History of The Mount

The Mount of Olives Seventh-day Adventist Church sprung to life in the year 1946, when only two Seventh-day Adventist churches were in Brooklyn. As segregation laws would have it at that time, one church had a white congregation and the other a black congregation which later became known as the Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church. T.X. Perry, an elder at Bethel S.D.A during the early development of the church was inspired by the Holy Spirit to start another church in Brooklyn. Northeastern Conference also had faith in his vision and granted him consent to start the church.  Elder Perry led his first congregation consisting his of mother, wife and children to the Good Samaritan Church located at 1142 Herkimer Street. It was here this faithful group worked assiduously in the vineyard, witnessing to many souls and winning them over for Jesus. The Lord richly blessed their congregation and their congregation saw a tremendous increase in  membership every week. Families such as the Alleynes, McClains and Bests were among the church's new and growing congregation. Within a year, this small congregation became a mission which prepared the way for the next phase in The Mount's journey as a church.

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Elder Perry having demonstrated his great leadership abilities when he united the first congregation, was called to pastoral duties in October 1959 at the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church. He accepted this task with the drive and commitment to "spread the gospel" and to lead more people to the Lord. With his new appointment, there was a need for another willing soul to complete the work that was started. To answer this call, a young man of vigor with a great vision, Elder W. Harold Kibble boldly took the baton to lead the church forward. His strong leadership and focus lead us to the doors of our first church home on March 9, 1961 at 58 Hopkinson Avenue, Brooklyn NY. What better way to celebrate this accomplishment than to have our first Sabbath service in our new home, which was held on the beautiful day of March 11, 1961.

 

On January 25, 1964, Elder Kibble, was succeeded by Elder Everett Alexander who also had an equally successful ministry. The church experienced "unparalleled" spiritual growth under his leadership. With the support of his administration, the mortgage at 58 Hopkins was liquidated. Elder Alexander's outstanding leadership at The Mount came to an end on January 1, 1996 when Elder James E. Egecombe was installed as our new pastor by Elder L.H. Davis. While Elder Egecombe's ministry was short - serving only to August of the following year, he left behind great memories of a dynamic ministry and heartwarming fellowship with the members he served.

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The Lord continued to bless The Mount with the best captains to do His bidding. We were blessed to have Elder E.A. Lockett who led us onward and forward until November 1968 when he was called to another field of service. Shortly after Elder Lockett's departure, Elder Alvin R. Goulbourne was sent to our growing flock.  He served the church between the years 1968 and 1972. During his leadership, there was a great need for a larger building to accommodate the ever-increasing congregation of the Mount. It was this need that led to the launch of the building fund drive.

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January 14, 1973 was another important day in The Mount's history. It was on this day Elder Robert L. Lister, hailing from the south-west region, came on board. Through his tireless efforts and impactful evangelism two new missions were established. He worked assiduously towards the goal of securing a new building until his tenure at The Mount came to a close in 1975 when he was called to duty at the Jamaica Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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The following year, The Mount welcomed T.C. Jefferson who was just as focused on securing a a new home as his predecessor. However, he was called to serve in a different capacity before he was able to accomplish this goal. Nonetheless, this goal was not forgotten and was certainly at the forefront of Elder Gilbert Foster's plans when he arrived at The Mount in 1979. His labored more than equaled those who preceded him. With the support of his dear wife, together they remained devoted to the mission of "building a house to the of glory of God."

The Gilbert Foster Auditorium bears his name to remind us of his unwavering dedication to accomplishing  a mission that was started by his predecessors.

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We have many predecessors to thank for their efforts in paving the way for the church we now affectionately call The Mount. Following the end of Elder Gilbert Foster's leadership, the Mount of Olives church was been blessed with several other pastors and assistant ministers including: Pastor D. Glover, S. Anderson, C. Ware, G. Earle, R. Young, D. Willis, L. Dorsey, E. Humphrey and C. Drake, Allen Martin, J. Kendall Guy, William Felder, Earl Cameron and Maxwell Ferguson. After Pastor Maxwell Ferguson was commissioned to the lead the Coney Island SDA Church, Pastor Michael Coleman took the baton with both hands eager to further the work of the Lord and collaborate with the members of The Mount.

 

Pastor Michael Coleman worked assiduously with the members of The Mount for 5 years and under his leadership he led the church in evangelistic outreach in the community.  He also led the congregation in discipleship, leadership development, healthful living, and the refurbishment of the sanctuary.  Pastor Coleman and his family spent their last Sabbath with The Mount on January 20th, 2018, before moving on the Bethel SDA Church, where he currently serves. The Mount is grateful for the leadership of Pastor Coleman and gives thanks to the Lord for the work the church was able to accomplish.

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On March 31st, 2018, Pastor Sednak Yankson took the reigns of leadership from his predecessor. He is passionate about the work of the Lord and is eager to continue the work that his predecessors started. Pastor Yankson believes in keeping all of God's children together and thus hopes his ministry will help to bring those who have lost their way and desire to return to the fold of God. He has already mobilized an evangelism team focused on healing, restoring and winning souls for Christ.  Pastor Yankson is committed to collaborating with all the ministries of the church so that the gospel of Jesus can reach those within and outside the walls of The Mount.

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Today, The Mount is the place of worship for a very diverse congregation and still continues to expand. There are members from countries such as Haiti, Panama, Belize, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, just to name a few. The Mount is indeed a place where everyone is welcomed because Jesus is our Lord, the One who binds us together. The Mount stands as a beacon on a hill navigating those in our community to Jesus. We give God thanks for the journey He has taken us on thus far and  all that He has blessed us with. While we wait for our Lord's soon return we will continue to do His work as we have been commissioned to do in Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

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[Adapted from the 47th Anniversary Homecoming Magazine, 1993]

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