A Richmond Congregation Rooted in 1869
Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church stands at 2705 Hartman Street in Richmond, Virginia, a brick-and-mortar witness to more than 145 years of continuous ministry in the city's east end. The congregation traces its origins to 1866, when men of vision and faith, led by Reverend Daniel James, gathered in private homes for prayer in the aftermath of the Civil War. Three years later, on May 10, 1869, those prayer meetings grew into a formal church, meeting first in a small Quaker schoolhouse on Hague Street in the Fulton area, once known as "Rocketts." Marshall B. Goodall gave the congregation its name, and from that modest beginning the church has endured as a beacon of hope for its surrounding neighborhood.
Today the church is pastored by Reverend Dr. Roscoe D. Cooper III, a third-generation preacher and Richmond native whose leadership since 2003 has reshaped the congregation. Under Pastor Cooper's tenure, membership has more than quadrupled, an additional Sunday worship service was launched, the midweek worship hour was strengthened, new ministries were birthed, and Phase I of a three-phase master plan for a multi-million dollar sanctuary and administrative wing was funded and completed. The older buildings and grounds have been refurbished, and the church continues to invest in technology, livestreaming services on Facebook and archiving sermons for those who cannot attend in person.
The Pastor: Reverend Dr. Roscoe D. Cooper III
Dr. Cooper is a twice scholar graduate of Virginia Union University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy and a Master of Divinity from the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology, graduating Cum Laude. He later completed post-graduate study at the Chicago Theological Seminary and, in 2013, received a Doctor of Divinity from Richmond Theological Seminary. His recognitions include four consecutive Minister of the Year awards, keynote speaking at the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, recognition by the Richmond NAACP, service as a community representative to the Congressional Black Caucus, and election to the Henrico County School Board representing the Fairfield District. He has also served as President of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Richmond and Vicinity and as Chairman of the Board of the Capital Area Health Network.
Pastor Cooper's first pastorate was Long Branch Baptist Church in Woodford, Virginia, where he served for three years before being called to Rising Mount Zion. He is spiritually anointed, socially engaged, and academically prepared, a family man who anchors every sermon in the unadulterated Word of God and who consistently encourages the congregation to seek first the Kingdom of God.
Worship on Sundays and Wednesdays
Rising Mount Zion offers Sunday morning worship with at least two services, including the 8:15 AM service that Pastor Cooper added during his early years at the church. Services are held in the main sanctuary and are broadcast via Facebook Live for those watching from home. Archived services, including messages such as Palm Sunday Praise and sermons titled Move! Get Out Of My Way! and Alignment, remain available on the church's media pages.
Church School meets on Sunday mornings and provides religious instruction for every age and stage of life, emphasizing discipleship, fellowship, and biblical principles for godly living. On Wednesday evenings, Worship On Wednesday, or W.O.W., gathers at 6:30 PM in the Small Chapel for a midweek spiritual recharge, with teaching that helps members live more like Christ through the remainder of the week. Bible study is held during the week online through Google Meet, opening the Word to members regardless of schedule.
Music and Fine Arts at RMZ
The Fine Arts Ministries are a defining feature of worship at Rising Mount Zion. The Music Ministries lead praise and worship through vocal and instrumental accompaniment during services, workshops, and rehearsals. Five ensembles serve under this umbrella: the Inspirational Voices, the Male Chorus, the Small Ensemble, the Youth & Young Adults choir, and the Mass Choir. Together they shape a gospel-rooted soundscape that fills the sanctuary each week.
Beyond the choirs, the Dance Ministries use movement as a form of praise, bringing scripture and the heart of God to life through words, music, and dance. The Zion Steppers, a ministry of talented youth in grades 5 through 12, offer their own distinctive expression of worship through sound, stepping, dance, and miming. Anchored in Galatians 5:25 ("If we live in the spirit, let us also step in the spirit"), the Steppers are a regular highlight at church events and a powerful witness to how the arts can carry the gospel.
