On a quiet stretch of Mount Zion Church Road in Alexis, North Carolina, Mt Zion Baptist Church gathers a small but mission-driven congregation that has set out to be a faithful witness in rural Gaston County and far beyond. Led by Dr. Nathan T. Morton and his wife Heather, the church defines itself less by its size than by its conviction that the local body of believers is "the foreign embassy of the kingdom of God."
A Church Built on Three Distinctives
Mt Zion names three things that shape its life together. First, the pastor is understood as a shepherd, bishop, and elder whose calling is to feed, lead, and protect the flock rather than to dictate or rule over it. Second, the congregation is passionate about keeping conflict, drama, judgmentalism, and contention out of the church, summed up in a motto drawn from the wider Christian tradition: "In essentials agreement, in non-essentials liberty, in all things love." Third, the church observes communion every month, and both wine and grape juice are offered at the table. Wine is served because of the church's two-thousand-year practice of using it; juice is offered for those whose conscience steers them away from alcohol. Members and visitors are free to choose either, and no one is to judge another's decision.
The church is also self-described as congregational, meaning the membership holds final authority in church matters under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Worship page ties this conviction to a wider missional identity: the church exists "to possess and communicate an unquenchable passion for the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ in all things."
Sunday Morning in Alexis
Sunday School begins at 9 a.m., followed by Sunday worship at 10 a.m. The service is led by a Worship Team whose co-chairs are Rhonda Hager and Mary Lynn Hovis, with Pam Burgin on piano, Ana Abott on flute, and a handbell section directed by Mary Lynn Hovis. The music is shaped less by style than by content: lyrics are expected to be biblical and confessional, and the focus is on the truth of the faith rather than entertainment. Keith Putnam oversees the live stream, which carries services to viewers at home. Giving, the church teaches, is an act of worship rather than obligation, and online giving through Tithe.ly is meant to be a delight, not a duty.
Wednesdays Around Prayer and the Scriptures
Two Wednesday gatherings give the week a steady rhythm. At 10:30 a.m., the Letting God Lead Prayer Meeting meets downstairs in the Gathering Place. At 10:30 a.m. and again at 7:00 p.m., Dr. Nathan Morton leads a study through 1 John called Discovering & Growing, which meets in the Chapel. That series is also posted online for those who cannot attend in person.
Sunday School for Every Generation
Sunday School is organized by age, with a teacher for each class. Kristen Mize and Kristen Gilbert lead the youngest children from birth through age 5, while Jonette Long and Gail Ashley teach children ages 6 to 12. Young adults meet as Higher Grounds Coffee & Community, adults gather in Stacy Hovis Hall under Janice Hager's leadership, and senior adults meet in the Chapel with James Duckworth, Bill Mintz, Monty Chitkhin, Mary Lynn Hovis, and Joy McClure. Josh Wolfe serves as Sunday School Director, with Luther Mize assisting.
Children, VBS, and Young Adults
Children's Church and Vacation Bible School are central to family life at Mt Zion. Heather Morton directs Children's Church and VBS, with Kristen Gilbert as vice chair and Jason Abott as VBS vice chair. Each summer, VBS opens registration to children from the church and the wider Alexis community for a week of Bible stories, games, crafts, and music. For older teens and college-age young adults, Kristen Gilbert chairs the Young Adult ministry with Cody Ballard as vice chair, and the Higher Grounds group meets during the Sunday School hour.
A Mission Footprint That Stretches from Alexis to Cuba
Missions are organized around a four-tier framework: Jerusalem (the local community), Judea (the state), Samaria (the nation), and the world. Locally, the Community Connections Team, the C.A.R.E. Ministries (a card and outreach ministry chaired by Trish Shepard), Vacation Bible School, and an English as a Second Language outreach represent the church in Alexis. Mt Zion also connects with the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Lincoln County, Christian Ministries of Lincoln County, and Hesed House of Hope.
Across North Carolina, the church partners with Baptist Children's Homes, Send NC, Baptists on Mission, and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. At the national level, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and the North America Mission Board are supported, along with a Pennsylvania mission partnership through Baptists on Mission. Internationally, Mt Zion walks with Training Pastors International, the Asten and Vilma Hull Honduras ministry, and the International Mission Board, including the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
The Cuba Mission is the most concrete expression of that global vision. In 2024, the congregation raised the funds in less than three weeks to purchase a church and parsonage in Santiago, Cuba, moving a sister congregation out of a crowded apartment and onto land that can support further ministry. Each year, teams from Mt Zion travel to Cuba for Vacation Bible School alongside Fifth Baptist and a rest home in Santiago, and the Missions Committee, chaired by Janice Hager, keeps the partnership at the center of church life.
The People Who Lead
Dr. Nathan T. Morton serves as Lead Pastor. Luther Mize is the Deacon Chair. The Worship Team is co-led by Rhonda Hager and Mary Lynn Hovis, with Janice Hager as assistant director. Janice Hager also chairs the Missions Committee; Fawn Putnam directs Baptist Women, assisted by Trish Shepard; Josh Wolfe is Sunday School Director; Glenn Long leads the sound booth; Keith Putnam manages the live stream; Kristen Gilbert chairs the Young Adult ministry with Cody Ballard as vice chair; and Heather Morton directs Children's Church and VBS.
Planning a First Visit
Mt Zion is located at 2151 Mount Zion Church Road, Alexis, NC 28006. Visitors who want a head start are encouraged to text or call (910) 398-4695 in advance, and the church will arrange for a representative to meet them and help their family throughout the morning. Pastor Morton can also be reached at pastormorton@msn.com. Online giving is available through Tithe.ly, and services and teaching can be followed on the church's YouTube channel.