A PROJECT OF BERKS COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
ZION BAPTIST CHURCH
224 Washington Street
Reading, PA 19607
610.376.5944
History:
Zion Baptist Church was established in 1904 at 224 Washington Street in the City of Reading. It was the first African American Baptist Church in the city. This brick church was originally constructed with some Gothic stylized features including pointed arch windows. However, it previously experienced a fire and flood causing it to be rebuilt in the 1990s. Now, it consists of a more post-colonial style. The building consists of a sanctuary, nursery, annex, commercial kitchen, fellowship hall, and multiple offices.
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Congregation/Space:
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Currently, the congregation is under the ministry of the ambitious and kind Pastor, Bruce N. Alick. Their attending members range from 125 to 150 people each Sunday morning. It is a predominately African American congregation with some Spanish and Caucasian members.
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Programs:
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Hosts NAACP
Hosts Reading Ministerium
Participant in Reading Conference of Churches
Member of National Baptist Convention
Chosen 300 Ministry
Blood Drive and Prostate Health Awareness
Youth Choir and Dance
Hope Rescue Mission
Movie nights and other neighborhood events
Vacation Bible School
Partners with St. John's for Lenten Services
ZION BAPTIST CHURCH GALLERY
Facade of Zion Baptist Church
1914 cornerstone of the church
Back entrance of the church's annex
The church's sanctuary
View of the sanctuary from the balcony
View of the sanctuary looking from the altar
A row of stained glass windows on the west wall of the church
A charred Bible from the church's 1993 fire in display in the annex
The church's baptismal pool at the altar
A large space in the church's basement
The space of the annex that sits east of the original church