From a Log Schoolhouse to a Stone Sanctuary on Churchville Road
Mt. Zion Church sits along Churchville Road on the east side of Bel Air in Harford County, Maryland, a stretch of the county where the congregation has been present since 1868. What began more than a century and a half ago with neighbors gathering in a simple log structure, possibly an old schoolhouse, has grown into a multi-building campus that today welcomes hundreds of people each weekend across a traditional service, two contemporary services, and a Sunday gathering designed specifically for adults with special needs.
In early 2024 the congregation entered a new season, becoming a non-denominational church under the leadership of Senior Pastor Devin Peterson. The change came after the long tenure of Craig McLaughlin, who pastored the church for thirty-eight years and helped shape its identity as a community marked by missions, outreach, and care for people often overlooked by other congregations.
A Building Shaped by Generations
The physical plant of Mt. Zion tells the story in stone and slate. From 1870 to 1923 the church met in a yellow clapboard building with a distinctive slate walkway. In 1922, under Rev. Charles Biggs, a new building with a bell tower was constructed and served the congregation for more than fifty years.
The defining structure, the stone sanctuary still in use today, was connected to the bell tower in 1959 under Rev. I. D. Rhoads. Dr. J. Milton Rogers preached at the consecration services, and the crowd, it was said, overflowed the church. Between 1997 and 1998, under Rev. Craig McLaughlin, the sanctuary was enhanced with an elevator, a balcony, and an expanded narthex. A back wing and third floor followed in 1999 and 2000. The Worship Center tent was added in 2004 and 2005, and what is now called the Family Center came in 2011 for what was then called the Youth Tent.
Four Weekly Gatherings on One Campus
Mt. Zion meets four times a week, with each gathering held in a specific building on the Churchville Road property.
- Saturday at 5 p.m. - Traditional Service in the Sanctuary. Hymns, a more liturgical feel, and a quieter pace.
- Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. - Contemporary Service in the Worship Center. Two identical services make it easier for families and friends to attend at a time that fits.
- Sunday at 1 p.m. - Special Needs Service in the Worship Center, hosted through Beyond Capernaum.
- Wednesday at 6 p.m. - Youth Service in the Sanctuary for students in sixth through twelfth grade.
Services run about an hour and a half. First-time guests are greeted at the door by a team ready to help with directions, kids' check-in, or any questions about the morning. Nursery care is available for children from birth through potty training, and Pre-K is offered for potty-trained children up to four years old at the Saturday 5 p.m. service and both Sunday morning services. Kid's Church for kindergarten through fifth grade meets during the 11 a.m. service.
Beyond Capernaum: The Largest Special Needs Ministry in Maryland
If Mt. Zion is known for one thing beyond its long Harford County history, it is Beyond Capernaum, the special needs ministry launched under Pastor McLaughlin's leadership and still thriving today. What began more than thirteen years ago with six to eight friends now serves hundreds of adults each week and is described by the church as the largest special needs ministry in Maryland.
Beyond Capernaum runs the Sunday 1 p.m. worship service in the Worship Center, with a worship team, communion elements, and baptism available. The ministry also hosts Tuesday and Thursday outreach and in-reach gatherings from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Family Center, with fellowship, music, snacks, and prizes. Monthly events bring the community together for prom, seasonal parties, movie nights, and other activities designed with a range of abilities and sensory needs in mind.
Beyond Capernaum has its own contact address at beyond.capernaum@mzprays.org, and volunteers are a central part of the ministry's life.
Discover, Disciple, Develop, Deploy
The pathway at Mt. Zion is organized into four movements, and the same language shows up throughout the church's ministry language: Discover, Disciple, Develop, and Deploy.
Discover is for those who are new to faith or new to the church. The first steps include filling out a Connect Card, attending a "You Belong" gathering to meet Pastor Devin and learn what the church believes, planning a visit, and downloading the Church Center app.
Disciple is where believers grow deeper through the Center for Discipleship, attendance at church events, and participation in small groups focused on spiritual growth, fellowship, and life support.
