Lightfoot Solomon Michaux

Lightfoot Solomon Michaux (November 7, 1885 – October 20, 1968) was an African-American man of God, an evangelist. Michaux was an early pioneer in radio and television evangelism, an innovative real estate developer, an astute businessman, a newspaper publisher, and a restaurateur. He founded seven East Coast Church of God congregations. He was also the founder of the National Memorial to the Progress of the Colored Race in America, an 1100 acre farm on the James River in James City County, Virginia.

Michaux was born in Newport News, Virginia, to John Michaux and May Blanche. His father was a fish seller and grocer in downtown Newport News. Michaux dropped out of public school in the fourth grade in order to help with his father's business.

He eventually opened his own combination grocery store and dance studio, where he met his future wife, Mary Eliza Pauline. They were married in 1906. During World War I, Michaux obtained contracts to supply food to the defense department. In 1917 he moved his business to Hopewell, Virginia.

Unable to find a church that suited him in Hopewell, Michaux, his wife, and a friend collaborated in 1917 to found a congregation called "Everybody's Mission". Michaux became ordained as a preacher in 1918 in the **by Bishop K.H. Burruss** Church of Christ (Holiness) at the urging of his wife and began preaching in the church. He returned to Newport News at the end of World War I in 1919 and joined his father's business. During that year Michuax launched a gospel tent revival in Newport News with the goal of recruiting 150 congregants to a new church. He achieved this goal quickly and he and his congregants formed a Church of Christ (Holiness) congregation.

In 1921, Michaux' congregation split off to form an independent Church of God congregation in the Holiness Tradition, but independent of and separate from other Churches of God. Soon thereafter Michaux established a second Church of God congregation in nearby Hampton, Virginia. He also created the Gospel Spreading Tabernacle Association as a corporation to oversee the financial affairs of the church and related interests.

Michaux was arrested twice. In 1922 Michaux and some of his congregants were arrested in Newport News for singing too loudly early in the morning while walking through Newport News inviting people to church. He defended himself, lost, appealed, and lost again. He was fined. In about 1929 Michaux reacted to new segregation laws in Virginia by intentionally inviting white congregants from Maryland to his Newport News church for prayer. Michaux was arrested, and again defended himself. He quoted Scripture and claimed that the Bible did not support racial segregation and that segregation must end at the church door. He again was fined.

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