Church mission is strong at 95 years

Mount Zion honors 95th anniversary

Mount Zion Baptist Church celebrated a 95th Anniversary on Oct. 21 in the sanctuary.

The celebration consisted of two worship services at the church, 1516 E. 30th St., and was lead by not only the interim pastor Rev. Desmond Johnson, but guest speakers and Pastors Dr. Marcettes Cunnigham, of The Shiloh Baptist Church in Dayton and Curtis Johnson, Jr. of New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in Sandusky.

Members of the church attended a morning worship service lead by Johnson and Cunnigham who spoke on the church that remembers and Thessalonians 3: 1-5.

After the morning worship service, members and guests of Mount Zion were joined by members of New Jerusalem church for a fellowship dinner and an evening worship service that followed.

The evening worship was lead by Johnson and Johnson, Jr.

New Jerusalem’s Missionary Choir also performed

during the afternoon worship service, filling the church with joy and sounds of gospel music.

Johnson, Jr. said Mount Zion and New Jerusalem are sister churches.

Johnson, Jr. said he believes in fellowship, unity in the spirit and love of Jesus, which brings people together.

“This is our sister church and though we’re in different cities, we’re just coming to help them celebrate,” he said. “It’s a wonderful occasion. Ninety-five years is a long time to be doing anything, so being able to come and to encourage them and let them know that the same God that brought them from 95 years to now will be the same God to lead

them the next 95 years.”

Johnson said any time you have the time to bring people together to talk about Jesus is a great day, especially when you come together with other churches.

“I guess they started in a basement,” Johnson said on the history of the church. “To come where they are now and have a big beautiful building (is wonderful).”

Sandra Scott, a secretary to the church, has attended the church since she was a child after she moved in 1953 from West Virginia to Lorain.

Scott said she’s stayed with the church because she loves Mount Zion, the people and the fellowship that goes with it .

“I have a real big relationship with the church and this community,” she said.

The church has reached 95 years because of it’s relationship with the community and their faithful members, Scott said.

Mount Zion has had many community activities and programs they’ve been able to administer throughout their time in the area.

She said they’ve been trying to implement more of those same programs like providing gifts and supplies for those in the community, that may have not carried on today.

“Programs like Bible school and Baptist training, those are the programs young people learn,” she said.