St. Clement's Episcopal Church

Born January 15, 1953, the Reverend Ellis Clifton, Jr. is the only child of The Reverend Deacon Ellis Clifton, Sr. and Marie Clifton.   He grew up in Inkster, Michigan and often comments on his childhood saying, “I had a happy childhood but it was a different one indeed.  I perceived a call to ordained ministry as early as third grade and that affected the way I played.  While others were playing “cops and robbers”, “cowboys and Indians”, pretending to be super heroes, or playing sports, I was in my backyard playing priest and saying Mass before anyone who would listen.”   

 

The Clifton’s placed great importance on their son’s faith development and involvement in church life.  Fr. Ellis was baptized in 1957 by the Reverend Samuel Fisher Williams in the original building that housed St. Clement’s – Inkster.  Bishop DeWitt confirmed him in 1965.  Throughout his formative years, he served as an acolyte and was a member of the St. Clement’s Youth Choir and was president of their Young People’s Fellowship.  Diocesan involvement also began in his teenage years and he served as the Vice-President of the Northwest Convocation’s Youth Fellowship in 1968.  The following year, he attended Diocesan Convention as the first 16th year old delegate.  The following January, he was elected to St. Clement’s Vestry making him the first 16 year old to serve on a Vestry in the Diocese of Michigan.    

 

Fr. Clifton graduated from Robichaud High School (Dearborn Heights, Michigan) in 1970 and matriculated to Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.  By that time, peer influence and the need for special education teachers at the time influenced him to major in special education.  He graduated with a B. S. in Education in 1974 and certification to teach students who were tested to have learning and/or behavioral disabilities and those who were diagnosed with mild or moderate learning retardation.  He taught school in Columbus, Ohio from 1974 until 1988.  Though successful in his job as a teacher, Fr. Clifton knew that God was calling him to service in ordained ministry. He entered Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in the fall of 1988, receiving his Master’s of Divinity in 1991 and becoming the first African-American graduate of that seminary.

 

While awaiting ordination, Fr. Clifton served as Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Urban League of Pittsburgh.  His duties included oversight of the Black male Outreach Program, their Leadership Development Program, and the Business and Economic Careers Program.  Since ordination, he has served as a curate at Church of the Holy Cross (Pittsburgh, PA), interim at Church of the Holy Innocents (Leechburg, PA), Vicar at St. Michael and All Angels (Cincinnati, OH), Priest Associate at St. Michael’s (Milton, MA), and Priest-in-Charge at St. Mary’s (Boston, MA).  Since returning to Michigan he has served Church of the Resurrection (Ecorse) before returning home to serve as the 7th rector of St. Clement’s – Inkster.

 

No matter where he is, Fr. Clifton has offered himself to service to the wider church and to his surrounding community.  Past service includes:  Regional Chaplain – Great Lakes Region – Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, UBE National Youth Chaplain and National Youth Advisor; Board President – Justice Watch (Cincinnati, OH), Greater Cincinnati AIDS Consortium (Cincinnati, OH); Worship Leader - Epiphany Middle School (Boston, MA); Member – 10 Point Coalition (Boston); and Vice-President of the Cape Verdean Community Task Force (Boston, MA).  He is widely known throughout the Episcopal Church for his ministry among youth and young adults having served as a Design Team Member and as chaplain for several diocesan, provincial, and national youth gatherings since the late 1970’s. 

 

Fr. Clifton’s current community affiliations include Inkster Group (to bring new affordable housing to Inkster), the Great Start Collaborative of Wayne County (addressing infant mortality in Wayne County), and is a member of the Early Childhood Community Stakeholders Collaborative (a part of Starfish Family Services).  He is a member of a yet unnamed group working to curb the increase of new HIV infections in Inkster and the surrounding areas.

 

Fr. Clifton’s ministry extends to the wider church through his participation in:  the Bishop H. Irving Mayson Chapter (UBE); Covenant V; and the Inkster Ministerial Alliance.   He was a deputy to General Convention 2012 and currently serves as the Dean of the Trinity Deanery.  He also serves on the Joint Committee for the Nomination of the next Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

  

Fr. Clifton holds life members in the (National) Union of Black Episcopalians; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and the Cape Verdean Community Task Force (Cape Verdean Unido).

 

Recently, Fr. Clifton was asked to share his thoughts and concerns about the church and where God is taking him in ministry.  He shared, “In addition to serving as a parish priest, I perceive a call to continued work for the healing of racism in our land and to work for the strengthening of congregations serving the African-American and ethnic communities in our country.  He says, “Our church needs to pay more attention to what is happening to us.  The graying of our membership and our difficulty in keeping our young adults and bringing in newer members is an indicator that the end for many congregations may be near.  I also feel compelled to promote change within our dying congregations of color.    We claim that “Change is difficult to accept.”, but isn’t change an expectation of our faith?  Finally, I perceive a call to work for the strengthening of the spiritual life of our congregations.  Too often, we seek a practice of faith that can be fit into a 60-75 minute compartment of time on a Sunday morning.  We often times open meetings with a brief prayer and rarely spend time in Scripture to find out what God would have us to do.  A hymn in LEVAS talks of us having “Just a Little Talk with Jesus” but nowadays we would never be able to finish the conversation because we are too busy with other things.  I pray that this will change.

 

Fr. Clifton enjoys being a priest.  Still, he readily admits that ordained ministry is not easy, nor is it the glamorous call many think it to be.  He says, “In these days and times, clergy now experience the incivility that runs rampant in today’s society and shapes the way we too often deal with one another.”  This priest is strengthened by the words read during the service of institution that say:

 

Having committed yourself to this work, do not forget the trust of those
who have chosen you. Care alike for young and old, strong and weak,
rich and poor. By your words, and in your life, proclaim the Gospel. Love
and serve Christ's people. Nourish them, and strengthen them to glorify
God in this life and in the life to come.

May the Lord, who has given you the will to do these things, give you the
grace and power to perform them.

 

Fr. Clifton married the former Wanda Agee in 1975.  He is father of daughters, Dionne Clifton and Ericka (Hall); and sons, Gerson dePina, and Joao dePina.  He is grandfather to Victoria (Hall), Logan (Hall), and Phoebe (dePina).