One of Mobile’s most historic congregations, State Street African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, is marking a major milestone this month with a multi-day celebration honoring nearly two centuries of ministry in the city.
The church, located at 502 State Street in downtown Mobile, is observing its 195th anniversary with a schedule of revival services, a community gospel concert and a special worship service featuring a prominent guest speaker. The anniversary celebration reflects the congregation’s long-standing role as one of the anchor institutions in Mobile’s historically Black church community, a tradition that stretches back to the early 19th century.
The celebration opens with a three-night revival running from September 22 through 24, with evening services beginning at 7 p.m. each night. The visiting evangelist leading the revival serves as first assistant pastor at a large congregation in New Orleans, bringing a regional perspective to the anniversary observance.
On September 26, the church is hosting a free community event billed as the Pillars of Excellence Gospel Concert. Doors are set to open at 5:30 p.m. ahead of a 6 p.m. start, and the evening will be hosted by a familiar face to Gulf Coast television viewers, a local news anchor who has emceed numerous community events across the Mobile area. Gospel concerts of this kind have long served as a way for Mobile-area churches to draw in the broader community, regardless of denomination, for an evening of music and fellowship.
The anniversary festivities culminate on September 27 with a 10 a.m. worship service featuring Gwendolyn Boyd, president of Alabama State University, as the guest speaker. Boyd’s appearance ties the anniversary to the broader network of historically Black colleges and universities and their long relationship with AME Zion congregations across the South.
AME Zion churches trace their roots to the late 18th century, when the denomination was formed in response to racial discrimination within predominantly white Methodist congregations. Churches like State Street AME Zion became central gathering places for Black communities in the decades that followed, serving not only as houses of worship but as hubs for education, mutual aid and civic organizing. A congregation reaching 195 years in a single city reflects generations of continuous ministry through Mobile’s most turbulent and transformative periods.
Church leaders framed this year’s celebration as both a look back at nearly two centuries of service and a chance to bring in new voices, from touring evangelists to local broadcasters to university leadership, for a broader community conversation. Additional information about the anniversary schedule and the church’s ongoing ministries is available through the congregation directly.