A Place of Healing, Help, and Hope on Oak Street

In Springfield's Old Hill neighborhood, on a campus anchored by the century-old Dunbar Community Center, Mt. Zion Baptist Church has spent nearly half a century building its ministry around a single motto: "A Place of Healing, Help, and Hope." Grounded in the words of 2 Corinthians 4:1 - "since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart" - the congregation gathers each Sunday at 10 a.m. and again on Wednesdays for prayer and Bible study, with online worship, a dial-in line and livestream options for those unable to attend in person. The pastor, Rev. Dr. Atu White, leads a staff of ordained ministers, deacons and ministry leaders who oversee more than two dozen programs spanning music, youth, community outreach and food security.

From 42 Members on Carew Street to the Dunbar Campus

Mt. Zion's story began in late 1976, when a small group of Christians, most of them from Faith Baptist Church in Springfield, prayed about starting a new work. On February 6, 1977, the group of more than 42 members was officially organized as Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Greater Springfield.

For nearly nine months, the fledgling congregation worshipped each Sunday in the basement of Gardner A.M.E. Zion Church on Carew Street. By the end of 1977, members had purchased property at 368 Bay Street and moved in on November 6, 1977. Rev. Willie Wilkerson was called as the first pastor in May 1978.

A lightning strike on Wednesday, August 1, 1979, destroyed the sanctuary, and the congregation worshipped in the lower auditorium for almost a year. On October 5, 1980, members marched back into a rebuilt sanctuary that had been lengthened by sixteen feet with a new balcony and exposed A-frame beams, with the entrance now on Princeton Street. Rev. Wilkerson resigned in August 1990.

Rev. Morris A. Goggins, Sr. was installed as the second pastor in July 1991, declaring the church "Holy Ghost Headquarters." During his tenure the church added a ramp, central air, a sound system, a paved parking lot across Princeton Street, the Gospel of Deliverance Choir, a Nurses Unit and a boys' basketball team. He resigned at the end of 1999, and Rev. James B. Williams was installed as the third pastor in May 2001. His tenure saw the church pay off a twenty-year mortgage in only three years, install central air downstairs, add a handicap ramp and remodel the pastor's office. He was called home to be with the Lord in June 2008.

After a search that yielded nearly eighty applications, the congregation elected Rev. Atu O. White in October 2010. His tenure began at the Watch Night Service on December 31, 2010, and he received his Doctor of Ministry degree and was installed as Mt. Zion's fourth pastor on May 22, 2011. It was at that installation that he introduced the motto "A Place of Healing, Help, and Hope."

The biggest change of Pastor White's tenure came in 2016, when the historic Dunbar Community Center - a Springfield institution more than a century old - faced foreclosure. Mt. Zion stepped in to keep its doors open, acquiring the facility in October 2016 and relocating the church to 33 Oak Street in May 2017. The new campus grew the church from 3,000 square feet to more than 30,000 square feet of space, anchored by a sanctuary built in 2001 and the original historic structure dating back a hundred years.

Sunday Worship and Wednesday Bible Study

The week at Mt. Zion centers on three regular touchpoints.

Sunday morning worship begins at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. The service is broadcast online through the church's Facebook page and YouTube channel, and a dial-in number is offered for those without internet. The Music Ministry leads the congregation through hymns, contemporary gospel and praise and worship songs, with choirs, liturgical dance and a media team supporting each service.

On Wednesdays, the church holds a midday Prayer and Meditation Call at noon, also by phone. Bible Study classes follow at 1:15 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with the evening study also available virtually on Facebook and YouTube.

Two Friday evening discipleship groups meet once a month on the fourth Friday: Man Cave for men and She Shed for women, both at 6:00 p.m.

The Articles of Faith

Mt. Zion holds to a detailed confession of faith with eighteen articles. The church teaches that the Holy Bible is divinely inspired, true without error, and the supreme standard for Christian belief and practice. It affirms one true God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and teaches that humanity fell from holiness through voluntary transgression and is in need of salvation.

Salvation, the church holds, is wholly by grace through the mediatorial work of Jesus Christ, received by faith and evidenced by repentance, regeneration and a newness of life. The church affirms the doctrines of election, justification, sanctification and the perseverance of saints, and views baptism as the immersion of a believer in water, prerequisite to church membership and to participation in the Lord's Supper.

Mt. Zion also confesses the Christian Sabbath, the call to honor civil government, the radical distinction between the righteous and the wicked, and the hope of Christ's return and final judgment. A visible church, it teaches, is a congregation of baptized believers, governed by pastors and deacons whose qualifications are set out in the New Testament epistles to Timothy and Titus.

Music, Dance and the Worship Arts

Music is a defining feature of Sunday worship. The Music Ministry oversees a Praise Team, Male Chorus, Mass Choir and Youth Choirs, leading the congregation in hymns, contemporary gospel and praise and worship songs. A separate Dance Ministry, made up of both adults and youth, offers liturgical dance during services and at special events.

Supporting the worship experience are three additional ministries. The Senior Usher Ministry greets and seats everyone who enters the sanctuary. The Nurses Ministry stands ready to provide immediate or emergency care to anyone who becomes ill during a service. The Media Ministry runs the church's audiovisual systems and broadcasts services online so members who cannot be present can still take part.

