By A.J. Dugger III

Bishop Joseph Walker had a dream last year that will eventually become a reality. In the dream, God presented him with a brand new recreational complex called The Dream Center. “This is what I want to see on Jefferson Street,” God said to him in the dream.

After the dream, Walker put the plan into action. “What we’re planning is a real balanced center designed to promote family and safety in the community,” explained Walker, who has been the senior pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Nashville for 21 years.

Because of his dream and the unfortunate fact that Jefferson Street has a stigma of drugs and crime attached to it, Walker decided that the neighborhood would be the perfect place to launch The Dream Center. “We felt it was important to not forget North Nashville,” he said. “We have our Jefferson Street Bible Study, but we want to make more of a statement. It was necessary to do something and make an investment in our community.

The upcoming Dream Center will include a state-of-the art nursery. “We’re going to hire the best teachers in a highly competitive environment to make sure our kids have the quality education they deserve,” said Walker. There will be a book store with a diverse collection of books.

Walker also plans to have a coffee shop. In fact, Mt. Zion is petitioning to have the first Starbucks on Jefferson Street. The recreational complex will include a top-notch dance studio, a fitness center and a gym with a track around the top. “We’ll have state-of-the-art workout equipment. This will be a major facility to meet the needs of people in North Nashville,” said Walker.

Walker says he does not want Mt. Zion to fall into debt trying to pay for everything too soon. “We have a little over $6.5 million left on our Old Hickory Blvd location. Our goal is to build The Dream Center debt-free. I’d rather pay the debt off and then pay for The Dream Center. We’re hoping to have The Dream Center up and running within the next five years.”

The Dream Center isn’t the only thing Walker is looking forward to in the future. “I’m one of two candidates at this point to be the successor for Bishop Paul Sylvester Morton on July 5 to be the next International Presiding Bishop,” he said.

Bishop Joseph Walker

It should come as no surprise that Mt. Zion is coming up with a new positive way to impact the community. In 2006, their Antioch location was constructed. The next year, a Kidzone Worship Center was created.

Walker is proud of the people at Mt. Zion, who he says are really committed to serving God and doing His will. “People at Mt. Zion are so giving. They understand what it means to invest in the community. Service is what we do. We want to serve our community in a way so that we, as a people, can rise up and leave something for our children’s children.”

Under Walker’s leadership, Mt. Zion grew from having 175 members to 28,000. “I think Mt. Zion offers a unique approach to ministry. We believe in a relevant approach to the word of God.”

Thousands of people consider Walker their pastor. People from all over the world use modern technology to watch Mt. Zion’s services virtually. “We have a Mt. Zion app, so people can worship with us from their cell phones,” Walker said. “Whether you’re traveling on a plane, at the airport, or wherever. You can worship with us anywhere. Whererver you want us to be, that’s where we’ll be.”

For more information on Mt.Zion, visit www.mtzionnashville.org.