our church history

According to the vision that God gave the late Pastor, Reverend Jesse O. Johnson, the first church service was held at a building on Dean Street and Albany Avenue in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, June 19, 1968. Seventeen persons were present. The first song of the new congregation was "Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross." The selected Scripture was from the twelfth chapter of Hebrews. Prayer was offered by Mother Mary Patterson followed by the song, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".

Among the first organizers were Mother Mary Patterson, Deliahia Batts, Mildred Johnson, O.G. Patterson, Mabel Wynn, Hazel Johnson, Rev. J.O. Johnson, Deborah Johnson, Linda Johnson, Janice Johnson, Stanley Johnson, Willie Mae Sosa, Annabelle Gladton and Geneva Grant.

During this gathering, it was motioned by Sis. Mildred Johnson that the church be organized as The Mount Sion Baptist Church Mission. It was also motioned that Rev. Jesse O. Johnson would become the new church’s pastor. Another motion made Sis. Hazel Johnson the Church Clerk and Sis. Mildred Johnson the Church’s Treasurer. The above Motions were unanimously voted in by the seventeen persons present.

Rev. Jesse O. Johnson preached his first sermon from the twelfth chapter of Hebrews which was titled, "Having Faith in God". After the sermon, the Pastor extended the invitation to discipleship by the acceptance of Christ. One member, Bro. O. G. Patterson, joined coming by Christian experience. Following the preliminary member-intake process, the first offering of $34.00 was collected. The members continued to meet weekly for one year at that location, singing praises to our Lord. The Mission eventually relocated to a building on Fulton Street between Howard and Saratoga Avenues and remained there for approximately six months. Soon the church moved to another house of worship on DeKalb and Marcy Avenues. It was at this address that the decision was made to no longer be called a Mission but achieve official Baptist Church status. The New York Missionary Association under the direction of the late Rev. John Nichols assisted in making our purpose a reality. The Certificate of Incorporation of The Mount Sion Baptist Church was duly organized on February 14, 1970, and The Certificate of Incorporation was duly filed on February 16, 1970 with the County Clerk of Kings County giving Mount Sion Official Baptist Church Status as recognized by the City and State of New York. God directed us every step of the way, and the church began to progress and prosper. We grew in number. Again the church moved to 1224 Bedford Avenue. Pastor Johnson and the congregation saw the need for a better, safer and quieter place to continue doing the Lord's work. God directed this congregation to

365 Ralph Avenue in Brooklyn, New York where the Lord continued to bless Mount Sion under the leadership of Rev. J.O. Johnson for approximately 33 years. After those many years of working in God's vineyard, Rev. J.O. Johnson was called home to his celestial resting place on April 5, 2003.

Rev. Jesse Sumbry, Pastor of the King Emmanuel Baptist Church, and Rev. B.T. McCullom, Pastor of the St. Anthony Baptist Church met with Mt. Sion’s Congregation to decide on the length of time the church would grieve for Pastor Johnson. It was voted by the congregation that the period would be one year. During this year we were instructed by Rev. McCullom, that the Brooklyn Baptist Evangelical Union would send ministers every Sunday to preach until the church elected a new Pastor. We were told, “they will preach and leave”. During this time, the late Deacon Cornell Knight served as the Chairman of the Board of Deacons and the late Deacon Louis Grant served as Vice Chairman. The late Deaconess Ernestine Greene served as Chairlady of the Board of Deaconess; the late Deacon Deleon Brunson was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees; the late Brother Leroy Grimes (not yet a Deacon) was Financial Secretary, and the late Deaconess Gladys Davis was the Church Clerk.

After the one year of grieving period was accomplished Mount Sion began the search for a new pastor. A pastoral search committee was formed and various ministers submitted their resumes.

For some reason, during this period, Mount Sion had ceased having Bible Study and Prayer Meeting. In order for this to be rectified, Rev. Sumbry referred Rev. Dan J. Craig from the New Frontier Baptist church to begin teaching Bible Study. This was our initial meeting between church and, then unknown to us, our future Pastor.

As time continued, the congregants became interested and fond of Rev. Craig. He was asked to submit his resume to the Pastoral Search Committee. He consulted God, and the desire of his heart. He and his wife, Sis. Edna Craig, (not yet a Reverend), had come to love Mt. Sion as well. He became one amongst a number of applicants, but as God had already prepared David, for Samuel’s search, God had already prepared and chosen Dan J. Craig. The Pastoral Search Committee simply had to follow God’s leading.

During this time a concern arose about the Pacific Street wall of the church. The late Deacon Knight and Deacon Leroy Grimes voiced this concern to the New York City Fire Department. The Fire Department investigated the issue and “immediately” mandated the building at 365 Ralph Avenue be vacated.