Teaching for Every Age and Stage

Bible Study is the heart of Mt. Zion's Christian Education work, with classes for adults and youth that meet Wednesdays at 1:15 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The ministry focuses on in-depth study of Scripture, nurturing lifelong spiritual growth and preparing students to live by God's Word.

Two gender-specific Bible study groups round out the adult discipleship offerings. Man Cave is a men's ministry devoted to discipleship, biblical study and spiritual growth through interactive lessons and discussions. She Shed offers women of all ages a similar environment of study, fellowship and mutual encouragement. Both meet on the fourth Friday of each month at 6:00 p.m.

The Newsletter Ministry keeps the wider community informed through "The Mt. Zion Messenger: The GOOD NEWSletter," published on the first Sunday of each month since June 1999.

Raising the Next Generation

Mt. Zion takes seriously its call to nurture children and youth. The Youth Ministry challenges young people to recognize that they are God's Masterpiece, encouraging growth in mind, body and spirit through interactive Bible studies, tutoring and the arts.

For boys and young men, the Young Joshuas Ministry mentors participants ages 8 to 18 through Bible studies, tutoring and classroom and field trip activities, teaching honor, respect, discipline and service to God. The Young Deborahs Ministry offers the same approach for girls and young women ages 8 to 18. The Junior Usher Ministry, for ages 4 to 18, welcomes young people into the work of greeting and seating worshipers.

A Soup Kitchen and Food Partnerships

Community service has been part of Mt. Zion's identity since February 1999, when it opened the Soup Kitchen Ministry. Volunteer staff serve healthy, nutritional meals to anyone who walks through the doors each Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the kitchen also prepares food for various church functions.

The church has built a wider food security network through partnerships. Working with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, a mobile market visits the campus and reaches more than 300 families monthly with fresh produce and other groceries. Through a collaboration with the Urban League of Springfield, the church helps distribute free groceries - with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables - to 350 households each month. A partnership with the Christ Child Society has placed a free children's book box on the property for neighborhood kids.

The Missionary Ministry coordinates local outreach and evangelism, the Marketing Ministry spreads the church's message through social, print and electronic media, and the Transportation Ministry offers rides to members each Sunday for worship and other trips in a church vehicle. The Get Connected Ministry reaches out to new members and first-time visitors with letters and phone calls, while the Women's Ministry gathers women for social and spiritual activities such as seminars, teas and a Women's Day choir.

The Dunbar Center: A Century-Old Building, A New Mission

The Dunbar Center is the heart of Mt. Zion's community work. The iconic building in Springfield's Old Hill neighborhood has produced generations of leaders in the arts, education, entrepreneurship and sports. Residents of greater Springfield remember dance classes under the renowned Frank Hatchett, sweltering basketball games in the "Death Valley" gym, and community gatherings in its halls. Before it became the Dunbar Community Center, the building served as the Olivet Community House, a place whose aggregate weekly attendance in its early decades far exceeded what it drew as a church.

Mt. Zion purchased the facility in October 2016 to keep it from foreclosure and moved the church to the Oak Street campus in May 2017. The new space spans more than 30,000 square feet and includes a sanctuary and performing arts theater with seating for up to 320, an 8,000-square-foot gymnasium that holds up to 500 people, a 1,800-square-foot studio meeting room seating up to 180, a 1,100-square-foot lighthouse meeting room, and several additional smaller rooms.

Today, the Dunbar Center focuses on training, developing and inspiring youth and families through the Arts, Wellness and Education. The center offers dance classes, before and after-school care, basketball sessions and supervised parental visits, in addition to the grocery distribution partnerships. Several rooms are available for rent or lease for one-time, multi-day or recurring events.

Giving and Staying Connected

Mt. Zion believes in participating in God's economy by earning through multiple sources of income, giving at least 10 percent, saving at least 10 percent, investing at least 5 percent and living wisely on the remaining 75 percent.

Members and supporters can give in four ways: by mailing a check to 33 Oak Street, Springfield, MA 01109; by placing a gift in the brown mailbox at the Orleans Street entrance; by Cash App to $mtzionbaptistchurch; or through the church's Givelify page.

The church keeps in touch with the community through its monthly newsletter, "The Mt. Zion Messenger: The GOOD NEWSletter," and through Facebook and YouTube.

The Pastoral Team

Rev. Dr. Atu White, the fourth pastor, is a native of Georgetown, South Carolina, who accepted his calling to preach and was ordained at the age of 19 in the Fire Baptized Holiness Church. A graduate of Morris College and Howard University, he holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School with a focus on organizational growth and leadership development. Dr. White also serves as President of the United Baptist Convention of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, Inc.; Chair of the Board of Trustees for Springfield International Charter School; and Chair of the Board of The Dunbar Center Incorporated. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Serving alongside him are Rev. Bert Johnson, Rev. Frank Thompson III, Rev. Milton White Jr. and Min. James Coppedge, together with a Deacon Ministry led by Deacon Steve Powell and supported by a board of deaconesses and deacons-in-training. The Finance and Trustee Ministries handle the fiduciary and property responsibilities of the church.