Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III
Senior Minister
Rev. Nicholas Hood III has served as the pastor and senior minister of the Plymouth United Church of Christ in Detroit, Michigan since 1985. He earned a B.A. in economics from Wayne State University in 1973 and a M. Div. from the Yale Divinity School in 1976. In May of 2009, an honorary doctorate in ministry was conferred upon him by Olivet College. Ordained in 1976, Rev. Hood began his ministry working under the direction of his father as assistant-associate minister at Plymouth UCC. His past community involvement has included: co-chair of the Young Adult Committee of the Detroit Chapter NAACP; President, Booker T. Washington Business Association; President, Plymouth Non-Profit Housing Corporation; President and Chairman, Plymouth Day School; Secretary, Yale Divinity School Board of Alumnal Affairs; Chairman of the Amistad Slave Ship Visit to Detroit in 2002, which donated its profit of $13,000 to the Charles Wright Museum of African American History.
His current community involvement includes: Trustee, Children’s Hospital of Michigan; Board of Directors, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Trustee, McCormick Theological Seminary and Plymouth Educational Center Board of Directors. Rev. Hood was first elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1997 serving two-four year terms on the Detroit City Council. Rev. Hood is occasionally asked to provide political analysis and commentary for Detroit area television and radio stations.
One of his personal goals has been to create a spirit filled, spirit led dynamic worship experience that incorporates the richness of the historically African American Congregational Church with newer forms of music and liturgy. As pastor and senior minister of the Plymouth United Church of Christ he has focused on “high intensity-low liability” missions with the goal of engaging the members of the church in life changing ministries. A growing number of personal prayers and meditations written by Rev. Hood and can be accessed daily at https://nicholashoodiiiministries.wordpress.com/
Rev. Hood is married to the Honorable Denise Page Hood and together they have two sons, Nathan and his wife Sharla, and Noah.
