Mount Zion Community Development

Dr. John H. Grant, Pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and founder of Mt. Zion Community Development, Inc.

By Cathy Holt

Serving the Community’s Needs

“I became pastor at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in 1989 and decided to organize a nonprofit to address the needs in the community,” Dr. John Grant recalled. “This area, Eagle-Market Streets, had been designated officially as a ‘blighted area.’”

“Asheville’s City Planning and Zoning Resolution 91-1, adopted on June 15, 1993 specifically denotes the area as a ‘nonresidential redevelopment area’ as defined by N.C. General Statue Section 160A-503(10). Dilapidated buildings, littering, criminal activity, drug dealing, and prostitution were serious problems at the time. It has changed significantly over the last 15 years.”



“Out
of the movement to eliminate blight and provide programs and
opportunities, we organized the Eagle-Market Streets Development
Corporation in 1994. I served for 3 years as the founding chairman,
president, and CEO, and its offices were in this church during my
tenure. With this church’s support, I also served as a virtual
administrative employee with no pay during this period when the
Corporation had no money, no staff, and no office space.”


They were
successful in securing a number of grants; one was a Community
Development Block Grant fund. Once they got some money, there was a lot
of interest. The first fulltime executive director, Jill Arrington, was
hired in August of 1996.


Then in 1997 the
church organized Mount Zion Community Development, Inc. to provide
programs and services. Dr. Grant served for 6 years as founding
president and CEO until the Corporation secured funding and it could
stand on its own.


His wife,
Belinda K. Grant, trained the first staff for the Infant Mortality
Reduction Project, later known as NAF. Then they started TPPI (Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, now called Project Empower).

They also
created the Elizabeth Grant Hill Campus of Learners, a computer
technology center which now houses Eagle-Market Streets Development
Corporation as well.


“Mount Zion
Community Development Incorporated was organized as part of the
ministry and mission of the church, and remains an affiliated
faith-based organization.”


“It’s been
anchored in this church, which has been here 127 years; the building
has been here since 1919. I inherited an aging congregation in an aging
facility in a dilapidated neighborhood, which was why we organized
these initiatives. This church has had a long history.”