Mount Zion Baptist Church. The Reverend James Curry, a missionary from Sherman, Texas, organized this congregation in 1885. It is the oldest African American church in the city. The Reverend James Lewis served as first pastor of the congregation, which met in a small house near the railroad tracks until about 1907, when a sanctuary was erected at the corner of 4th and Cherry streets in the south part of town. The church moved to the north side of town in 1940. A part of Abilene history for well over a century, Mount Zion Baptist Church continues to serve the community with a variety of programs. (1995) #3500