Marching to Zion for 148 Years!
W
By Clementine W. Pigford and Annette R. Groves
hen the West was still
young, and the hunger for gold and silver filled the bellies of adventure-
some freed men and women, a small group of African Americans estab-
lished Zion Baptist Church in the
Colorado Territory. Zion’s archives cite Nov. 15, 1865 as its official date of birth. Each year the church celebrates the second Sunday in November to remember its founders and highlight current programs. This year a four-day anniversary program will celebrate history with music, hearty “vittles,” and promises to keep. The theme for this year’s 148th anniversary is “A Church That Christ Builds,” and will be celebrate Nov. 6, 7, 9 and 10. During the festivities, the church will present a 50-plus Year Member Banquet to honor these long-term members for their service to the
Rev. Frank Marvin Davis
church. Zion is a unique church with 102 members who have served for more than 50 years. The Rev. Frank Marvin Davis, a 32year member says, “The church owes its longevity to a ministry that meets the needs of the community-at-large. Zion is the church that has served in a way that no other church serves.” He adds that the senior members want to do things meaningful beyond
their lives. “They have made seniors valuable in our lives. Zion is the oldest African American Church in the Rocky Mountain West and we honor our inherited gift. “Our seniors are the ones who truly understand that what they do for Christ will last. They are engaged in doing services that will outlive their lives. I think we have lost that in this ‘Me’ generation where people are so
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com — November 2013
7
focused on ‘What can I get? What’s in it for me?’ They (senior members) want to leave strong legacies.” Davis, who was ordained on Oct. 23, 1988 by Dr. Wendell Theodore Liggins, became Zion’s pastor in July, 1993. During his 20-year tenure, Davis has made various Herculean accomplishments by establishing four community outreach ministries, securing Forest Street Compassionate Care Center and two Outreach Resource Centers, plus becoming the president of the Western States Baptist Convention. He has also created schools and a borehole in Zimbabwe, South Africa. The church offers a number of ministries that include youth, in-house scholarship commission, health, jobs, retiree, grant/resource, women’s and men’s retreats, evangelism, children, as well as the traditional ministries that keep the church tied to the needs of the congregation. All of these ministries offer continual, no-cost services. Continued on page 8