Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, established in 1816 in the territory of Old Georgetown, invites the Washington community to celebrate its 208-year legacy. Join the pastor and congregation as they pay tribute to the vision, tenacity and courage of the freed and enslaved people who founded what has become the oldest African American congregation in Washington, D.C.
A series of events in October will celebrate the continuing legacy of these ancestors, whose actions and accomplishments predated the Civil War. This year’s theme is “Unity in the Community.”
The 208th-anniversary worship service and musical program will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13 at Mt. Zion UMC, located at 1334 29th Street NW. The guest speaker will be Rev. Jaleesa Hall, ordained deacon at the Emory Fellowship United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.
Following the service, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated space, made possible through a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Fund for Sacred Places, along with matching funds from the Mt. Zion Historic Preservation Capital Campaign efforts. The day will culminate with a light lunch in the church’s fellowship hall.
To RSVP, visit the website at www.mtzionumcdc.org for more information. The optional church colors for the day are blue, gold and silver.
Come out and celebrate this historic milestone of “Unity with the Community” at this 208-year-old historic church.
Other activities include an outdoor worship service and church cookout that was held on Oct. 6, a special Laity Sunday on Oct. 20, and a Student Sunday on Oct. 27.
Thanks to Alice Walker for the following information:
Here is the early history of Mount Zion, whose members originally formed part of the congregation of the Montgomery Street Methodist Church (now the Dumbarton Avenue Methodist Church). The Black members of this congregation elected to form their own church and on June 3, 1814, purchased property on Mill Street (now 27th Street) from Henry Foxall, a Methodist church leader. The group, known as the Colored Members of the Georgetown Station, erected a church which was variously called “The Ark” and the “Meeting House” until 1844 when it was renamed Mt. Zion. The congregation did not have a Black minister, however, until the Reverend John Brice was appointed in 1864.
The present structure, which was constructed between 1876 and 1884 with the help of members of the congregation, is a brick church with Gothic decorative elements. It has a gable-roof, stained glass lancet windows, and a second floor sanctuary. The visual interest provided by the articulation of the Gothic Revival facade of the church and the scale of the structure make it a contributing element in the Georgetown Historic District.
Mount Zion has been thought to have been a station in the Underground Railroad, and the church records give some credence to this idea. The congregation also sponsored one of the city’s first Black schools in 1823.
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, visit her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.