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Steubenville’s Historic Mount Zion Baptist Church Rebrands as Nondenominational Zion City Church

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Steubenville Church Drops 107-Year-Old Denominational Label for Nondenominational Future

A downtown Steubenville worship center that served its congregation for over a century began a new era this weekend, officially transitioning from Mount Zion Baptist Church into Zion City Church, WTOV reported. Pews filled for the inaugural service as worshippers gathered at the corner of Kilgore and North Seventh streets to mark the shift to a nondenominational identity.

Bishop Jermaine V. Moore Sr., who has led the congregation for approximately the last 10 years, said the decision to step away from the Baptist denomination aims to position the church for broader growth and clear up its primary public focus. Moore noted that the congregation voted unanimously on the change, with zero opposition from members.

Mount zion baptist church
Photo: timesleaderonline.com

“We are walking away from our denominational identity,” Moore explained, noting that the change helps make clear the church’s identity that Jesus Christ is at its center rather than a denominational label.

The transformation coincides with expanded leadership roles within the ministry. Rasonia Nicholes, who has served as a pastor for nearly 17 years, stepped in as executive pastor during the transition. Nicholes stated that her focus in the new role centers on leadership training and spiritual guidance designed to influence members’ daily lives, homes, and workplaces.

Community Inclusion and Outreach Events

Church leaders emphasized that abandoning the denominational title does not mean discarding biblical doctrine, the Bible, or historical foundations. Instead, the leadership views the nondenominational model as an inclusive step for Steubenville, which participants described as a diverse local community.

Ralph Petrella, speaking about the community impact, noted that the transition provides a significant opportunity for residents from various backgrounds, creeds, and ethnicities to unite under one roof. The weekend’s rollout featured community outreach activities, including free food, drinks, blessing bags, music from a DJ, and onsite baptisms coordinated with local city street closures.

Moore, who founded the interdenominational One Body Covenant Fellowship in 2011 to bridge theological divides, maintained that the new chapter looks forward rather than backward. The leadership’s stated goal remains focused on spiritual and practical transformation across the wider Steubenville area while honoring the church’s century-long history of service.

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