• 1929 - Second Mount Zion Baptist Church was organized under the Leadership of Rev. E. D. Evans. The church was located at 39th and Reno Street.

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• 1935 - Rev. Evans health failed, and his pastorship ended.  Rev. King James Carter was asked to guide the church of seven members. And, due to the membership size, the church moved to a smaller building located at Warren and Sloane Street.

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• 1935 to 1938- the church relocated three times: first to Union and Reno Street; then in 1937 to 37th and Melon Street and again in 1938 to 36th and Brandywine Street. With a growing membership the church moved one last time to the current location of 3814 Parrish Street.  In 1942, a second building was purchased next door, and in 1963, a third building was bought - 3816 Parrish Street. 

 

• Rev. Carter faithfully served as the Pastor of Second Mount Zion Baptist Church until his death in 1969.

 

• October 1969 - Five months after the passing of Rev. Carter, Rev. Joshua Grove II was called to Pastor the church. The church continued to prosper.  The church grew and one major renovation included stained-glass windows.  Rev. Grove left the church in 1973.

 

• December 1973 to 1985 - Rev. James E. Patterson was called to Pastor the church. Under the strong leadership of Rev. Patterson, the church flourished and another building next to the church was added in 1994.  Patterson retired in December of 1985

 

• In July 1986, James Moore, Sr., was called to Pastor Second Mount Zion.  In the early '90s, the church acquired the current parking lot from the Electric Company. Under Rev. Moore’s spiritual leadership, the church facility continued to expand. In 2009, the building at 3812 Parrish was added to the church.

 

• Under Pastor Moore's dynamic, enthusiastic, relationship, and Word-based leadership, the membership has continued to increase. In 2019 Pastor Moore followed God’s direction to rebuild Second Mount Zion Baptist Church. To accomplish this, the church had to secure appropriate locations to worship.   We started at Paul Roberson High School, then a ballroom at 3801 Market before COVID brought about a country wide shut down and we were no longer able to fellowship in person.  Without skipping a beat and allowing circumstances to stop the spread of God's word, Sunday services and Bible Study was immediately live-streamed every week from Pastor Moore's home. On the third Sunday in July 2021, services were live streamed from the new church sanctuary.  After over two years under construction and a 5-month delay because of the pandemic, the building was completed.  Second Mount Zion Baptist Church reopened for in-person worship in September 2021. The stained-glass window, purchased in the early 1970s, is prominently displayed in the front of the sanctuary as a part of the new edifice.

 

• Less the history thus far isn’t proof enough that God is working in this branch of Zion.  The past few years have been a turbulent one, but God is still working.  With God’s direction, Pastor Moore, Deacon Simpson, and government officials were persistent and with their consistency and resilience the property down the street from the church was acquired and government funding was received.

 

• 2024 - broke ground on the Rev. James Moore, Sr. Triangle Village senior housing.  Closed for funding with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and began construction in January of 2024. Developed by Elon Affordable Housing, LLC, in partnership with Second Mount Zion Baptist Church.

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• 2025 - The ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the Reverend James Moore, Sr. Triangle Village, featuring 40 units of affordable senior housing located at 3701 Brown Street, Philadelphia, PA  19104.

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