Mount Zion Update, Conclusion: I Feel Good (Singing in Mount Zion)
There’s no way to save this historic church without preserving its song
By David Cohea (savemtzionchurch@gmail.com)
Note: As 2016 comes to a close, Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church has renewed hope for a future in the Mount Dora-Tangerine community. Originally reported on last September, this series provides an update on the work done so far.
Topping out at 86 degrees, December 17 was one of the warmest days of Mount Dora’s ever-balmier winter.
We should have been grateful. Up at the melting North Pole, temperatures more than 30 degrees above normal are displacing Arctic cold south into the Western and Midwestern United States. On that Saturday there was frost in the San Fernando Valley in California, the Chicago Bears practiced for one of the coldest games ever played in pro football and in Bismarck, North Dakota, that night the mercury tumbled to 31 below.
Not here in Mount Dora on that day. And with Mount Zion’s windows sealed and only one circular fan working at the back of the church, a service in full church attire at the hottest hour of the day was going to take an act of faith. Fortunately, everyone came with it, and the programs I had printed served also as hand-fans.
For all of its rustic conditions — the bathrooms unusable and blocked off, the floor rickety at best and almost no ventilation inside — Mount Zion really looked pretty, with poinsettas lining the steps of the church as well as the entrance and altar and a Christmas tree all decorated and lit in one corner.
Shirley Bias, Jim Murray, David McMillan, Beth Cohea, Trish Morgan and Cathy Hoescht came out to help, laying programs on seats, greeting folks at the door, directing parking and setting up refreshment service. We had no idea how many people were going to turn out, but thankfully there was enough room. Lake Cares Food Pantry donated punch and cookies, Trish Morgan brought chicken wings (a favorite of Beaulah’s), and Cathy Hoescht attended the food service.
Beaulah had put the word out to her family, and around 1:30 p.m. a row of cars pulled in together — siblings, cousins, friends and neighbors, descendants all of the families who used to thrive in the area and attended Mount Zion once a month. Most lived elsewhere now — in Umatilla, Leesburg, Clermont, in Atlanta and Maryland. They came into the church with smiles and wide looks, experiencing the little church anew after so many years. Several walked around taking pictures.
Soon after, a crew of fifteen arrived from St. Annis in Deland. They seemed unperturbed about the heat and settled into their chairs smiling and greeting Beaulah’s family. This sort of service between churches is an old tradition for Mount Zion, and the church seemed to quickly settle into an accustomed rhythm even though it had been more than a decade.
A few others fit into the sanctuary — Trish and her teenaged son, who had asked to see the service; Charlie Harris, a neighbor of the church who had grown up in its midst; my 89-year-old mother. (When she asked to attend, I was originally hesitant, not knowing how much room there would be; but once Beaulah heard, she was adamant about her coming. They sat together in front, Mom the little old white lady in her white pants and Beaulah in her glorious red dress — their own Christmas decoration.)
Tom Benitez was in the room with his video camera taking more footage for his planned documentary on the Mount Zion project, and Angela Jacobs of WFTV-Channel 9 and her camerawoman were there too, finishing up a segment which would run on Dec. 26.
At 2 p.m. sharp the service began with Deacon Gary Casminksi and Sister Araminta Lake leading the “lining of the hymns,” a Primitive Baptist tradition of calling out hymns which the congregation then joined in, clapping their hands glad and loud, singing every word from memory. The congregation then sang the Doxology and recited the 23d Psalm, and then St. Annis’ music director, Dr. C. Allen Cuask III, led congregational song, playing on an electric keyboard. Mount Zion is a little church — at best, 50 were squeezed in — but oh how those walls seem to reverberate and resonate with the singing, like an instrument whose wood had seasoned to perfection over the decades.
Perhaps the most moving part of the service was the meditational led by youth pastor Rev. Taylor M. Anderson, Sr. A big fella — several volunteers looked my way in alarm as he lumbered up the fragile step to the dais — Rev. Taylor delivered a five-minute meditation in song that was equal parts his lead and the congregation’s response — preparing, as Pastor Will put it, both congregation and pastor for the sermon. The music soared into something raw and primitive and so powerful, carrying a yearning and pain intact from almost two centuries ago, deep from the old Egypt of slavery.
Maybe this music was familiar to Beaulah and her family, but to this listener, who had grown up in Presbyterian churches where singing depended was subdued and carried by hymnals, this was commanding, overwhelming and pure. My tears of awe were also in the eyes of several other volunteers. Here, from the utter depth of a Christmas service, was the surest argument why Mount Zion — and its music — must be preserved. So that the community may savor and never forget.
Pastor Ridgley then got up to deliver a sermon that was amazing both for its directness and brevity. Somehow he managed to pair the words of the Apostle Paul — “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” — with a quote from former President Ronald Reagan: “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”
He explained it this way:
If you expect to experience the benefit of God’s compassion for yourself, you must be compassionate to one another. Now, everyone does not have this disposition to look after someone else. Not everyone has a heart for self-sacrificing, for giving of your time, talent and resources. But to those who do, you are blessed and specially endowed by God.
And that is why God is so pleased with the efforts toward Mount Zion and Sister Babb. Because we have a group of people from differing areas and backgrounds and interests — drawn from different places and stations in life — Who have been drawn here to look after the affairs of, the desires and the aspirations of Sis. Beualah Babb specifically and Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church in general. God is so pleased with this.
