A Baptist Congregation Rooted in Allendale
Mount Canaan Baptist Church sits on Alston Street in the Allendale neighborhood of Shreveport, Louisiana. The congregation grew out of a house meeting organized in 1894 by Reverend A.S. Johnson of Galilee Baptist Church and has occupied the same block for more than a century, anchoring one of the city's oldest Black Baptist communities. Members know the church simply as The Mount, and its leaders describe it as "a church grounded in the cross, growing in Christ, and giving to the community."
From Six Members in 1894 to a Citywide Ministry
The founding story begins when Johnson dispatched six of his members into Allendale to organize a house of worship. They met in homes until they purchased a lot at 1648 Alston Street for one hundred dollars and named their new congregation Mount Canaan. Under the first pastor, Reverend Robert Robinson, the original sanctuary was erected. The fifth pastor, Reverend Ebenezer Thomas, rebuilt the church after a storm demolished it. Under the tenth pastor, Reverend D.P. Smith, a right wing was added and the sanctuary was refurbished. The twelfth pastor, Reverend A.S. Jackson, shepherded the formal incorporation of the church in 1957 and led its transition from a part-time to a full-time operation.
The ninth pastor, Reverend S. M. Golden, organized the first usher board, a ministry still affectionately called "Mount Canaan's Finest." In 1958, Reverend Elroy Day became the thirteenth pastor. During his tenure the Youth Department was reorganized, additional renovations were made, a new public address system was installed, and the radio ministry was resumed.
The Blake Era and the Birth of a Modern Campus
In 1966 a defining era began when Reverend Harry Blake, the sixteenth pastor, accepted the call and delivered his first sermon in November of that year. Across fifty-two years of leadership, Blake oversaw a $500,000 church structure at the current 1666 Alston Street address in 1976, the Family Life Center in 1996, and the Community Center in 2016. The Family Life Center was later renamed the Harry Blake Family Life Center, and the Community Center became the Norma J. Blake Community Center. During his tenure Mount Canaan acquired significant additional real estate holdings, including Canaan Village and Canaan Towers, which were later sold to private entities.
Blake also guided Mount Canaan into the Thirteenth District Missionary Baptist Association, the Louisiana Missionary Baptist State Convention, and the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. Inc. He served as Moderator of the district association, President of the Louisiana state convention, General Secretary of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. Inc., and Vice-President of the Southwest Region. In the 1980s, mid-week prayer meeting and Sunday School enrollment grew so dramatically that the mid-week prayer gathering was studied as a model by congregations across the country.
In 2009 Blake introduced a 20/20 Vision that established biblical foundations for every ministry. He instituted a second Sunday morning worship service so members could worship on either side of the Sunday School hour. In 2013, he announced a five-year exit strategy, ordaining twenty-two new deacons alongside the existing twenty-eight to prepare the church for new leadership. After forty days of prayer, every member of the congregation submitted the name of a minister they wanted to succeed him. Of the seventeen names submitted, the name of Reverend Greg L. Oliver was chosen by more than seventy percent of the congregation. Oliver received ninety-three percent of the vote in an election held with machines provided by the Louisiana Secretary of State. He preached his initial sermon as Pastor-Elect on July 15, 2018, and was installed as the seventeenth pastor on September 2, 2018. Harry Blake became Mount Canaan's first Pastor Emeritus.
Pastor Greg L. Oliver Sr. and the C4 Vision
Greg Lamar Oliver Sr. grew up as the youngest of eight children to the late Reverend Dr. L. B. Oliver and the late Margaret Long Oliver, worshipping in churches up and down the river in Sicily Island, Louisiana. After graduating from the Concordia Parish School System, he attended Alcorn State University and later the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Before coming to Mount Canaan, he pastored True Vine Baptist Church for twenty-two years and extended its reach by founding True Vine Baptist Church North in Bastrop. He is married to Alisha Oliver and is the father of Greg Lamar Oliver II and Belinda Alise Oliver.
Under Pastor Oliver's leadership, Mount Canaan continues its C4 Values framework: Christian Exaltation of Christ (John 12:32), Christian Exhortation of Other Christians (Hebrews 10:25), Christian Education (Acts 17:11; Matthew 11:28-29), and Christian Empowerment to Impact Their Environment (Ephesians 4:12). Membership has increased by more than two hundred, and the church has expanded its virtual and broadcast presence while focusing more resources on young adults and youth.
Sundays at The Mount
Two morning worship services frame Sunday School each week. The first worship service begins at 7:45 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 9:00 a.m., and a second morning worship service at 10:00 a.m. The arrangement was designed to give working members more flexibility and to let families spend the rest of the weekend together. Worship is led by Minister of Music Jerry Maiden, with Samuel "Wayne" Sims at the organ, Michael Harris at the piano, and Javario Smith on percussion.