Youth, Children, and Christian Education
The Youth Ministries at RMZ follow a four-fold framework: Know Christ, Grow in Christ, Become like Christ, and Go and Serve in Christ's Love. Children participate in Children's Church during worship, while older youth have their own space through groups like the Sisters of Zion and the Zion Steppers. The church also hosts Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts troops, making it a gathering place for young people across many interests and stages of life.
Beyond Sunday morning Church School and Wednesday W.O.W., the Christian Education Ministries include New Member Workshops that introduce newcomers to Baptist beliefs and to the leaders and expectations of church life. Vacation Bible School is offered annually and is open to members, friends, and families from the broader community.
Fellowship Ministries: Men and Women
The Men's Ministry exists to encourage, equip, and energize the men of RMZ through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Its work centers on bringing men into relationship with Christ, uniting them in Bible study, prayer, ministry, fellowship, and accountability, mentoring males of all ages, and designing service projects that benefit both the church and the wider community.
The Women's Ministry reaches, teaches, and nurtures the women of the church and surrounding neighborhoods. Its goals are to reach women through the transforming love of Jesus Christ, build wholeness and balance through consistent prayer and study of the Word, provide an atmosphere for women to develop their gifts and lasting friendships, and care for the women of the church and community. The Women's Ministry also leads the church's participation in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Central Virginia each fall.
Ushers and Hospitality
The Usher Ministries welcome members, friends, and visitors at every service with a smile and a commitment to ensuring each person's needs are met. Five usher units share that calling: the Joseph Smith Memorial Ushers, the Kavansa Smith Memorial Ushers, the Male Ushers, the Senior Ushers Auxiliary, and the Youth Ushers. Together they keep the doors of the church open with gladness.
Deacons, Deaconesses, and Trustees
The Deacons and Deaconesses at RMZ are called to be humble, dedicated servants who use their spiritual gifts in a shared ministry of concern for the total well-being of God's people. They pray for and support the pastor and members, prepare the sanctuary for worship, visit and encourage the sick and shut-in as well as active members, maintain relationships within assigned sheepfolds, and promote unity within the church.
The Trustees provide stewardship over the church's properties, fiscal operations, legal responsibilities, and overall business administration, ensuring that strategic planning, financial management, and facilities are handled in a Christ-like manner for the glory of God.
Social Justice and Civic Engagement
Rising Mount Zion's Social Justice Ministry is one of the church's most visible community-facing programs. The ministry walks members and neighbors through the voter registration process, publishes guides to early voting sites and polling places across Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover counties, and provides information on restoring civil rights for returning citizens. It also organizes ride-to-the-polls requests on Election Day, helping ensure that transportation is not a barrier to civic participation. The ministry can be reached at socialjustice@rmzbc.org.
Facilities for Weddings and Funerals
The church makes its facilities available to members for life milestones. Couples planning weddings at Rising Mount Zion are welcomed and supported by the church office through every step of preparation, while families planning funerals or memorial services are walked alongside in their grief as the church helps design services that honor and remember loved ones. Members and visitors can also inquire about using the facilities for other fellowship events by contacting the church office.
Giving, Communication, and Staying Connected
Tithes, offerings, and donations can be given online through Givelify, with a scripture from Malachi 3:10-12 setting the tone for the church's teaching on stewardship. Members can update their contact information through a dedicated online form, request contribution statements, submit prayer requests, and register to receive news and updates from the church by name, email, phone, or address. The Voice, the church's newsletter, is published quarterly and archived online, with editions from 2024 and 2025 available to read at any time.
A Church That Has Been, and Continues to Be, A Place of Hope
From prayer meetings in private homes in 1866 to a sanctuary under expansion in the present day, Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church has remained what its founders envisioned: a church of the people, for the people. It is a place where everyone is welcomed and loved, where the gospel is proclaimed unashamedly, where choirs and steppers and dancers lift the worship, where youth are taught to know and grow and become like Christ, and where neighbors are equipped to engage the world around them. The church's motto, drawn from Philippians 4:13, continues to frame its life and ministry: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."