BETHEL
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Ernest J. Ni’A was born Ernest J. Garrison in Detroit, Michigan, to the late Thomas and present Mother Emily Garrison. He was educated in the Detroit public schools and furthered his education by earning an Associate’s degree from Highland Park Community College in Business Administration, a Bachelor’s degree from Shaw College with a major in accounting. He then entered the M.B.A. program at the University of Detroit with a concentration in Economics & Statistics but his M.B.A. studies were short lived for God had other plans for his servant. Being obedient to his divine calling, he enrolled at the Michigan Dieses of the Anglican Church School of Theology where he later earned his Deaconate Certification, which afforded him to study and graduate from SS. Cyril & Methodius Roman Catholic Seminary with his Master’s in Religious Education.

 

His ministerial career began in 1982 when he was awarded his Exhorters License in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was ordained deacon in the A.M.E. in 1985 and immediately appointed assistant pastor at Bethel A.M.E. in Detroit. In 1991, Reverend Garrison was assigned to the pastorate at Quinn Chapel in Cassopolis, Michigan; and two years later assigned to the pastorate of New St. James in Detroit.

 

In 1994, God blessed the Reverend E. J. Garrison by touching the hands of the bishop to assign him to Pleasant Valley A.M.E. Church in Belleville, Michigan. During that time, he was an adjunct instructor of Religious Studies at Marygrove College in Detroit. After five years, Reverend Garrison was assigned to St. Matthew A.M.E. Church in Detroit where he had the pleasure of pastoring the late Mother of Civic Rights, Mother Rosa Parks. In 2003, he was moved to the historic Newman Church in Pontiac, Michigan and to Vernon Chapel A.M.E. Church in the city of Flint, Michigan in 2004. While serving in Flint, he was appointed to the Board of Director of Flint Public Library.

 

In 2011, E. J. Garrison was assigned to the pastorate of Wayman A.M.E. Church in Racine, Wisconsin, where he served at the time of this publication. In 2014 he experienced who he would call spiritual transformation that led to him changing his last name to Ni’A (see his publication “Why I Changes My Name”) which is Swahili for “purpose”.

 

He also served as:

Director of Christian Education for the Michigan Conference, which is part of the 4th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church as well as Church School Superintendent for the 4th Episcopal District as well as it’s Dean of Christian Education

 

Coordinator for the Certification Program of the Department of Christian Education of the Connectional A.M.E. Church

 

He has been involved in numerous community organization and programs

 

In 2021, the Reverend Ernest J. Ni’A founded a 501C3 organization entitled “Education Empowerment” with a mission of inspiring and financially support students to exalt in academic and continue to strive to complete their educational journey.

 

The day arrived when he retired and returned to Detroit but the Church, again, called him to supply the pastorate back to us at Bethel-Detroit.