Bishop Michael E. Dantley

Overser, Senior Pastor

Bishop Michael E. Dantley is the Senior Pastor of Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship in the Walnut Hills Community of his native Cincinnati, Ohio. In June of 2014, they celebrated being the Overseers of Christ Emmanuel Ministries for 40 years.
Bishop Dantley shepherds a congregation of a few thousand in the inner city of Cincinnati. They have been committed to remaining in the Walnut Hills community, providing a light for many. During their tenure, the church has become one of the most progressive churches in the Tri-State area. Bishop Dantley believes in equipping his members to do the work of the ministry while impacting the marketplace and the world. Four governing service values: Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Cooperation guide this visionary and this ministry.
Several not-for-profit organizations have been birthed out of the vision and leadership of Bishop Dantley, including the Christ Emmanuel Christian Academy (CECA). CECA was a private, Christian school that served a mostly urban population of children grades Kindergarten through grades eight for twelve years. CECA provided a solid academic foundation for an estimated 1200 children over the course of its tenure. Many of CECA’s students went on to academic success at such schools as Walnut Hills, Cincinnati Country Day School, St. Xavier, and Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Most have gone on to achieve degrees in higher education from various academic institutions such as Morehouse College, Howard University, and our own University of Cincinnati.
The EXODUS Program was also created under Bishop Dantley’s leadership which is now a part of City Gospel Mission. EXODUS provided opportunities for homeless, formerly incarcerated, and addicted men to rebuild their lives through education and gainful employment. Bishop Dantley was also the visionary for what is now known as City Link. City Link is a place “where individuals go to one place, get surrounded by one team, and find an integrated holistic path to break free from poverty and get to a place of self-sustainability and hope.” The number of people’s lives touched by these four ministries alone, are countless.
Bishop Dantley has to his credit a number of prestigious educational accomplishments. He attended the University of Pennsylvania where he received his undergraduate degree in History and Education. He continued his studies at Miami University of Ohio, where he progressed to receive his Masters of Education in Educational Leadership. Bishop Dantley earned his doctorate in Educational Administration, from the University of Cincinnati. He has received a certificate in leadership from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
In addition to shepherding Christ Emmanuel Ministries, and providing apostolic oversight to the Pastors of several congregations around the country, Bishop Dantley is a life long lover and pursuer of education. He retired as the Dean of the College of Education at Miami University of Ohio in 2020 with an endowed scholarship created in his name. Bishop Dantley has been published in several educational journals, and has toured extensively around the nation and the world, instructing on spirituality and leadership.
In 2004, the Michael E. and Carol B. Dantley Foundation was established in honor of the Dantleys passion to provide educational opportunities for the underserved and impoverished within our community.
In June 2014, Bishop and his wife Pastor Carol Dantley celebrated 40 years in ministry at Christ Emmanuel, as well as 40 years of marriage. They are the proud parents of Ryan Nichole DuPree (Sylvester), Cameron Michael Dantley (Andrea), and Jonathan Schuyler Dantley, and the proud grandparents of Nicolas Michael DuPree and Evan Maxwell DuPree.