Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church was founded on August 2, 1917, in the home of Reverend and Mrs. Robert Smith in East Moline, IL, under the pastorate of Rev. C.W. James.  Rev. James pastored from 1917 until 1922.  Then came Rev. J.H. Fulton, Rev. Fitts, Rev. T.S. McCree, and Rev. Green; these ministers served between 1922 and 1927. In 1927, Rev. A.A. Adams was called to Pastor Mt. Zion and stayed until 1929.  Then Rev. Powell and Rev. Craven served between the years of 1929 -1933.  Rev. G.W. Jones was called in 1933 and served until 1938.  The church membership expanded over the years, and services were held in a storefront as well as the YWCA prior to purchasing land on 12th Street East, Moline, IL, as the first Mt. Zion building.

 

In 1938, Rev. A. James Johnson was called to Mt. Zion, and many improvements were made at the old Mt. Zion Church building. In 1944, with a membership of between four and five hundred members, we had to have a larger church. Land was purchased at the corner of 6th Avenue and 15th St. in East Moline, Illinois, in 1948.  We broke ground in July 1949 and started our present new building in 1950, under the leadership of Rev. Johnson, who was also our supervisor of construction. We struggled hard and worked hard; when God’s on your side, you can’t lose.  

Mt. Zion has had sixteen pastors, ten in the old Mt. Zion and six in the new Mt. Zion. 

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Old Mt. Zion 319 12th St. East Moline

1. Reverend C.W. James 1917 to 1918.  1 Year

2. Reverend J.H. Fulton 1919 until 1921.  2 Years

3. Reverend Fitts 

4. Reverend T. S. McCree 

5. Reverend Green.  

6. Reverend A.A. Adams, 1927 until 1929. 2 Years

7. Reverend Powell 

8. Reverend Gaines  

9. Reverend Craven. 

10. Reverend George Jones of Chicago, 1933 until 1938. 5 Years

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New Mt. Zion 1501 6th Ave. East Moline

1. Reverend A. James Johnson of Chicago served from  1938 March 16, 1963.  

Total of 25 years: Old Mt. Zion (22 Yrs)   New Mt. Zion (3 Years)   

2. Reverend W. Howe Donaldson, second Sunday of January, 1964 until 1969.  5 Years

3. Reverend Cosby Johnson, Served as Interim Pastor from 1969 –1970.  1 Year

4. Reverend J.L. Morris of Gary, Indiana, February 6, 1970 until Easter Sunday, 1972. 2 Years

5. Reverend J. Samuel Gardner of Madison, Ill December, 1972 until January 1986.  13 Years

6. Reverend Prentiss W. Harris, pastor of the Spring Hill Baptist Church, Booneville, Mississippi.

He assumed the pastorate on August 17, 1986, until the present.  40 Years