Develop and Deploy are the formation and sending stages. Develop focuses on discovering gifts and being equipped to serve, while Deploy sends people out to make disciples in their homes, workplaces, and communities. Both are listed as coming soon on the church's current pathway.
Bible Studies, Groups, and the Year With Jesus
Groups at Mt. Zion are organized into three families, all accessible through the Church Center platform:
- Grow Groups - Bible studies and Christian education classes.
- Gather Groups - Fellowship and interest-based gatherings.
- Go Groups - Ministry and outreach teams that put faith into action.
A Care and Compassion support group is also available for those walking through difficult seasons. The Center for Discipleship hosts a Year With Jesus Bible reading plan and additional training resources for anyone wanting to grow in the practice of following Jesus.
Children, Youth, and Young Adults
Mt. Zion invests heavily in the next generation. MZ Kids Ministry covers nursery through fifth grade and runs alongside weekend services. MZ Youth gathers middle and high school students for the Wednesday evening service and additional programming, with Makena Bemb serving as Youth Coordinator. MZ Young Adults provides a space for college-age and early-career adults to connect beyond the weekend gatherings.
For adults, MZ Women's Ministry and MZ Men's Ministry offer gender-specific fellowship, Bible study, and service opportunities.
Missions: From Harford County to Namibia
Mt. Zion's heart for missions is rooted in Pastor McLaughlin's tenure and continues under Pastor Peterson's leadership. The most visible global initiative is Children of Zion Village, an orphanage in Namibia, Africa, that the church launched as a long-term partnership. A dedicated missions site, mzglobalmissions, supports ongoing work in Harford County and beyond.
The MZLead Leadership Community and the Ministry Fellowship are two additional pathways for people who want to develop as leaders, both inside the church and out in the community.
What Mt. Zion Believes
The church's statement of beliefs is structured around four anchors. Jesus Christ is confessed as one God eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and as fully God and fully man, whose death and resurrection atone for sin and who will return as righteous judge. The Holy Spirit is confessed as fully God, who works faith through love and sanctifies believers. Sin and salvation are framed around human corruption and God's redemptive plan: salvation by grace through faith, justified by Christ's blood and sanctified by the Spirit, with the Old and New Testaments as the infallible rule for belief and practice. The Kingdom of God is the church as the body of Christ, where the Word is preached and the sacraments of baptism, the Lord's Supper, and marriage between one man and one woman are administered.
The full doctrinal position is laid out in the MZCore Principles and Practices document, available through the church.
The Pastoral Team
Devin Peterson serves as Senior Pastor. A pastor, teacher, and writer, he and his wife Ashley have three sons, Grayson, Lincoln, and Madden. Family life shapes his vision for discipleship: faith first formed at home, around tables and in the rhythms of ordinary life.
The staff team supporting the congregation includes Mark Johnson as Director of Ministries, Andy McMullin as Director of Community Engagement, David Bennett as Director of Outreach, Steve Presser as Discipleship Coordinator, Mark Rowlins as Celebrate Recovery Coordinator, Makena Bemb as Youth Coordinator, and Jessica Stephens as Early Education Lead. A Church Council chaired by Lyle Sheldon provides lay leadership and stewardship oversight.
Church Center, Giving, and Staying Connected
The Church Center app is the central hub for staying connected at Mt. Zion. Through it, congregants can update contact information, register for events, join groups, give online, and follow along with what's happening around the church. The app is available for iPhone and Android, and the platform is also accessible through any web browser.
Sermons are posted to the church's YouTube channel, where services can also be watched live. Giving is available online through Church Center, and a physical offering is taken at weekend services.
Visiting Mt. Zion
The church's address is 1643 Churchville Road, Bel Air, Maryland 21015, and the office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (410) 836 7444. The church's mission statement - to see Christ formed in each person, in the church, and in the community through growing in faith, gathering in fellowship, and going to make disciples - frames everything from weekend services to global missions.