Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church (The Mount - Richmond)

What Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church (The Mount - Richmond) does

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, operating as 'The Mount' (SMZBC), is a 158-year-old historic African American Baptist congregation headquartered at 14 W Duval Street, Richmond, Virginia. Founded on September 3, 1867 by Rev. John Jasper and Rev. Peter Randolph with nine members, the church operates under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Tyrone Nelson, its seventh pastor, alongside an Executive Minister (Rev. Dwylene Butler), Minister of Congregational Care (Rev. Barbara Nelson), and Music Coordinator (Min. Drew Miles, Jr.). Its core products are in-person and online Sunday worship services, Wednesday Bible studies, and a broad portfolio of age- and interest-segmented ministries spanning children, youth, women's and men's ministries, senior adults (Victory Senior Adult Ministry), music and dance ensembles, and community-serving programs including a food pantry, Mount Market, Health & Wellness Ministry, National Night Out Block Party, and the annual Holistic Hurt, Wholistic Healing Conference.

The underlying technology stack is a consumer-grade digital ministry platform rather than a custom-built system. Member engagement, giving, pledge management, and event check-ins are centralized in the Realm Connect mobile app; virtual Bible studies and prayer calls run on DialPad Meetings (dial-in 804-203-9011); and live and on-demand worship content is distributed via YouTube (smzbcworships) with community engagement on Facebook and Instagram. Financial commitments are tracked across at least nine designated funds (Tithes, Rebuilding the Wall, Missions, Birthday, Founders Day, Church Anniversary, Women's Day, Men's Day, Scholarship), with digital contribution accepted through eight distinct channels (Realm Connect, online giving page, Cash App via Square, Venmo, Zelle, Stripe text-to-give, Link payments, and in-person offerings).

The business model is a nonprofit, donation-based ministry operating on recurring tithes and offerings, designated special-day collections, and capital campaign pledges from individual congregation members and the broader Richmond community. There are no consumer fees for worship attendance; the only pricing-relevant costs are payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 for cards, 1.9% + $0.10 for Venmo, no fee for Zelle). The congregation functions simultaneously as the customer base and the volunteer delivery workforce for most ministry programs. Geographic scope is concentrated in Richmond, Virginia, with civic reach extending into Henrico County's Varina District through Pastor Nelson's role as Vice Chair of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors.

Name

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church (The Mount - Richmond)

Legal name

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church

Website

https://smzbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church (The Mount) is a 158-year-old African American Baptist congregation in Richmond, Virginia, led by its seventh pastor Rev. Tyrone Nelson. It delivers in-person and online worship, Bible studies, age-segmented ministries, and community outreach programs, financed by member tithes, pledges, and multi-channel digital giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Worship Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Christian community ministry
• Bible study programs
• Community outreach services
• Online giving platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members make regular weekly or monthly financial contributions to the church through various channels. The church tracks commitments through a pledge card system managed via Realm Connect.
2. Special Day Offerings: Designated collections for specific occasions including Birthday Offerings, Founders Day, Church Anniversary, Women's Day, Men's Day, and Scholarship offerings.
3. Building Fund (Rebuilding the Wall): Capital campaign contributions designated for church facility improvements and maintenance.
4. Missions Offerings: Contributions specifically designated for mission work and community outreach programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church is a 158-year-old Baptist congregation providing weekly in-person and online worship services, Bible studies, prayer calls, and faith-based education. The church operates a comprehensive ministry ecosystem including music and dance programs, children's and youth ministry, a food pantry, health and wellness initiatives, and community outreach events. Members support the church through an integrated online giving system accepting tithes, offerings, and designated contributions via multiple digital payment channels.

Product overview

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church (The Mount - Richmond) offers a unified ministry platform centered on in-person and online worship services, supported by the Realm Connect App for member engagement, giving management, and communication. The church provides diverse programmatic offerings including Bible studies, music and movement ministries, children and youth programs, health and wellness initiatives, and community outreach (food pantry, Mount Market, National Night Out Block Party). Financial engagement is facilitated through an integrated online giving system accepting multiple payment methods (cards, Cash App, Venmo, Zelle, text-to-give). Seasonal programs like Summer Book Clubs, the Volunteer Ministry Awards, and the Holistic Hurt, Wholistic Healing Conference supplement regular worship activities. The church utilizes DialPad Meetings for virtual prayer calls and Bible studies, with YouTube streaming enabling remote worship participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Worship Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 women participated in the Sisters of Sixth Mount Zion Summer Book Club in its first week
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gravel Hill Baptist Church (Varina)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2026Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church and Pastor Tyrone Nelson will be guests of Gravel Hill Baptist Church for their Homecoming Service on Sunday, August 23rd at 1:30 PM. The two churches will share a fellowship meal before the second service.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Pushpay: Church engagement and giving platform used by thousands of congregations worldwide. Comparable enabling technology for the same target customer (mid-sized U.S. churches), and a potential substitute for Sixth Mount Zion's Realm Connect / Stripe / Square stack.
• Tithe.ly: Digital giving and church engagement platform offering text-to-give, online giving, and church apps — directly substitutable for the church's current Cash App / Venmo / Zelle / Realm giving infrastructure.
• ACS Technologies: Provider of the Realm Connect app that Sixth Mount Zion uses for member management, giving, pledges, and communication. A vendor/ecosystem peer — comparable in that it serves as the technology backbone for hundreds of similar congregations.

Broad incumbents

• Baptist General Convention of Virginia: Statewide Baptist denominational body where Rev. Tyrone Nelson previously served as Director of Youth and Evangelism Ministries. Acts as an umbrella/incumbent organization across Virginia Baptist churches including Sixth Mount Zion, providing governance and resource support.

Regional players

• Ebenezer Baptist Church: Historic African American Baptist church in Atlanta, GA, founded in 1886 and nationally associated with the civil rights movement. Comparable in heritage scale, congregational structure, and pastoral-profile-driven visibility, though operating in a different geographic market.

Direct peers

• Gravel Hill Baptist Church: Baptist congregation in Varina (Henrico County, Richmond metro) that hosted Sixth Mount Zion for its 2026 Homecoming Service. Operates as a comparable local Baptist congregation in the same regional market with similar programming and denominational alignment.
• St. Paul's Memorial Baptist Church: African American Baptist congregation in Richmond, VA with similar historic roots, in-person/online service model, and community outreach programs. Competes for the same congregant pool in the Richmond market.
• First African Baptist Church: Historic African American Baptist congregation in Richmond, VA, where Rev. Dwylene Butler previously served as Minister of Youth & Christian Education. Directly comparable in denomination, city, congregational model, and ministry breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/smzbcworships
• Facebookfacebook.com/sixthmountzion
• Instagraminstagram.com/smzbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sixth-mount-zion-baptist-church-the-mount---richmond-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church (The Mount - Richmond)