Our History

  Mount Lula Baptist and St. John Baptist Churches organized the New Hope Baptist church on October 19, 1920 and the founding pastor was Reverend Mac Stevens.  The year 1920 was the same year of the first radio broadcast and women were given the right to vote.  There was only one deacon, Herbert King, who lived on Wilson Avenue.       The Church had its meetings in Deacon King’s and Brother and Sister Bookus’ home.  Reverend Mac Stevens later took his church to a tent located on the corner of Hensel Avenue and Clay Street. Though it was a struggle they purchased land on February 29, 1932 and built a church at 1748 Clay Street.  Later the church was renamed Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church.       Reverend Mac Stevens made these remarks:  “I pray it is the church that the Bible says, ‘upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ ”.  During that time there were very few members, but as the time went on, one at a time the number of members increased.
There were four pastors—they are listed as follows:               
                                                                                            1.  Rev. Milton Roe 
                                                                                            2.  Rev. Sam Holly (Rev. Willard Gilmore’s half-brother)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           3.  Rev. Stevens, brother of the founder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                4.  Rev. J.E. Zellars from Cincinnati, Ohio

Past Associate Ministers
Rev. Charles Hutchinson, Rev. Acie Butts, Rev. Newton Farris, Rev. Gordon, Rev. Jessie Youngblood, Rev. Dewey Cottingham, Rev. Willard Gilmore, Rev. Robert L. Hambie and Rev. Charles Walker. 
     

     On February 8, 1942 Reverend Howard Crockran came to us from the Mt. Zion Baptist Church.  He served as pastor until January, 1979. Under his leadership we built and moved to the church building here at 1870 Clay St.    We had the ground breaking on October 17, 1976.  The cornerstone was laid on June 5, 1977.  We marched into this building on July 3, 1977 and the dedication service was held on October 22, 1978.

      Under Reverend Crockran’s leadership, we produced one minister, Rev. Dr. Thomas D. Johnson, who is now the Senior Pastor of Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem, New York. 

     Rev. James H. Gavin was an associate pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist and became Pastor of    Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in July, 1980 and served as pastor until December, 2020.  Under his leadership we had the mortgage burning on October 23, 1983, purchased three additional lots adjacent to the church for future development, added a new fellowship hall in May, 1999.  Pastor Gavin organized the Deaconess Board, wrote the church song and church poem, a new Church Sign was installed and dedicated in November, 2015.

Even though our past leaders of our church family are deceased, they will never be forgotten, because they are the ones who labored here so our church could be the great Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church that it is today.