Unknown to the congregation, the exterior wall on the Pacific Street side of the building had begun to buckle badly. After further investigation, it was found that some of the beams in the ceiling were burnt and many were facing downward. The fire department stated that they were extremely surprised the building had not collapsed. BUT God had protected us, once again, in dangers seen and unseen. In the blinking of an eye, Mount Sion was without a church building. Again, Rev. Jesse Sumbry was called and he stepped in. Under his direction, the very next

Sunday, Mount Sion was invited and began worshipping at the King Emmanuel Baptist church, along with King Emmanuel’s congregation. Rev. Sumbry directed and allowed Mount Sion to collect its own offering. We, nevertheless, became one big family, but Rev. Sumbry continued to remind us of our mission, which was to rebuild and return to Mt. Sion. Rev. Sumbry opened his church doors for us to have weekly meetings to raise funds, discuss the condition and future of the church, and finding a new pastor. During our weekly meetings, members made pledges and donated funds towards our hope of returning to our building. The late Deacon Deleon Brunson, the late Deacon Elijah Davis, and the late Deacon Louis Grant along with Rev. Sumbry took on the task of leading the congregation through this difficult process. We worshipped with King Emmanuel Baptist Church for a number of months. Mt. Sion was without a pastor, and now, without our own church building.

The under-shepherd of Mt. Sion had been taken from us, approximately two years had passed, and the sheep had begun to scatter including some official staff. The few that remained understood that the church was not the building, but the people. The remnant stayed together and trusted that God would lead and provide, and God did.

It was made known at the weekly financial meetings that even though the church was without a mortgage, the building having been condemned would make it all but impossible to acquire a loan. It was also made known to the congregation that the only way the church may have acquired a loan, is by one of the members offering their personal assets as collateral. There was no one in the membership willing to take on this huge endeavor, but God had a plan.

In April, 2005, Rev. Jesse J. Sumbry, called a meeting at King Emmanuel Baptist Church and asked the Pastoral Search Committee and the church to vote on accepting Rev. Dan J. Craig as Pastor of The Mount Sion Baptist Church. The congregational vote was a unanimous “Yes.” After a few church meetings, Rev. Craig held his first service with Mount Sion on Sunday, May 2, 2005.

The church was still faced with the daunting task of finding a place to worship. At that time the active membership was approximately 30 persons. It was decided that the church would have Sunday services at a temporary location, one block away from Mt. Sion at Barrett's Funeral Chapel. Services were spiritual, interesting and fun.

Rev. Craig immediately took on the task of rounding up the sheep and the membership began to reunite and grow.

Shortly thereafter, Rev. Craig called a church meeting to discuss returning to 365 Ralph Avenue. The options were given to continue having services at Barrett’s Chapel while looking for a totally new building, or renovating the current building which had remained condemned. It was voted to return to 365 Ralph Avenue. We then had the enormous task of raising the money for the renovations. The building

had become a Pandora’s Box. The more construction that was done to fix damages, the more unknown damages was revealed, but God had a plan.

Although Mt. Sion had worked diligently, and the remnant had amassed funds through their commitment and diligence, their savings fell far short of what was needed to repair the building. The church knew, from meetings at King Emmanuel, they needed a personal collateral donor in order to receive a bank loan. They knew of no such donor, and no such donor came forward, but God had a plan.

Rev. Dan J. Craig and his wife, Rev. Edna Craig, made a Godly decision and called a meeting with Mt. Sion. Through three such meetings over a short period of time they ultimately offered and loaned their personal funds for the renovations of the church. The three loans equaled approximately 1/2 million dollars at a lower bank rate than the church could acquire on its own. At each meeting, Rev. Craig explained all details of the loan. He and his wife would then leave the meeting so that the members of Mt. Sion would be able to make an honest and informed decision without his influence. All members, each time, were asked for a vote. There were no other alternatives offered and Mt. Sion as a whole voted Yes. When the first and largest portion of the loan was offered and accepted, Rev. Craig and wife promised that, if the church found a bank loan within three years following the beginning of the loan, he and his wife would return all the interest paid on the loan.

The church unanimously accepted the conditions of the loans and a complete renovation of the church began. Mt. Sion was able to return to the building and marched from Barrett Funeral Home into the building at 365 Ralph Avenue on Sunday, June 11, 2006.

Mt. Sion continued its quest to not only be a ministry for the members of Mt. Sion, but one that affected and changed the lives of those in the community. Rev. Craig and Mt. Sion teamed with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, New York State Office of Court Administration, The Legal Aid Society and the NYC Police Department to implement Project Safe Surrender, a community bi-annual program that helped individuals resolve summons/warrants. Additionally Mt. Sion housed a District Attorney’s Remote Site office from July 2007 – May 2014. Mt. Sion and Rev. Craig is a participant of the NYPD Brooklyn Clergy and Police Task Force (Organized by Bishop A. D. Lyon). Mount Sion is also a member of the 73rd Police Precinct Clergy Council. In 2009, The Brooklyn Clergy and Police Task Force organized The Grandmother’s Love Over Violence Program (Grandmother’s L.O.V.), designed to assist grandmothers who were raising grandchildren. The program began meeting at Mount Sion and continued to do so until March of 2020. The program was ended due to the Global Pandemic. Mt. Sion plays a leading role in various other community endeavors.

Mount Sion is blessed to still have a few active members from the early years of its inception, with the longest-standing member being Deaconess Carol Rogers  The church currently continues to grow under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the leadership of Rev. Dan J. Craig and as in Rev. J.O. Johnson’s initial sermon “Having Faith in God!”