Mount Zion United Methodist Church
Historical marker location:In the years following Emancipation, eighteen former slaves worshipped together on the banks of the Brazos River under an old oak tree. Records show that these men and women, both Baptists and Methodists, were also allowed to worship in the balcony of Waco's First Baptist Church sanctuary. In May 1866, they requested letters of dismissal from Dr. Rufus Burleson, then president of Baylor University. Following their dismissals, these men and women chartered new churches. The Baptists and Methodists shared rented space at Jefferson and Sixth streets until the Freedman's Aid Society selected the location for Howard Institute, a school for local African Americans. The Baptist and Methodist congregations dismantled their building and shared the lumber. The Methodist church, known as Mount Zion, moved to North Sixth and Marlbrough, where it dedicated the first sanctuary in April 1873. Shortly after the church's founding in the 1860s, Mount Zion became part of a large group of Black Methodist churches under the Mississippi Mission Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The congregation grew, and out of the growth three other Methodist Episcopal congregations were organized. In 1972, due to urban renewal, members worshipped in the Friendship Center until relocating the church to this site in October 1973. Over the years, Mount Zion's members have maintained a strong link to Texas' Methodist educational institutions. Today, Mount Zion's members are active in local educational training, as well as many other programs and services. The church continues to be a spiritual home for many in the Waco area. (2006).