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A Condensed History of Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church
We are poud to give you a brief history of Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church. Coincidentally, behind the founding of the A.M.E. church itself, there is a unified and glorious history, which parallels with the founding of this church. Before the early formative years of our “mother church”, Bethel A.M.E Church and consequently this church, our forefathers had to endure the demoralizing and dehumanization of the African American people in order to have the freedom to worship God in their own places of choice. The same sentiment was felt here in Wilmington, because, we too, needed our own places to worship. In 1875, ten years after the establishment of St. Stephen A.M.E. Church, the Presiding Elder of the district, the pastor of St. Stephen A.M.E. Church, and five of his officials met in a building near the corner of Sixth and Nixon Streets and organized Mount. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church. St. Stephen A.M.E Church and Mt Zion A.M.E. Church were, at that time, the only two A.M.E. churches in the city. The members worshipped at this site for eighteen months. They later purchased some property and built a church on the corner of Seventh and Nixon Streets. The cornerstone was laid on May 22, 1892. The Rev. J. H. Spriggs was the first pastor and served the church well for several years when it was later destroyed by fire. Next, Rev. J. L. Hall was appointed pastor, a meeting was called and the members decided to move closer into the city. They sold the property where the church once stood and a new church was built near the corner of Fifth and Nixon Streets. The next few years were met with more turmoil and tragedy. The church’s indebtedness was around $900.00 during the years before 1938. Then Rev. J. R. Brown was assigned pastor. He had the church well-organized with nine stewards, nine trustees, thirty-three class leaders, twenty-one auxiliary clubs and a well-organized Sunday School under leadership of Nathaniel Harps, Rev. Horace Halsey, and Bro. Chester Moore. Sis Eula Deas, Bro. Eddie Seward, and, Sis Gwendolyn Toomer, have also served as Sunday School Superintendents. A new building was erected in 1942 under the leadership of Rev. S. A. Fennell. Just as fate would have it, the Wilmington Building Inspector condemned the building. The spirits of Rev. Fennell and the members would not be dampened. In July of 1944, they negotiated for a new contract in the amount of $35,000.00. A new set of plans was submitted and a more modern building equipped with a balcony, a beautiful new basement with several Sunday School classrooms, an assembly room, a kitchen, and bathrooms were built. This is the building that we occupy today. During the founding years of this church, our membership rose from a humble beginning of approximately 21 members to about 404 members. We here at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church have come a long way and there is still work to be done here today. But, because of God’s blessings and the legacy our forefathers left for us, we still prosper under the leadership of Rev. Charles Davis, Jr., Rev. Germain Robinson, Evangelist Tanya Millhouse, their respective families, the officers, member, and friends of this great church. As we here at Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, remember our heritage and our “STRENGTH THOUGH THE STRUGGLE”, we can give all praise and glory to God, our Father in Heaven! |
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Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church
1111 North Fifth Street Wilmington, NC 28401 910.763.2660 mtzamec@aolcom