The Sunday School Tradition
Sunday School is the major teaching arm of the congregation, led by Paul Pratt. Lessons are written in-house each week, a practice begun under Pastor Blake's leadership to make them more directly relevant to daily life. Adult classes include Abundant Life, Christians Moving in Stewardship, Grateful Believers, Agape Love, New Creation, The Vineyard, The Path Finders, Truth Seekers, Safe Haven, and The Transformers. The Young Adult Christians class for ages eighteen and up is led by Pastor Oliver himself, assisted by Frederick Sanders, and gathers in the Norma J. Blake Community Center.
Classes for children and youth cover every stage: Precious Angels and Kings for ages three and four, God's Busy Bees for kindergarten through second grade, Kids for Christ for third through fifth grades, The Voice for sixth through eighth, and Ladder Climbers for ninth through twelfth grades.
Midweek Prayer and Bible Study
Wednesday is a centerpiece of the week. Bible Study and Prayer Services are held at noon and again at 6:00 p.m., continuing a mid-week prayer tradition that grew into one of the largest in the country during the Blake years. A separate senior saints Bible study held during weekday daylight hours is offered as part of the church's ongoing care for older members.
Worship and the Arts
The Worship and Arts Ministry is, in the church's words, "the most forward facing facet of our ministry," welcoming singers, dramatists, dancers, and spoken word artists. The Sanctuary/Mass Choir rehearses at 6:30 p.m. on the Thursday before the second Sunday in the sanctuary. The Male Chorus rehearses at 6:30 p.m. on the Thursday before the first Sunday. Separate Children and Youth Choir, Dance, and Drama ensembles round out the program.
Ministries for Every Stage of Life
More than a dozen formal ministries serve the congregation. The Deacon Ministry, led by Darrell Hampton, Derrick Washington, and Carlos Tate, cares for the sick, baptizes new converts, and serves Communion. The Deaconess Ministry, led by Valarie Gatson and Janet Silvie, prepares new converts for baptism and serves as a liaison to the pastor's wife. Greeters, led by Linda Banks and Sharon Robinson, welcome members and visitors as they arrive.
The Children's and Youth Ministry, led by Demetria Miles and Marcia White, focuses on biblical instruction and developing young people ready to serve in college, the military, and the workforce. The Nursery, led by Elanor Brown, serves children from birth through age four during both Sunday morning services and the Wednesday evening Bible study. God's Jewel's Ministry, led by James and Linda Taylor, walks alongside the senior saints. The Men's Ministry, led by Corey Booker, gathers the Saturday before the second Sunday at 10:00 a.m. The Women's Ministry is led by LaShonda Diouf. The Young Adult Ministry is open to people ages eighteen to thirty-nine for small group Bible studies, mission activities, and fellowship.
The Health Awareness for Lifestyle Ministry, led by Lenyatta Willis, meets on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. in the Harry Blake Family Life Center for exercise and health education. The Culinary and Hospitality Ministry, led by Janice Jackson, coordinates every meal served on church grounds. The Intercessor Ministry prays for the pastor, the church, leaders, the nation, and the community. The Pastor Encouragers, led by Marvalyn Henderson-Jones and Shirley Mandigo, lift up the pastor and his family.
Serving Shreveport
Mount Canaan partnered with the Shreveport Food Bank to create an in-house food bank stocked with perishable and non-perishable items, available to Shreveport residents on a daily basis. After the disruption of the 2020 pandemic, the church launched "Park and Praise," an outdoor worship experience held on the church grounds, and it continues to observe Park and Praise on intermittent fifth-Sunday mornings as a community outreach. The Great Minds Learning Academy operates as a Christian-based educational program on the campus. A disaster relief ministry supports member families in crisis.
Worship in Difficult Seasons
Through the pandemic, the congregation continued to worship together in shifting ways - first through the outdoor Park and Praise services on the grounds, then back inside the sanctuary with adjustments to service times and a sound engineer to enhance the experience. The television broadcast, virtual membership program, and refreshed online and social media presence all began under Pastor Oliver's leadership.
Joining, Giving, and Staying Connected
Visitors and prospective members can find new-member forms online, with options for joining, reuniting with the congregation, or attending temporarily while maintaining membership elsewhere. Donations, tithes, and offerings can be made through the Givelify mobile app by searching for Mt. Canaan Baptist Church. Services are broadcast on the church's YouTube channel, and the congregation is active on Facebook and Instagram.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The address is 1666 Alston Street, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101.