Prophet Jones & The Immortal Detroiters

Cult Community | Issue 1

Mar 04, 2022

Prophet Jones

1907-1971

How did a wealthy preacher convince working-class Black Detroiters they could become immortal and rule heaven on Earth in 1950s America?

Born in Birmingham, James F. Jones dropped out of school to prophesize among his church community members at age 11. A successful prediction about his father coming home bloody convinced his family that prophesying was his calling. Eventually, Jones took on the moniker, Prophet Jones, and relocated to Detroit. He opened his church, Universal Triumph, the Dominion of God, Incorporated in what was formerly the Oriole Theater movie house. Jones is an early iteration of what we might now call televangelist. He broadcasted his sermons every week on CKLW, a Canadian radio station that allowed him to reach listeners across several states. In-person sermons however are reported to have lasted as long as six to seven-hours. Some journalists even note that Jones would have congregants locked in the naves until they produced a sufficient amount of money. Jones began to amass a lot of wealth, so much so that he was called “The Messiah in Mink.”

Jones held interesting religious practices such as replacing the Christmas holiday season with Philamathyu, an eight-day celebration that began on his birthday. He apparently preached to the Dominionites (his followers), that men would become immortal in the year 2000 and that Heaven would exist on Earth. Jones is reported to have many shady business practices to earn more money. Like forbidding the Dominionites from playing “the numbers” while selling them images of Jesus with three blessed digits on the back. These digits would be used by some followers to participate in the illegal gambling practice. He is also alleged to have sold blessed salt and pepper shakers at triple their initial price.

Jones also peached that Mary was Black and her being denied a room at the inn was an inherently racist one. This tactic, aligning his follower’s experiences with those of major religious figures, made it easier to believe that with enough faith and obedience they could also be glorified in magnificent ways. Black workers in Detroit were fighting against racial oppression at home and in the factories that employed many of them. Racial tensions were steadily growing, especially as Black Southerners continued to migrate North.

Despite such tactics, it was a sexual assault charge, made by a male police officer, that ultimately led to Jones’ downfall. Even though he was acquitted of the charges his reputation did not recover.

I discuss some of this in my short TikTok series on Prophet Jones. Have you seen it?

Watch my Prophet Jones series ↓

Part 1 - Background

Part 2 - Most Intriguing

Part 3 - His Downfall

Part 4 - Why might people have believed in him?

(Re)Sources