OUR STORY

November 26, 1973. God sparked something in Lenawee County, Michigan, that’s still burning today. That spark became The Christian Mission, Inc.

Back then, it went by another name: The Christian Medical Mission. The idea came from a local doctor, Dr. Richard Coak, a pastor named Rev. Bill Winch, and the Adrian Dominican Sisters. They shared a vision—what if physical healing and spiritual healing weren’t two different things? What if they worked together, hand in hand?

So in 1973, they started small, right in the heart of Adrian at 124 South Broad Street—a building that used to be a little restaurant called Pearl and Cal’s, now owned by the Presbyterian church. This building sat adjacent to their church. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was sacred ground for what God was about to do.

The Mission was led by Sister Loretta Mellon, and staffed completely by volunteers. They didn’t have much—just prayer, a few helping hands, and a building in desperate need of renovation. But they had faith. And somehow, faith was enough.

Then Came Linda

A year later, in November 1974, a young nurse named Linda Brown walked through the door. She’d just graduated from Henry Ford Hospital and was looking for work. Until she found something steady, she offered to help out for free.

Turns out, God had already written her into the story.

Her background in psychiatric nursing made her a perfect fit. She started taking blood pressures, checking vitals, and caring for anyone who came through the door. But when life shifted and Dr. Coak had to step away, the Mission’s focus changed too—from medicine to ministry.

That’s when Linda’s role changed from nursing bodies to nurturing souls. She began sitting with people who were broken, praying with them, listening to their stories, and watching God bring healing in ways no medicine ever could.

Day by day, prayer by prayer, she became part of the heart of the Mission.

A New Building and New Opportunities 

In 2000, the Christian Mission moved to its current home in Adrian at 1239 Wolf Creek Hwy.

A Story Still Being Written

Looking back now— over 50 years later—the Christian Mission has become the steady presence and the hopeful voice that countless people have come to know. Through the Mission, thousands of lives have been touched—families restored, hearts healed, faith rekindled.

It’s the kind of story only God could write.
A small town. A few faithful people. An old restaurant turned into a refuge.

And through it all, one simple truth keeps echoing:
When God starts something, He’s not finished until His work is done.

And the story of The Christian Mission? It’s still being written.