Church Bagnall's career was directly connected to his religious education and work experience. He attended and became a graduate of
Bishop Payne Divinity School in Petersburg, VA. Later, he became a priest in 1903. After his ordination, Bagnall "presided over several African Methodist Episcopal (AME) congregations along the Atlantic seaboard before arriving at Detroit and becoming a Rector of the St. Matthew Episcopal" church in 1911.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Bagnall was one of the founders of the Detroit branch of the NAACP in the 1910s, where, as a spokesperson of the NAACP, he "led successful campaigns against school segregation, police brutality, and discrimination at the
Ford Motor Company." His work there gave him recognition in the organization, and he was promoted to Regional Recruiter/district organizer in the Great Lakes area in 1918, where he served for a short time. He was promoted again in 1921 and moved to New York to serve as the National Director of Branches for the NAACP. Due to the
Great Depression, in 1933, Bagnall resigned from his position because the organization had to cut staff and salaries. == References ==