The Rev. Dr. Darryl Totty will soon begin service as the superintendent of the Greater Detroit District, as the Rev. Dr. Charles Boayue, Jr. goes to Birmingham/Berkley First as their new senior pastor,
May 5, 2022 | LANSING — Bishop David A. Bard has announced the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Darryl Totty, to become the next superintendent of the Greater Detroit District. Bishop Bard will be appointing Dr. Totty to this new position at annual conference, with the effective date to be determined in the coming weeks. Totty’s appointment follows the announcement last month that the Rev. Dr. Charles Boayue, Jr. would become senior pastor of Birmingham First United Methodist Church in Birmingham, MI.
Dr. Totty has completed 29 years of ministry. He is currently serving as senior pastor of the recently merged church adoption of Detroit St. Timothy and Second Grace United Methodist Church in Detroit, MI. Prior appointments include Conant Avenue UMC, Jefferson Avenue UMC, and Christ UMC.
In addition to his undergraduate degree in Business Administration, he holds the Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL) and the Doctor of Divinity from the Graduate Theological Foundation. His doctoral project, “The Mission of Missions: A Strategic Response to The Great Commission” (February 2005), is the implementation of a strategy for mission ministry in large urban environments.
Within the Michigan Conference, Dr. Totty is the chairperson of the Conference Leadership Council, chairperson of the Greater Detroit District Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, and member of the Committee on African American Ministry and the Episcopacy Committee. Dr. Totty has also served on and worked with numerous boards and agencies within the church and community.
In making this appointment, Bishop Bard notes that he has worked with Dr. Totty in several ways and appreciates the gifts and graces he brings to ministry and leadership. “His deep faith in Jesus Christ, his passion to see people grow in faith and in their personhood, his commitment to justice, reconciliation, and a broadly inclusive church have served him well as a pastor and leader of the Conference Leadership Council, and will also serve him well in his ministry as a district superintendent. He has demonstrated a capacity to be a wonderful member of a team.”
Dr. Totty comments on his appointment saying, “Being selected to serve as District Superintendent of the Greater Detroit District is hugely humbling and a lifetime opportunity. I was astonished to receive the invitation. As someone who has the privilege to be one of the Cabinet members in the Michigan Conference United Methodist Church, I will only serve through God’s grace and guidance.”
Bishop Bard also offers his profound gratitude to the Rev. Dr. Charles S. G. Boayue for serving as the district superintendent of the Detroit Renaissance District and the Greater Detroit District since 2015. “I have the deepest respect for Dr. Boayue and am grateful for his service to Jesus Christ, the Michigan Conference, and The United Methodist Church as a district superintendent,” Bard said. “It has been my privilege to know and work with Charles for many years, pre-dating my time as bishop. I will miss his presence on the cabinet.”
Dr. Boayue will be appointed senior pastor at Birmingham/Berkley First United Methodist Church in an open-ended interim effective July 1, 2022.
Last Updated on May 10, 2022