McDaniel is holding a Bible study Tuesday, which is what he calls the first stage for founding Worship International Church along with McDaniel International Ministries Inc. The church caters to nondenominational Christians and initially will operate out of Hannah Community Center’s Recital Room.

Prior to moving to East Lansing with the intent to begin his own parish, McDaniel performed various religious work, such as teaching Sunday school, hosting a gospel roller-skating program and establishing a small church in rural Mississippi. He attended Regent University for his religious training and also received a bachelor’s degree in communication from MSU in 1996.

McDaniel first entered into the life of a pastor after an unidentified medical condition rendered him unable to move.

“(The doctors) said that maybe I had a virus, a stroke or multiple sclerosis,” McDaniel said. “God took me from being a person thoroughly paralyzed on the right-hand side and patch over my left eye to founding this church.”

It took 12 years for McDaniel to recover, and he said he did it through spiritual healing.

Before church services will begin, McDaniel is holding a series of meetings to discuss the Bible’s Book of Acts and use the teachings as a foundation for the Worship International Church.

A church was needed in East Lansing to address behavior such as cohabitation of unmarried men and women and practices such as smoking and drinking that harm the body, McDaniel said.

“The local churches that exist right now … they’re doing a good job,” McDaniel said. “I’m not developing the church to take away from anyone’s congregation. I’m building the church out of what I feel the Lord has told me to do.”

McDaniel would make an excellent leader at his church, said the Rev. Robert Smith, who was an associate pastor with McDaniel at Northwest Unity Baptist Church in Detroit.

“He has the temperament for a pastor,” Smith said. “He’s patient, he’s courteous, he’s kind, he’s gentle.”

McDaniel said response from the community has been positive. He expects about a dozen people to come to Worship International’s first meeting, including Diamondville resident Darlene Moore, who volunteers with McDaniel at the Michigan House of Representatives. Although Moore said she belongs to Mt. Zion All-Nations Bible Church in DeWitt, she often visits other churches and will go the Tuesday meeting to support McDaniel.

“People are always gravitating toward good virtuous teachings,” she said.

Although beginning a church can have many legal complications, it’s not uncommon for one to have humble beginnings, said Frank Ravitch, an MSU professor of law and Walter H. Stowers Chair in Law and Religion.

“Some religions start up and they’re wildly successful, some start up and die out. It kind of just depends on the dynamic around what he’s doing,” Ravitch said.