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As a young adult, feeling a call to ministry on his life, 21 year old Loren Covarrubias began attending Ministers Candidate School at Bethesda Missionary Temple in Detroit, Michigan under the direction of Patricia Beall Gruits. During this time of preparation, Loren's mother began a small Bible study in the basement of their home. Upon completion of Ministers Candidate School in 1978, Pastor Loren began shepherding the Bible study group and over a short period of time, Mt. Zion Church was birthed with a handful of people who were dedicated to the vision that the Lord had given Pastor Loren: "I will make you a vessel of new wine and I will give you a people that out of their midst shall flow the wine of the Lord. Multiplication and increase. Multiplication and increase." It was at this time that the ministry of Mt. Zion began its awesome journey.
In the winter of 1979, Mt. Zion purchased its first property and began holding services immediately. Within 5 years, growth swelled, and Mt. Zion soon became the largest church in the area. Over the next few years, "Call from the Mountain Media Ministries" was established to extend the outreach of our local church which included radio broadcasting and print publications. By 1985, the church had outgrown its current facility and 52 acres of prime property was purchased immediately off a major interstate to house the new worship center and offices. Five years later, the steadily growing church moved into its brand-new facility that seated 1,250. Shortly after moving in, an additional morning service was added to accommodate the continual growth.
By 1992, the ministry of Mt. Zion was flourishing. In an effort to expand its outreach even further, the ministry installed state-of-the-art television equipment into the church building and began broadcasting services to the surrounding area. During the 1990's, Mt. Zion purchased and opened several other pieces of property, including Mt. Zion Christian School, the Waterford Christian Association, and the Clarkston Christian Association (community outreach facilities). The mid-90's was another period of rapid growth for the church, and as such, another morning service was added to allow for more attendance. It was also during this time that television broadcast expansion increased into larger media markets. In 1997, Mt. Zion started its Hispanic ministry, which now operates a fully serviced Hispanic outreach center during the week (providing legal services, english language classes, low-income family support, and document translation) and hosts Spanish-speaking services on the weekend.
Today, Iglesia Monte de Sión is the largest and fastest growing Hispanic congregation in the metro-Detroit area.
Over the next few years, increase was evident in every area of ministry as Mt. Zion launched a new nightclub for young adults, an expanded family recreation program on the weekends, and new avenues of outreach designed to meet every individual, regardless of age, at their particular stage in life.
The year 2003 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ministry, and in turn, the church celebrated with a concert production at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Thousands of people attended to celebrate the faithfulness of God over the last quarter century. This grand event certainly set the stage for what was to come in the days ahead.
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