Mt. Zion United Methodist Church sits on West Main Street in the village of Mt. Zion, Illinois, a small town of roughly 5,800 people on the southeast side of Decatur. Members come from urban, suburban and rural corners of Macon County, and the congregation is known for its easygoing welcome, its blend of hymns and contemporary praise music, and the steady rhythm of outreach that surrounds Sunday morning. The church's motto, painted inside the sanctuary, sums up its identity in three short lines: "Loving God. Loving Others. Sharing Christ."
Loving God, Loving Others, Sharing Christ
The church is a welcoming and loving community for all of God's people, actively seeking to know Jesus, worshipping together and sharing the Gospel. Visitors will meet people who are young and older, traditional and contemporary, new Christians and mature believers. The whole church is built around three weekly anchors: a casual worship service, a time of fellowship over coffee, and Sunday School for those who want to dig deeper.
Sunday Mornings at Nine
Worship begins every Sunday at 9:00 AM. The service is a relaxed blend of familiar hymns, contemporary praise band music and specially prepared music sung by the choir. On the first Sunday of each month the congregation shares in Holy Communion, and the table is open to everyone, including visitors who are not members. A nursery is available for the youngest children, and a children's church meets during the service for older kids.
At 10:00 AM the lights come up for "Chat & Snack," a fellowship hour with coffee and breakfast goodies that gives neighbors a chance to meet one another face to face. At 10:15 AM Sunday School begins for adults and youth. The three-part rhythm, worship, fellowship and study, is the heart of the week at Mt. Zion.
For Those Who Cannot Be There in Person
Each Sunday's worship is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and the recording is also posted online after 10:30 AM so anyone can catch up later. A weekly bulletin is posted online, and an ongoing playlist on YouTube holds the full archive of services for those who want to revisit a sermon or find a particular one.
What Visitors Can Expect
Greeters stand at the door to welcome guests, hand out a welcome folder with a short program for the day, and invite people to grab a coffee or water before finding a seat. There are no assigned seats, no dress code, and no expectation that visitors need to be members or come from a particular background. The hope is simply that guests feel comfortable and leave with a smile.
Pastor Paige Campbell
Mt. Zion's pastor is the Reverend Paige Campbell. She grew up in the Chicago area, has lived in Central Illinois for more than half her life, and lives just south of Charleston with her husband Todd, a blended family of five young adult children, three dogs and two horses. She began in ministry in 1999, serving Monticello UMC, the Wesley Foundation at Eastern Illinois University, Altamont First UMC and Effingham Centenary UMC before stepping away for a time to work as an executive assistant at a regional accounting firm. She returned to church work in the summer of 2025 and now leads Mt. Zion's ministries alongside a small staff.
The Worship Team
Music at Mt. Zion is led by David Gartner, the worship team leader, and guitarist John Williams. Steve Peterson handles sound and media, and Carolyn Ridenour directs communications. Together they keep the music running, the livestream online, and the bulletin, social media and website in good order each week.
The Food Pantry
The Food Pantry is one of the most active ministries at Mt. Zion. It serves families and individuals who live within the Mt. Zion School District, including Mt. Zion, Long Creek, Dalton City and parts of Decatur. The pantry is open on the third Thursday of every month from 5:00 to 6:00 PM and on the third Saturday from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. The pantry operates out of a small white house on the north side of the church parking lot.
At each visit, the pantry asks for proof of address, the name and age of each family member, and a container to carry groceries home. Quantities can be limited by what is on hand, and all of the non-perishable food is donated through community food drives, church members and individuals, or purchased with donated funds. The Blessing Box, a small free-standing pantry on the property, is open whenever the Food Pantry is closed, so neighbors can take what they need and leave what they can.
Scouts and Community Benefit
Mt. Zion is the sponsoring organization for three Scouting units: Cub Scout Pack 43, BSA Scout Troop 43 and Venture Crew 343. Pack 43 is open to boys and girls from first through fifth grade, Troop 43 serves boys ages 10 to 18, and Venture Crew 343 is co-ed for youth 14 to 21. The troops coordinate with an all-girls troop, Troop 475, that meets at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, and all of the units meet weekly at the church for camping trips, service projects, rank advancement and merit badge work. The Scouts also help the church with the U.S. Postal Food Drive for the Food Pantry, the Mt. Zion Community Benefit and Trunk or Treat, and every February they plan and lead a Scout Sunday worship service.
The Community Benefit is a yearly drive-thru meal held each June to raise money for a local individual or family facing heavy medical bills. In 2025, the benefit raised $19,125 for Charlie Spurlock and his family. The meal is catered by Nelson's Catering, with tickets sold in advance at the four sponsoring churches: Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Long Creek United Methodist Church and Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Church.
Classes, Groups and Fellowship
Beyond Sunday morning, the church hosts a number of ongoing small groups and classes. The Quilting Ladies meet in the Multi-Purpose Room on Tuesdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Sew Happy Stitchers gather on Saturdays in the MPR and on Monday evenings. Torah Club, a Bible study that walks through scripture passage by passage, meets in the Board Room on Thursdays at 1:30 PM. United Methodist Women meet monthly for fellowship and service, and leadership gatherings such as the Dream Team and Leadership Institute bring together people who help guide the church's ministries. The food pantry also has its own monthly planning meeting.
Office and Food Pantry Hours
The church office is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, and that is also the window when donated non-perishable food can be dropped off for the Food Pantry. Visitors who need pastoral care, want to plan a wedding or reception, or have a prayer request can reach the office by phone at 217-864-4813 during those hours or use the church's online contact form.
Giving and Staying Connected
Online giving is available, with options to direct a gift to the regular tithe or to a specific mission or fundraiser. The church also keeps an active Facebook page, a YouTube channel with the full worship archive, and an up-to-date online calendar that lists everything from Sunday worship and Chat & Snack to Scout meetings, food pantry openings, leadership gatherings and special events. A weekly bulletin is posted online as well.
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church is part of the United Methodist Church and shares in the wider ministry of that denomination, but its day-to-day life is rooted firmly in the rhythms of one small town on the southeast side of Decatur, where the music starts at nine and the coffee is on right after.