Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church will usher in another milestone celebration of being a beacon in the East St. Louis community. The church will celebrate its 115th Church Anniversary with a series of special events that will culminate with two services on Sunday, Sept. 25. The Rev. Ranodore Foggs, pastor of New Horizon Community Church in East St. Louis, will be the featured guest speaker for 10:40 a.m. services; and the Rev. Ramone Collins, pastor of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, in Alorton, will bring the message at 4 p.m.
Mt. Zion is located at 2235 Bond Ave. in East St. Louis. The event chair and co-chair are Wanda and Wenda McGilberry. Curtis E. Levingston is the pastor. The 115th Church Anniversary services will also feature an inspirational skit and a reunion choir.
Foggs was ordained through Mt. Zion under the late pastor, the Rev. John H. Rouse, and has pastored for 25 years. His ministry led him to organize New Horizon in 2006. He holds a bachelor’s degree from SIU Carbondale and a master’s in management from Webster University.
Foggs has a long history in law enforcement, working for decades with the State of Illinois, as a former chief of police for the East St. Louis Police Department, and currently as director of Public Safety at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. He serves the community through the local NAACP as board chair and is chairman of the state appointed Financial Oversight Panel for East St. Louis School District 189.
Collins, the afternoon guest minister, was called to the ministry at the age of 19 through the Greater Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Lebanon. He was later honored to pastor the oldest black Baptist church in Illinois, Flat Creek Baptist Church, in East Carondelet. And in 2003, upon the retirement of his grandfather, the Rev. Albert Collins, he was called to pastor Calvary Baptist Church, in Alorton.
Pre-anniversary events include: Formal Banquet( $35 adults/$15 children), held at Mt. Zion Mission East, 5 p.m. Saturday, September 17; and Evening Services with guest speaker Rev. Jerry L. Wilson, pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Centreville, Illinois, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 21.
For more information, contact the church at 618-274-8350, mtzionesl.org, Facebook at mtzionesl, or by email at mtzion2235@att.net.
Christ Pilgrim honors Pastor Johnson
Christ Pilgrim Rest M.B. Church will honor Pastor William Johnson Sr. for nine years of pastoral leadership at a Celebratory Banquet 6 p.m. Friday, September 16 at The Ameristar Conference Center – Second Floor, 1 Ameristar Blvd. in St. Charles. For tickets or additional information please call 314-367-2974. Worship Service will be held 10 a.m. Sunday, September 18 at the church, 1341 N. Kingshighway Blvd., with an Anniversary Musical at 3:30 p.m.
Flood Christian hosts Flood Love
Flood Christian Church, 10172 Dellridge Ln., is hosting Flood Love 16 on Sunday, September 18 at 12:30 pm. Organizers said the event’s goal is “to provide the people of the community a day of Love, Fun, Food and Prayer. We want the people of the community to know even though our church was burned down during the unrest in Ferguson we are still here for them. It has been a rough couple of years but we’re still here standing stronger than ever.”
