Our History
Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church History
A number of dynamic and spirit-filled leaders have guided the growth and development of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church since 1919. The church had a humble beginning in a bush arbor constructed of poles covered with water-repellant branches. The congregation unified to build a sanctuary that was a testament to the blessings of God. The Reverend James H. Armstead brought the original congregants together in the mid-1900’s. The Reverends J. W. Knox, J. A. Goodman, and J. B. Green were able to assist Reverend Armstead. The church body moved from a bush arbor to a small storehouse at the corners of Lee and South Street. When Mr. Jim Lewis, the owner of the storehouse, wished to open a business, the congregation relocated to the Masonic building on the southwest corner of Church Street and Parramore Avenue.
Desiring a permanent location, the congregation purchased land at the intersection of South Street and Parramore Avenue. The congregation built the first African-American church which was constructed of stone or bricks in the city of Orlando. Members of the church who were skilled craftsmen handmade the stones that were used to construct Mount Pleasant at 314 South Parramore. Brothers D. J. Dallas, F. Brunson, Ed Jackson, James Lewis, I. L. Jackson, and Sister B. McCollough served as trustees during the tenure of Reverend Armstead. Records show that on January 4, 1924, Reverend Armstead was elected to serve as pastor for life; however, he resigned on September 25, 1924. The construction of the Mount Pleasant church building was finished and the Prince Hall Masons laid the cornerstone on Sunday, July 13, 1924.
Reverend J. A. Finlayson was elected pastor on November 14, 1924. He served faithfully for 15 years. During his tenure, additional land was purchased and a parsonage was constructed. He instituted support for the Foreign Missions. Reverend Finlayson resigned as pastor in 1939. Reverend L. J. Jenkins was called as the third pastor of Mount Pleasant in August of 1939. He guided the members to construct an education building in 1947 and a recreation/fellowship building in 1957. During Reverend Jenkins’ tenure, Mount Pleasant changed it’s convention affiliation from the General Baptist State Convention to the Progressive Baptist State Convention of Florida, and many auxiliaries were organized. Reverend Jenkins went home to be with the Lord on February 26, 1964 after 25 years of service to Mount Pleasant.
Reverend Joseph F. Hargrett was called as pastor of Mount Pleasant in August of 1964. Reverend Hargrett’s dynamic preaching and soul stirring singing won many souls for Christ. The sanctuary on Parramore could seat 400 people and the membership numbered over 900. Members of Mount Pleasant purchased land for $82,800.00 cash at the intersection of Bruton Boulevard (formerly Vineland Road) and Prince Hall Boulevard. Reverend Hargrett’s vision included a sanctuary and educational facilities, a stage in the recreational fellowship building for speeches and acting, adequate office space, central air, and choir room with rehearsal space. His vision was realized on June 22, 1980 when a procession of nearly 200 cars traveled from the old Mount Pleasant at South Street and Parramore Avenue to a glorious new edifice at 4077 Prince Hall Boulevard. Brother Lucious Evans served as building chairman and was responsible for overseeing the construction of an $875,000.00 structure. The church grew tremendously and many ministries were organized during Pastor Hargrett’s tenure. Reverend Hargrett was called home from his earthly toils on August 6, 1989.
Reverend William S. Wilson was called to pastor the church on January 1, 1990. He served the church until 1992 and instituted the New Members Orientation Ministry and the Gospel choir.
The Reverend Walter R. Prince, Jr. was chosen as pastor on April 6, 1993. Under the leadership of Reverend Prince, the Youth Church was organized for children and the Silver Angels Ministry was established for adult senior members. The Pastor’s Bible Study was formed to further the church’s emphasis on religious education. The Women’s Wellness Program was formed to promote good physical health. The Boy Scouts was organized to encourage positive recreational activities for youth. A newsletter was initiated to keep members informed of church activities. Thousands were able to contact Mount Pleasant and learn the teachings of Christ through the World Wide Web.
Reverend Prince created an assistant to the pastor to focus on church and youth affairs. This visionary man of God formed a church band to promote God’s message of love through music. The Young Adult Couples’ Ministry emphasized building a strong marriage and a Singles’ Ministry addressed the needs of single adults. A Hospitality Ministry was formed for the purpose of making visitors and members feel welcome during worship services. A Praise Team was selected to set the tone of worship through songs of praise. The Video and Audio Tape Ministry made the Word portable and available to the sick and shut-in and others who wished to listen in their homes and cars.
Reverend Prince placed a strong emphasis on mission and evangelism service and encouraged members to adopt Central Florida Health Care for the Homeless as an outreach mission. As a result, a blanket and feeding ministry was initiated for the homeless. Reverend Prince initiated No Longer Bound, Inc., which prepared young people for employment through Youth Employment Services, provided youth mentoring and basic and advanced computer classes. No Longer Bound also provided counseling to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. Reverend Prince led the church to purchase two vans and a bus to transport members to worship services and church-related activities. The mortgages on the Reverend J. F. Hargrett Fellowship Hall and the Sanctuary were liquidated in 1996 and 1997 respectively. During the fall of 1999, the church completed a major renovation project which added beauty and comfort to the sanctuary. The Angel Tree Ministry was initiated as well as the Travel Ministry.
Twenty-six Deacons and eleven new Trustees were added to the respective Boards. During 2000, seven more Deacons and seven Deaconesses were added to the Board and one Associate Minister was licensed and added to the pastoral staff. On May 21, 2001, at the age of 48, Reverend Prince was called home to be with our Savior after a brief illness. A capacity crowd of grieving mourners attended his funeral on May 24, 2001 in the sanctuary. The visionary minister sent to Mount Pleasant by God left an indelible mark on Mount Pleasant, the Central Florida community, and the nation.
Reverend Larry D. Shannon of Tupelo, Mississippi was called to Mount Pleasant on June 11, 2002 and began his service to the church on July 16, 2002. He came to Mount Pleasant with a passion for God’s word, love for His people, and a vision to continue the church’s mission to save souls for Christ and improve lives. During Reverend Shannon’s time with Mount Pleasant, he was an energetic gospel preacher. He departed on October 12, 2004.
On November 6, 2005, Mount Pleasant began a new season in ministry with the arrival of our current Senior Pastor/Teacher, the Rev. O’Hara C. Black. Pastor Black has been sent by God to lead this historic and progressive church to new levels of relevance and effectiveness in the Lord. Since his arrival, Pastor Black has enhanced the Bible Study and Christian Education Ministries. The Youth Ministry has been reorganized and re-energized. Pastor Black has also trained and Ordained eight (8) new deacons and Consecrated nine (9) new deaconesses.
During the time that Reverend Black has been our pastor, he has provided visionary leadership. Mount Pleasant has paved supplementary property, creating an additional parking lot and resurfaced all other existing parking lots. Pastor Black continues to lead the church in an ongoing effort to repair and restore the infrastructure and aesthetics of our aging facility. As an advocate of missions, Pastor Black has led Mt. Pleasant in helping to build a technical school in Ghana, West Africa and in the monthly support of the Impact Movement, Inc. (A national evangelism program targeting African American college students). Pastor Black constantly promotes an exciting worship environment and effectively places an emphasis on explaining and systematically teaching the Word of God. Mount Pleasant is truly living up to our motto of being “The Pleasant Place, where the Worship is Exciting and the Word is Explained!”
Through the leadership of Reverend Black, Mount Pleasant has renewed its commitment to be a vital part of the Central Florida community. The church continues to be active in the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., the Progressive Missionary and Educational Baptist Convention of Florida, and the First South Florida Baptist Association. Truly, Mount Pleasant is blessed to have this anointed man of God as our under-shepherd.