a
history of
Mount Zion Baptist Church




old church and groundbreaking for present church-- circa 1949
Lent Hudson and John Francis Woodard in photo on right



The Mount Zion Baptist Church was formed at Willis Hills Academy
on July 30, 1876. Present at the founding of this church were nine men
and four women, all of whom became charter members of the church.
They were: S. J. Thompson, J. D. Thompson, Mary Thompson,
W. F. Coleman, Amanda Barron, Auren T. Barron, Jane Barron,
H. L. Barron, Samantha Barron, S. M. Barron, S. A. Coleman and
T. Kinchens. Elder S. J. Thompson was elected the first pastor and
T. Kinchens the clerk. All the members presented letters to the church on this
their first day and then offered one another the right hand of church fellowship.
We are proud to report we have the original deeds of land
donated for church use. The first deed is for 2 acres deeded
from J. W. Buchan to the deacons of Mount Zion Baptist Church
and their successors. The only two deacons mentioned on said
deed were J. T. Silas and A. J. Barron. The other deed is for seven
acres from Mrs. M. A. Baggett to the deacons of Mount Zion Baptist
Church and its successors. The only deacon mentioned in this deed
was Douglas Woodard and was witnessed by J. L. Woodard, J. P.
In the minutes fo the October 7, 1876 conference the following
is recorded: "establish church dues of 5 cents a month for each male member".
The year of 1877 was a busy year. The church decided to build
a log church 30 X 35 feet and to build a baptismal pool at the spring.
According to traditional tales, logs were used to form and hold the water.



click on the below pics for an enlargement, then hit 'back' to return to this page




The membership continued to grow under the leadership
of Preacher S. J. Thompson. In 1880, with the change of pastors,
a new building constructed of lumber was planned. The new pastor
was Rev. J. T. Rogers. He remained the pastor for seven years.
During the years many changes in church form were instituted:
the first Prayer Meeting was held in 1883 and the first Lord's Supper
was held in 1887. The Lord's Supper is observed today the first
Sunday in each quarter. In the early years the church met
one Sunday a month with conference on the preceeding Saturday.
In 1902 Mt. Zion voted to begin meeting twice a month.
In 1913 another Baptismal Pool was built at the spring down
the hill from the church, which was used until recent years.
The second church building was moved to a spot directly
in front of the present building in 1923. Five Sunday School rooms
and a porch were added in 1933. Lighting of the early church was
furnished by oil lamps and sometimes candles. The church was
wired for electricity in 1938. After World War II the church began
to plan for a new building and by 1949 the plans were approved.
Timber from the church property was to be used in the construction
of the new church. The walls were built from bricks. Much fo the labor
was donated by church members. This included men, women, and children.
The present church building was dedicated May 30, 1954. The
Dedication Sermon was given by Dr. R. T. Russell, a former pastor.







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