The year was 1893. The end to slavery or the Civil War had ended 28 years earlier, Pike County, like all of Mississippi had been destroyed by war and the Northern Carper Baggers. Families Black and White were dirt poor… the new freedoms brought with it many trials and tribulations, but black and white families came together to rebuild crude cabins and start over.
All the Churches at the end of the war were on plantations or farms owned by white farmers. Black Christians wanted to own their own church. Early in the 1860s the northern churches had taken a stand against slavery. The southern churches would not submit to these ideas and broke away from their northern associations.
At this time the Southern Baptist Convention was born. Because they did not believe in musical instruments of joyful singing, to set themselves apart from the Southern Baptist which had endorsed slavery and the Hard Shell Baptist who did not believe in missions, the Missionary Baptist Church was born. It is not generally agreed as to how the name came about just not exactly who or when did it start. That is why the name Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church was chosen by the founders.
The early Pastors of Mount Zion included, Rev. West, Rev. Crosby, Rev. Verse Smith, Rev. Harvey Allen, Rev. Porter, Doc Ferguson, Rev. Frank Baker, Rev. H. L. Adams, Rev. Manning Isaac and Rev. James Quinn who preceded our own Rev. Dr. Benton Thompson.
About Pastor Benton Thompson
Pastor Thompson was licensed to preach the Gospel in January 1982 at Mount Calvary M. B. Church in Suisun, California under the leadership of the late Rev. Clayborn Lea, Sr.
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He had previously served on the Deacon Board at Saint Andrew Missionary Baptist Church in Oakland, California under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Robert Lacy, Sr.
Pastor received his Bachelor of Science Degree, in Business Administration, from Alcorn State University, Lorman, Mississippi, a Master of Business Administration from National University, in Sacramento California and
received a PHD degree from Sacramento Theological Bible College, Sacramento, California.
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Pastor Thompson is a Retired Military Army Reserve Officer.
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In 1998 he and his wife moved back to Mississippi. In 1999 he was elected Pastor of Mount Zion. He is married to Janice Thompson; they have 3 Children.
Sister Janice Thompson is a native of Summit, Mississippi. Sister Janice loves and trusts God in all things. She is a graduate of Troy State University, Troy Alabama with a bachelors degree in Sociology.
