It began with prayer.
The story continues.

A congregation begins

A small group of African Americans gathered for prayer in their homes in 1890. With help from First Baptist Church, including Rev. George T. Burchett and Deacon John Keith, the congregation used a store at 14th Avenue and East Madison Street for worship and Sunday School.

Mount Zion was incorporated on February 18, 1894. Rev. Calvin Williams served as pastor, and services were held at Naturalist’s Hall at 4th Avenue and University Street.

Finding a church home

Early worship locations included the Peoples Church at 3rd and Madison, 2nd and Spring, and 9th and Olive. The church’s history records its first owned building at 11th and Union in 1906: a one-room wooden structure with a stove and simple benches, later raised to create fellowship space below.

Roots at 19th and Madison

Under Rev. W. D. Carter, the congregation purchased property at 19th Avenue and East Madison Street in 1918. A new 700-seat church was completed in 1920 through the congregation’s sacrifice and generosity.

Mount Zion became a gathering place for religious, educational, political, and community life. Corrine Carter, Rev. Carter’s wife, organized Seattle’s first African American branch of the YWCA.

A growing ministry

Rev. J. Sterling Moore continued the church’s community work and helped reduce building debt. Rev. Taylor M. Davis followed in the 1930s. During Rev. Fountain W. Penick’s leadership, the Brotherhood was organized and land was acquired for expansion.

As Seattle’s Black population grew during World War II, Rev. F. Benjamin Davis strengthened education, youth and family participation, choirs, and women’s missionary work. Rev. Gil B. Lloyd and his wife, Doris Watts Lloyd, supported the building fund and music. Rev. Rex Jones and other ministers helped guide the next transition.

The McKinney years begin

Rev. Samuel Berry McKinney arrived from Olney Street Baptist Church in Providence, Rhode Island. His ministry joined preaching and Christian education with social action, economic opportunity, and community leadership.

Mount Zion’s account records the creation of a church credit union, stronger youth and scholarship programs, and expanded early-childhood education. Louise Jones McKinney, an educator, served as the first director of the church’s preschool and kindergarten.

Faith in the struggle for justice

Dr. McKinney invited his former college classmate, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to Seattle in 1961. It was King’s only visit to the city. McKinney’s wider civic work included the Seattle Human Rights Commission, co-founding Liberty Bank, and job training.

Source: City of Seattle’s McKinney profile.

Spaces for learning and worship

The church dedicated its Education Unit in 1963. On October 26, 1975, the congregation dedicated the present Afrocentric sanctuary, a space shaped by African heritage, Christian symbolism, and the natural materials of the Northwest.

Members’ gifts and sacrifices made these places of ministry possible.

A legacy of care and a transition

The 64-unit Samuel Berry McKinney Retirement Manor was part of the church’s wider commitment to community care. Dr. McKinney retired on April 26, 1998, after forty years as pastor. Rev. Dr. M. Samuel Pinkston served as interim pastor during the search for a successor.

Education, youth, and continuity

Rev. Dr. Leslie David Braxton became pastor in 1999, developing the Christian Education Academy and Summer Fun youth program. After his departure in 2005, Dr. McKinney returned to lead the church through 2008.

Teaching and faithful transitions

Rev. Aaron Williams served from 2008 to 2017, with an emphasis on teaching, fellowship, and reconciliation. Rev. James O. Stallings began his service as Interim Pastor Specialist in January 2018 and served until 2020.

A Seattle landmark

The Landmarks Preservation Board designated Mount Zion on October 18, 2017; the landmark ordinance was signed in 2018. Rev. Dr. Phyllis Beaumonte led the church group that nominated the property.

Source: City of Seattle landmark announcement.

Keeping the church connected

During the pandemic, the Diaconate and Leadership Team supported daily operations, and associate ministers continued preaching. Rev. Dr. Patricia L. Hunter coordinated worship as Interim Minister of Worship during 2020–2022. In-person worship resumed in July 2021 alongside the church’s digital connections.

Dr. Hunter served as Interim Pastor from January through July 2023. The congregation affirmed Rev. Dr. Paris Lee Smith, Sr., in June 2023; the church’s pastoral roster records his service in 2023–2024.

The next chapter of faith

In March 2026, the congregation elected Reverend Charles Reginald Johnson, Sr. Today, as Senior Pastor, he leads Mount Zion into a new season of worship, discipleship, prayer, and service.

Our history continues through every person who brings faith, generosity, and love into the life of this church.