Mt. Zion's founder and first pastor, Rev. Yale H. Putney and a few devoted followers formally organized Mt. Zion Baptist Church on March 6, 1921 at Painters Hall on Main Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Pastors succeeding Rev. Putney were Rev. R. Joseph Redmond, Rev. Samuel Coleman, Rev. Agnew Cooper, Rev. Johnson, Rev. Theodore Roman, Rev. William F. Early, Rev. B.A. Roberson, Rev. A.E. Roberson, Dr. Otha Gilyard; and Rev. Dr. Addis Moore. Rev. Terry Mahone and Rev. Maurice Harley served as interim pastors during periods of pastoral vacancies.
The church continued to grow under the various pastors. Under the leadership of Pastor Gilyard, the Mt. Zion Church family undertook a $1 million building program to accommodate the growth of the church. On August 3, 1980, and Chestnut Street was renamed Roberson Street in commemoration of Pastors B.A. and A.E. Roberson.
From 1975 to 1993, the membership more than tripled. The following outreach programs were initiated and administered under Rev. Gilyard’s leadership: Safe House, Pride Place, the Scout House, Family Institute, Parenting Classes, Northside Little League, a tutoring program, a radio ministry, and the Senior Ecumenical Center, in joint partnership with St. Augustine Catholic Church.
In January 1995, Rev. Addis Moore accepted the call to pastor Mt. Zion and was installed on February 19, 1995. Under the leadership of Pastor Moore, the church undertook a $2.5 million expansion project that more than doubled the size of the existing facility. The expansion would add a wing of classrooms, a larger conference room, a chapel for the Youth Church, a library, additional seats to the sanctuary, a fellowship hall, and additional office space and subsequently remodeled the Atrium area.
