Pastoral Team
Rev. Donald L. Phillips, III
Rev. Donald L. Phillips, III is a native of Detroit, MI and the son of Revs. William & Cheryl Phillips. Rev. Donald Phillips accepted his call to preach in the summer of 1999 and set off on the path to prepare himself for ordained ministry. Rev. Phillips holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University in Human Resources, and a Master of Divinity degree from Turner Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. While in Atlanta he served for 4 years as the young adult and youth pastor of Greater Turner Chapel AME Church. He also assisted and ministered to students at Morris Brown, Clark-Atlanta, Spelman and Morehouse Colleges through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Rev. Phillips was ordained an Itinerant Elder in the AME Church in August of 2004 under the leadership of Bishop Philip R. Cousin and received his pastoral charge to Lewis Chapel AME Church in Albion, MI in October of 2005 and the ministry began to grow and attract young adults and youth, as well as love and support the faithful members that were there.
While serving as the pastor of Lewis Chapel AME Church, God brought great joy into Pastor Phillips life by calling him to marriage. In 2008 Teleah Young-Hamilton and Rev. Donald Phillips were united in holy matrimony. While pastoring, Rev. Phillips served as the president of the Albion Ministerial Association and is a former member & president of the Albion School Board. His service in ministry was recognized in 2011 when he received the Pastor of the Year award from the Soaring South District of the Michigan Conference. In January of 2016 Pastor Phillips was asked to serve as the Chaplain of Albion College. He is witnessing a renewed fire for the gospel and the love of God on the College campus.
In August of 2020, at the first Michigan Annual Conference conducted via Zoom, God saw fit to move in unprecedented times. Pastor Donald L. Phillips and Pastor Teleah Phillips were assigned by Bishop John Franklin White to serve the Brown Chapel AME Church in Ypsilanti, MI. They have a heart for family, in all of its diversity. They have a heart for the local and global community. The have a calling to reach humanity with the love and grace of Jesus Christ. In partnership with his anointed wife, the Rev. Dr. Teleah Phillips, they are ministering to and raising 5 wonderful children: Tyland, Taylor, Tristen, Tatum and Trenton Titus. Pastor Phillips is a man of God that believes in the transformative power of God’s Love, God’s Word and our prayers. You will often hear him say, “Little prayer, little power, some prayer, some power, much prayer, much power!” As they minister in faith and favor, we declare that, “The best is yet to come!”
Rev. Dr. Teleah Phillips
Rev. Dr. Teleah Phillips is a native of Flint, MI where she graduated from Northern High School. Rev. Dr. Phillips is the wife of Pastor Donald L Phillips III, and the mother of 6 children ages 10 to 33. Most importantly, she is the daughter of Almighty God.
Rev. Dr. Teleah acquired a B.A. from Albion College in Biology & Chemistry with high honors, and is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Phillips is passionate about serving families and communities, and dedicated twenty years of service to the Albion Michigan community. Her service to generations of patients through medicine and community building as a board member at Albion College cultivated a culture of inclusion and growth. This season of life has now positioned her to serve the Washtenaw County community as a Family Practice Physician with IHA Trinity Health.
Rev. Dr. Teleah is also blessed to serve the Washtenaw community with her anointed partner in life and in ministry- Rev. Donald L. Phillips III at Brown Chapel AME Church in Ypsilanti, MI. Rev. Dr. Teleah is an ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and obtained her Master of Divinity from Indiana Wesleyan University in May 2026. Rev. Dr. Teleah is now pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry at Wesley Seminary.
Above all else, Rev. Dr. Teleah Phillips considers herself to be a servant to God and His people, whether that service is in the form of family, medicine, ordained ministry, or community service. Her desire is that it would ALL be to the glory of her God, for the edification of His body, and for the building of Kingdom & Community.