He went on with an exhortation that named the very soul of historic preservation:
It would be easy to simply overlook Sis. Babb. It would be easy to simply let Mount Zion fade away into the annals of time and history … as some have done thus far. But God is pleased, that a few people, have left the comfort of their own lives, to look after the affairs of this dear sister and this dear Church. God is pleased … and his encouragement to all of us is to look beyond yourself and be concerned about the affairs of others.
Amen!
Dr. Cusak then led the congregation through a round of Christmas hymns, and time was provided for remarks. I got up and thanked St. Annis for their extraordinary spirit and love in bringing an entire service to Mount Zion, a church which had only just begun to appear out of oblivion. I also thanked the members of the community who had donated time, money and love to the cause, and announced that donations for the preservation of Mount Zion were now tax-deductible through the newly-signed relationship between the Mount Dora Community Trust and LIve Oak Collective, the fundraising body for Mount Zion.
In her remarks, Beaulah talked about angels and faith and God being GOOD (repeating that three times, to rising amens from the congregation). She knew her element and showed all of her strengths as an advocate for Mount Zion. As its only remaining member, Beaulah spoke with the most authority about Mount Zion, but she gave credit to others and thanks to her parents who had been such strong presences in the church in decades past. If history didn’t complete itself when Beaulah said that God was in this little church that day, it sure clapped its hands in approval.
Pastor Ridgely offered the benediction at the stroke of 3 p.m. — a miracle of efficient timing — we applauded and then headed for the exit.
Decades ago when Mount Zion was a little church up on the hill, the natural beauty of the area was much more present, and the bond between church and community and land was much stronger. Having taken communion and then washed each others’ feet, worshippers emerged Mount Zion so purified they literally walked back into Garden of Eden.
There was no such Eden outside Mount Zion on Dec. 17 — everything looked brown and withered from the recent drought — but the first congregation to worship and sing in that church for more than a decade still spilled out from the door with joy, milling around the refreshment table and talking all at once. As they headed back for their cars, the new sign created by Phil Barnard looks bright and ready for news of what’s next for Mount Zion.
For that afternoon, the little church no longer on a hill once again was a beacon of faith.
Beaulah was one of the last to leave. As I walked her to her car, we talked softly about the day and how good it was to see Mount Zion come alive like this. When I asked her what she thought of the singing, she could only smile.
Growing up always in sight of the little church, she had heard that singing all her life. It was good to know it wasn’t going away.
* * *
The December 17 event brought to a close the first small but essential steps toward saving Mount Zion. The community has rallied around to see to it that the little church is safe from the elements until a complete restoration is possible.
In the coming weeks, a structural engineer will take a close look at the structure — the soundness of the foundation, the condition of its floor and walls, the roof and the steeple. Boards have rotted, the building sags, termites have eaten into the core. Based on his assessment, a repair estimate will be tallied. Experts in historic restoration (with an emphasis on restoration of historic black churches) will be consulted, and the additional work needed to achieve that will also be factored in.
While that’s going on, I plan to continue to document the history of Mount Zion Primitive Baptist and its African-American community. A “History Day in the Church” is being planned for with the goal of tapping the oral histories of those growing up around Mount Zion and attending the church over the years. I’d like to record more music at Mount Zion too, perhaps from an Easter service ln the Spring. This will be added to the overall proposal so that culture is preserved with architecture.
The overall tab for this restoration could be steep, perhaps as much as $300,000. Look for a fundraising campaign by Live Oak Collective later this spring. Whether the Mount Dora community is that generous remains to be be seen. We’ll look elsewhere, too. Preservation grant money is available from the state (though that pot is shrinking due to budget cuts ordained by the state legislature), and additional funds may be available from county or local government.
Still the question remains how Mount Zion will be used for in the future. Due to fundraising limitations at the Mount Dora Community Trust (the 501©-3 charitable organization which Live Oak Collective works through), donations it receives can’t be used for wholly religious purposes. Perhaps Mount Zion can serve as both historic landmark/history center and be rented for occasional religious use, such as for weddings and seasonal services (remember, Mount Zion only was used once a month when it was a church). It isn’t known yet how much the city of Mount Dora is interested in it, serving as the only recognizable landmark on that eastern approach to the city. To keep it where it is, there are significant parking and access challenges, and restoration may face numerous difficulties getting the building up to code and Americans With Disabilities Act requirements. Mount Zion could be moved into the city (the Northeast Community Redevelopment Agency may see a role for Mount Zion in developing Grandview Business Plan) but relocation will add another $100,000 or more to the overall project cost.
A Save Mount Zion committee is now being formed to mull over these issues, but the ultimate decision-maker for the church is Beaulah Babbs. As Mount Zion’s last living member, it is up to her to decide to let another church take it over, deed it to the city, or donate it to a non-profit group.
And much as she loved hearing singing in the church again after more than a decade of silence, I think Beualah understands that the community most able now to care for Mount Zion loves the sight of it than the old sound of it. That might change, if the music of Mount Zion can be hallowed along with its walls. One hundred and fifty years of singing cannot be lost without something being forever silenced in the community.
For our childrens’ sake, let’s not let that happen.
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation for the ongoing restoration of Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church, send a check payable to MDCT Live Oak Fund to the Mount Dora Community Trust, 821 N. Donnelly St., Mount Dora, FL 32757. The Live Oak Fund has been set up for preservation projects. Mount Zion is at present its only active project.
Previously in this series:
Part 1: A Church in Need with a Yearning Pedigree
Part 2: No Bell, But a Calling
Part 3: Work Days At The Church
Part 4: Preserving the Shade with the Light
David Cohea is executive director of the Live Oak Collective
