[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 5, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            SIXTH MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH SESQUICENTENNIAL

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                        HON. A. DONALD McEACHIN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 5, 2017

  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church was 
founded in 1867 by the Reverend John Jasper in an abandoned confederate 
horse stable on Brown's Island, along the shores of the James River. 
Credited as the first church in Richmond organized by an African-
American preacher, it relocated to its current space in downtown 
Richmond in 1869.
  Jasper's charismatic ministry drew increasingly large crowds, and his 
sermon ``De Sun Do Move'' became well-known both in the United States 
and internationally. His speaking talents and powerful faith brought 
flocks of black and white Richmonders alike to the church, listening 
and celebrating together.
  Six more pastors have led Sixth Mount Zion during its long history, 
including Dr. Augustus Walter who served for over forty-three years 
until his death in 1967. Greatly admired for his leadership and 
faithful dedication, Dr. Walter was instrumental in defending the 
church from destruction when Interstate 95 was built in downtown 
Richmond in 1957.
  Sixth Mount Zion is one of the nation's pioneers in the field of 
religious historic preservation, and opened its John Jasper Memorial 
Room and Museum in January 1926. It contains bibles, books, paintings, 
clothing, ceremonial artifacts, and furniture from the church's rich 
history. Among these items are a golden bust of Jasper made in 1904, a 
rare stone from Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and a quilt commemorating the 
church's 130th anniversary.
  The Commonwealth of Virginia has recognized the church's rich history 
with two highway markers--one at the church site and another in 
Fluvanna County near John Jasper's birthplace. Residing within the 
historic Jackson Ward District, the church is listed on the National 
Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. In 
2004, the Richmond City Council honored the church with a special 
designation as a local ``historic district' encompassing the 3 acres of 
land on which it stands, the only black church in Richmond to receive 
this distinction.
  For 150 years, Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church has been a central 
institution in Richmond and Virginia, supporting its members and the 
wider community through growth and hardship. It has addressed the 
social concerns of the city's residents, and was one of the first black 
churches to have an organized charity with a staff social worker to 
administer to the indigent of the city. It continues to assist 
individuals and families with the resources necessary to overcome 
obstacles that prevent them from achieving personal, social, and 
economic goals.

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