By Clint Confehr
NASHVILLE, TN — Bishop Joseph Walker, pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, is holding another worship service for people who can’t attend on Sunday because of work or Titans’ home games.
There are more reasons for another worship service including standing-room-only at some services, said Walker, announcing Saturday worship services start 5-6:15 p.m., Aug. 12, at 1112 Jefferson St.
“We have a lot of NFL players in our church,” Bishop Walker said, “so this will be good for them. It will keep them actively engaged and provide a place to worship before they play on Sunday.”
Virtual church, Mt. Zion Anytime, is available.
Bishop Walker noticed trends and realizes “Our church is growing so much. Alternative worship service times are a trend, but what sold it to me was that we have a location on Jefferson Street that’s so close to the stadium, downtown and The Gulch, and it’s appealing because residents can walk there.”
Saturday worship attire is casual, and Walker wants diversity in the church. He wants to serve the unchurched. His Saturday sermon will be the same message he delivers Sunday morning.
Saturday night will be the fifth weekly worship service, Walker said. On Sundays, Mt. Zion has 7 and 9:30 a.m. services in Antioch and 8:15 and 11:15 a.m. services at the Old Hickory Boulevard location.
“It is” a way to increase capacity, he said, “and people are reacting. One fellow told me, ‘Wow, that will be my service.’” Hotel and hospital employees are served.
He wanted to start this month and avoided conflict with communion on the first Sunday of each month. Walker also realizes college students are returning to Nashville now.
Worship services other than on Sunday isn’t new. Everybody knows about Wednesday prayer-meetings. And Brentwood Baptist Church has Kairos, a moment in time, Tuesday evenings for college students and those in their 20s and 30s.
“Kairos is almost a church within a church,” Brentwood Baptist spokesman Steve Smith said.
Meanwhile, Brentwood Baptist partnered with Mt. Zion in Hadley Park Aug. 5 distributing book bags for K-12 students. “They invited us to participate,” Smith said. “The church has a large RV that’s a mobile medical and dental clinic.”
