Mount Zion Baptist Church (Tulsa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mount Zion Baptist Church
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Mount Zion Baptist Church in 2007
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | 419 North Elgin Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma |
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| Architect | W. S. and J. C. Latimer |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000847 |
| Added to NRHP | September 5, 2008 |
The Mount Zion Baptist Church is a very important church in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 5, 2008. This means it's a special place recognized for its history.
The first church building was sadly burned down during the Tulsa race massacre on June 1, 1921. Even after this, the church members showed amazing strength. The Tulsa Preservation Commission says the church "remains a testimony to the perseverance and tenacity of its congregants and the black community in Greenwood." The church was rebuilt in 1952 on the very same spot.
Contents
History of Mount Zion Church
Starting the Church
In 1909, a group of people who loved studying religion came together. They were led by Reverend Sandy Lyons. They started the Second Baptist Church in a school building in Tulsa.
Soon, the group changed their church's name to Mount Zion Baptist Church. They bought a piece of land at 419 North Elgin. They began making plans to raise money for a permanent church building.
Reverend R. A. Whitaker became the pastor in 1914. Around this time, the owner of their rented building told them they had to move. The church had only three days to find a new place. They moved to a temporary spot in an old dance hall.
Reverend Whitaker worked hard to raise money. He collected $42,000 for a new church. This was still less than the $92,000 needed. A local Jewish contractor offered a loan of $50,000 without needing anything in return.
This loan allowed construction to start in 1916. It took five years to finish the building. The first church service in the new building was held on April 4, 1921.
The 1921 Destruction
The Tulsa Race Massacre happened on the night of May 31 to June 1, 1921. The brand new Mount Zion Baptist Church was intentionally set on fire by a group of people. There was a false rumor that weapons were being kept inside the church.
It was true that some people used the church to defend themselves against attackers. The attackers couldn't get them out until some local guardsmen arrived. They used powerful weapons, damaging the building until it caught fire.
The church building was completely destroyed. To make things worse, the church's insurance didn't cover damage from riots. The church also still owed $50,000 from the loan.
The church had to declare that it couldn't pay its debts. This helped the church stay together as an organization. Reverend Whitaker left his role because he was not well. Several temporary pastors led the church until Reverend Hamilton took over in 1928.
The church members then disagreed about whether to pay back the large loan. Some believed they didn't have to pay it back because it wasn't secured by anything. Others felt it was important to pay back the loan. This disagreement led some members to leave and start a new church. The remaining members of Mount Zion began trying to repay the loan.
Rebuilding and Recovery
Reverend J. H. Dotson became the pastor in 1937. He brought in new members and raised $3,000 to pay back the debt in just six months. He kept up a strong effort to raise more money.
Because of his hard work, the old loan was fully paid off on November 23, 1942. Reverend Dotson then started raising money to build a new church on the same site.
Reverend Dotson carefully watched over the building of the new church. It was designed by W. S. and J. C. Latimer. The Latimer brothers were trained architects and also members of Mount Zion.
The new church building was officially opened in November 1952. This was twenty-five years after Reverend Dotson first arrived. Reverend Dotson asked the church to bring in Reverend Calvin G. McCutchen as an assistant pastor. McCutchen became the main pastor in 1957 and served until he retired in 2007.
