LEE TUCKER, CORNELIA WHITALOW, REBECCA ROBERTSON, LEELA FRENCH.... NAMES UNFAMILIAR TO US, BUT THESE NAMES AND A HANDFUL OF OTHERS FORMED THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME MT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH.

THE YEAR WAS 1893. WILKES-BERRY WAS A GROWING CITY, AND IT WAS HERE, AT WHAT WAS THEN '22 WRIGHT STREET' THAT JOHN SMITH WILLIAMS AND OTHER BELIEVERS WOULD FOR THE WILKES BARRE BAPTIST MISSION.

THREE YEARS LATER, AME ZION MEMBERS JOINED WITH THE BAPTIST MISSION AND IN 1907 RELOCATED HERE TO 146 HAZEL STREET. A STABLE, KNOWN AS THE KINGS BARN, WHICH IS NOW THE TURKEY HILL, HAD A SECOND FLOOR MEETING HOUSE WHERE MEMBERS COULD MEET FOR WORSHIP.

IN 1915, THE MISSION MOVED HERE TO THE BACK OF THIS HOUSE ON WASHINGTON STREET. THEN FINALLY IN SEPTEMBER 1902, MT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH WAS FORMED. THE CHURCH PURCHASED A A LOT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WELLES STREET FOR A WHOPPING 15 HUNDRED BUCKS. A NEW BRICK BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED THAT COULD SEAT 250 PEOPLE.... A GOD SIZED DREAM FOR THE CONGREGATION OF ONLY 38.

THIS WASN'T THE ONLY TIME MOUNT ZION WOULD DREAM BIG. TOMORROW NIGHT, FIND OUT HOW 16 THOUSAND DOLLARS CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE CHURCH FOREVER.

JUNE 12, 1914, THE CHURCH ON WELLES IS COMPLETED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF REVEREND MCKISSICK... WITH REGULAR SERVICES ON SUNDAY MORNING, A GROWING AND TRAVELLING CHOIR AND NEW MID-WEEK SERVICES. THE CHURCH BUILDING HELPED THE CHURCH SERVE THE COMMUNITY FOR 50 YEARS.

BUT THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF WILKES BARRE IN THE EARLY 60'S MEANT THAT THE CITY HAD TO MAKE SOME CHANGES. IN ORDER TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS, BOTH MT ZION AND BETHEL AME WERE DEMOLISHED BY THE CITY.

THIS LEFT MT ZION SEARCHING FOR A NEW HOME. AND THEY FOUND IT, IN AN OLD SCHOOL BUILDING. THE W.E. DORAN SCHOOL BUILDING ON HILL STREET. THE CHURCH MADE A BID FOR THE BUILDING... 16 THOUSAND BUCKS IN 1962. ABOUT 133 THOUSAND IN TODAY'S DOLLARS.

AND ON MAY 19, 1963, WITH CHARLES BAILEY SPREADING THE MORTAR, THE NEW CORNERSTONE WAS LAID AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE NEW MT ZION.

THE NEW LOCATION IN THE HEART OF THE CITY MEANT THAT THE CHURCH COULD EXPAND ITS REACH THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL AND A BRAND NEW PROGRAM CALLED YOUTH CELEBRATION.

TOMORROW NIGHT... MT ZION SEES LOTS OF HISTORIC FIRSTS, AND WITH THE HIRING OF A YOUNG AMBITIOUS PASTOR, MT ZION SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS IN THE WILKES-BARRE COMMUNITY.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, MT ZION'S IMPACT IS PALPABLE. THE CHURCH HAS LOTS OF HISTORICAL FIRSTS TO BE PROUD OF. EVEN BEFORE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY ONE OF MT ZION'S EARLY FOUNDERS WAS WILKES-BARRE'S VERY FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FIRE CHIEF.

LATER, JOHN ROBERT DUDLEY, KEITH'S UNCLE, WOULD BECOME PENNSYLVANIA'S FIRST BLACK STATE TROOPER.

THEN CHARLES BAILEY, BRUCE'S FATHER, WOULD BECOME WILKES BARRE'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN POLICE OFFICER AND SARGEANT.

THERE'S BARBARA SHORTER... MT ZION'S FIRST ORDAINED WOMAN.

BELINDA TABRON, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR.

PASTOR SHAWN WALKER, THE FIRST BLACK SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER.

WITH A SERIES OF HISTORICAL FIRSTS, IT MAKES SENSE THAT MT ZION WOULD HIRE A PASTOR TO CONTINUE THE THEME.