A caring church building family through transformational ministry.

The Mount Olive Baptist Church (MOBC) was founded in the spring of 1870 when twenty-four black citizens of Plainfield, NJ applied for and were granted “letters of dismissal” from the largest Baptist church in the city, the predominantly white First Baptist Church. On April 5, 1870, the group met in the basement of First Baptist and held two religious services; which marked the beginning of the long history of the Mouth Olive Baptist Church, the first black church in the City of Plainfield and also known as the “Mother Church”. The Church was duly incorporated on October 12, 1870, in accordance with the laws of New Jersey, and was to function as a New Jersey religious corporation.

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     Their vision was to play a significant role in the formation of a cohesive and stable community; often being considered the cornerstone of the African American community. They also envisioned the church to not only be the spiritual and cultural foundation of black people, but for it to play a role of educator and political leader as well. It was to be a refuge from, and resistor to, the harsh realities of social discrimination, economic dislocation, and political disfranchisement.

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     The church has been served by fourteen ministers since it was organized in 1870. The last pastor, Donald DeWitt Nichols, Sr. was appointed in November 1978 and transitioned to glory in May 2014. Under each Pastor, the church continued to grow and move forward with building God’s Kingdom. From 2014 – 2016, the Mount Olive Baptist Church went through a vigorous pastoral search process. On September 26, 2016, God called Rev. Eric W. Wallace, Sr. to serve as the 15th Pastor of the Mount Olive Baptist Church and the members patiently wait to see what God has destined for this branch of Zion under the direction and leadership of Pastor Wallace.