the Holy Spirit Our Comforter, Humankind Our Family.
About Mt. Zion AME Riverview
Mt. Zion AME Church Riverview was originally founded in 1914 on a back porch in the Hyde Park area of Tampa, FL. The church was formed by a local pastor and a few dedicated believers who knew that they needed to worship the Lord. The small congregation eventually organized themselves under the umbrella of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and for nearly 100 years called Hyde Park home.
In 2007, the church made the tremendous move from Hyde Park to plant new roots in the thriving neighborhood of Riverview, FL to a 3.3-acre property to carry on with the mission set out so long ago – to build lives through a loving and caring fellowship.
Now, under the leadership of Pastor Karen Jackson Sims, Mt. Zion AME Riverview is serving the community in spirit and in truth by opening the doors of the church so all may have the opportunity to confess and receive the Lord.
About the AME Church
The African Methodist Episcopal church was founded by Rev. Richard Allen as a response to the racial injustices he, and other believers, experienced at the hands of the Methodist church of the time. The church has since grown into a worldwide connectional body of believers following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The mission of the AME Church is to minister to the social, spiritual, and physical development of all people.
The word African means that the church was organized by people of African descent and heritage. It does not mean that the church was founded in Africa, or that it was for persons of African descent only. The church’s roots are of the family of Methodist churches. Methodism provides an orderly system of rules and regulations and places emphasis on a plain and simple gospel. Episcopal refers to the form of government under which the church operates. The chief executive and administrative officers of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination are the Bishops of the church.
Today, the African Methodist Episcopal Church has membership in twenty Episcopal Districts in thirty-nine countries on five continents. The work of the Church is administered by twenty-one active bishops, and nine General Officers who manage the departments of the Church. For more information, visit out AME Connectional website.