at Christ Church Cranbrook will build on its strong reputation for accessible, high-quality concerts by partnering with Satori Shakoor of the Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers and Detroit PBS to produce Song, Story, and Spirit, a monthly concert series held September through May. Blending music, spoken word, and storytelling within a liturgical-inspired framework, the series will feature nationally acclaimed and local artists, with storytellers curated by Shakoor and events recorded by Detroit PBS to extend their reach. The project aims to foster empathy, encourage truth-telling, and build a more connected community through shared faith stories, emotionally resonant music, and conversations that continue beyond the concert hall.

Led by a recognized visual storyteller, Mike Brooks and his startup, Storymaker,  this project will explore spiritual encounters in Detroit through a feature documentary and short film series designed for commercial distribution. Featuring real people sharing unscripted, intimate stories of divine presence in everyday life. In addition to a ~50-minute documentary, the project includes seven short films, along with social media content, photography, and supporting materials, emphasizing authenticity, emotional depth, and the power of human connection. 

In partnership with the Center for the Public Humanities at Oakland University, this project, led by Professor Kathy Pfeiffer, will launch Faith in Detroit, a juried online literary journal and annual Summer Nonfiction Writing Workshops. Running from 2026–2029, the journal will publish seven themed issues of short nonfiction exploring moments of faith and transformation in Metro Detroit, alongside a companion site with craft resources created by local clergy, educators, and writers. The project also includes an annual three-day summer workshop featuring generative sessions, panels, and a keynote speaker, supporting writers while filling a unique niche for place-based spiritual storytelling and preserving the work in a public digital archive.

Detroit Opera will commission a new opera inspired by stories from Faith in Detroit, exploring themes of redemption, grace, and divine love as expressions of the city’s spiritual life. Known nationally for bold, inclusive productions that elevate diverse voices, Detroit Opera will select a composer and librettist attuned to the work’s emotional and theological depth, followed by piano and full-orchestra workshops to refine the score for publication and global performance. The resulting opera will be both a major artistic achievement and a shared spiritual experience that invites dialogue, honors struggle, and celebrates faith through performance.

Ecumenical Theological Seminary will develop a six-course Sacred Storytelling track for graduate students, clergy, and lay leaders, offered flexibly as individual courses, a certificate, or part of a master’s program. Delivered in hybrid formats and emphasizing discussion and workshop-based learning, the program will culminate in a student symposium featuring original stories and a planned published volume. The initiative will launch with a public colloquium connecting theology and storytelling, followed by a community-wide event showcasing storytellers from the capstone seminar. This initiative will enrich theological formation, amplify diverse voices, and equip leaders to share transformative stories of faith rooted in Detroit’s dynamic spiritual landscape.