Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church is in the Phenix City District of the Northeast Alabama Conference of the Ninth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episopal Church.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first major religious institution for African Americans. The church was founded by Bishop Richard Allen in 1787 in Philadelphia. The church began as a protest against racial injustice to worshipers of African descent at St. George’s Methodist Church. The first organization was known as the Free African Society. In 1816, the church held its first General Conference and elected Richard Allen the first Bishop. Today, the church has millions of members and twenty Episcopal Districts in North and South America, England, and Africa.

The Ninth Episcopal District consists of the state of Alabama and the presiding bishop is the Right Reverend James Levert Davis. The Ninth District was originally the Seventh Episcopal District. It was officially formed at the General Conference of the AME Church in 1868. Bishop John W. Brown was assigned the first bishop. Between 1868 and 1920 the district was geographically reorganized several times and at different times Alabama was attached with Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. In 1920, Alabama became the Ninth District. The District has five (5) conferences.

Bishop Henry McNeil Turner organized the North Alabama Conference, beginning with Greater St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Florence, AL, in 1878. Portions of the North and East Alabama Conferences were combined and the Presiding Elder Districts realigned under the leadership of Bishop James L. Davis. The current Presiding Elder is Reverend Joseph Hall.

Mt. Zion AME Church of Opelika was organized in 1840. Many families were responsible for gathering the congregation together. Names such as Carter, Roberson, Bryant, Neloms, Rudd, Avery, Brooks, Robinson, Ingram, Dowdell, Wallace, Flake, Thomas, Madde and Kay are listed throughout what written history was recorded. According to the few handwritten documents that were passed on, the first church services were held in a bush arbor. In 1846, services were moved to a log gin house belonging to a Mr. Blaine Bozeman though he flatly refused all offers to sell the congregation the property. In 1876, Rev. Glenn Hunter was appointed to Mt. Zion by Bishop G.E. Campbell. Rev. Hunter arrived and found a congregation of thirty-nine persons but no church property in their ownership. Rev. Hunter negotiated with Mr. Bozeman to purchase two and one half acres of land where the congregation had been worshiping. Later, Mr. Bozeman stepped off the land for a cemetery and presented Rev. Hunter with the clear deed. At the end of Hunter’s four year tenure, the church had grown to 200 members and owned property. Mt. Zion is the Mother of two other churches-Burrell Chapel and St. Peter.

Though it is unclear exactly when the Historic Church was built it is now a focal point on the Mt. Zion campus. As years passed, the original wooden structure was rebuilt and modernized. In 1986 the Fellowship Hall, along with classroom spaceon the second level, was added to the structure. In 1990, 5 additional acres of land was purchased for future growth and developement. Desiring to have a still better place to worship, construction of the current sanctuary was begun in 2005. On September 2, 2007, the current sanctuary was dedicated. This nearly State of the Art facility stands as a towering testimony to the strength of the founding families, many of whom have decedents still attending Mt. Zion.

Ministers serving Mt. Zion include Reverends G.W. Sharp, Steal, Chatman, G. Hunter, J.W. Jackson, J.M. Jackson, S.G. Lee, J.A. Miller, Ford, Williams, A. Barkley, T.W. Wright, R.T. Baker, W.M. Boddie,Jr, J.L. Parker, L.F. Smith, B.C. Carter, S.G. Green, I.R. McIntosh, E.D. Phillips, L. Williams, J. Grooms, J. Walton and our present pastor, Reverend Carmen Avery Walker. Reverend Walker is Mt. Zion’s first female Pastor.