There's a saying "if you don't know where you came from, you won't know where you are going". The Bible says in Deuteronomy 32:7a (The Message): "Read up on what happened before you were born; dig into the past, understand your roots."
Mt. Zion began in the mid 19th Century with settlers from various parts of the state. In 1867, a wood frame church was built on Ferrell Street near the present King’s Wood Elementary School. This structure was given the name Mount Zion Baptist Church, which became a charter organization in the Cary community. In 1918, Rev. Elmo Jones became the first pastor. Rev. Jones moved the church to its current site on the corner of Chapel Hill Road and Academy Street by building another wooden frame church.
Spring forward to 1979 when Rev. Dr. J. Allen Lewis becomes Mt. Zion's seventh pastor. Pastor Lewis brought many renovations including installation of stained glass windows, a steeple, baptismal pool, and the building of the church annex. The membership grew from 35 to more than 350 members.
In 1998, to facilitate a vision that God gave him, Pastor Lewis led Mt. Zion to purchase 24 acres of land here in Cary with a small congregation. Over time, we were able to make our payments and keep this land. In 2005, we were able to sell a portion of the 24 acres, which allowed us to pay off the remaining portion that we kept. Then in 2006, we were actively planning and designing with Bobbitt to begin construction. God was preparing us for the beginning of a new era. Now in 2007, we have completed construction on Phase 1 and are prepared to move into our new edifice, which will serve as both a sanctuary and fellowship hall.
What a blessing our current facility has been to many of us. Personally, it is where I began a friendship and lasting relationship with my wife and leading lady, Anita. All of my children, Isaiah, Abigail, and Gabrielle were dedicated at our current location. My calling and ministry as the eighth Pastor of Mt. Zion began here. I have seen many children grow up, graduate high school, and attend college.
As I reflect on where God has brought us, I'm convinced that God is too faithful to leave us now. God is building us a church building that encompasses more classrooms, training facilities, multi-purpose fellowship hall, administrative offices, nursery, and eventually a gymnasium and larger sanctuary. These facilities are not the end goal, but it will be a tool to help us fulfill the vision that God has given us.
God has purposed us to be a worshiping church that freely glorifies, praises and honors God; to be a serving church that comforts the congregation and community; to be a growing church that intentionally promotes discipleship and education; and to be a church that reaches out and seeks to spread the message of the Gospel world both in word and deed. In short, God's vision for us is to "Worship Christ by spreading the Gospel and serving the community". It is truly an exciting time to be a part of Mt. Zion as God takes us to another level.
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