Church History

New Mt. Calvary Holy Church, formerly Mt. Calvary Holy Church, started with a tent service. It was organized in Richmond, Virginia in 1932. The Church is a member of the Mt. Calvary Holy Churches of America, Incorporated, which was founded by the late Bishop Brumfield Johnson in 1928.

Bishop Johnson appointed Elder William Burrell of Knoxville, Tennessee the first Pastor of the Church. Elder Burrell moved the Church into a small building located at 17th and Fairfield Streets in the city. He served until 1935, after which, Bishop Johnson appointed Elder W.R. Oliver the new Pastor of the Church.

Elder Oliver moved the Church to its second location at Center Street in Fulton, Virginia. Mother Elizabeth W.J. Lewis joined Mt. Calvary under the pastorate of Elder Oliver and was appointed Church Secretary. In 1940, Elder Oliver resigned as Pastor of the Church. At that time, there was no minister that Bishop Johnson could appoint to the pastorate. Therefore, he asked Mother Lewis to preside over the services until he could make other arrangements. While carrying out the duties given to her by Bishop Johnson, the Lord called her to the ministry of the Word.

In 1943, Bishop Johnson appointed Mother Lewis to the pastorate of the Church. She accepted, and performed her duties faithfully. The ministry was blessed and the Church grew. Pastor Lewis, affectionately referred to as “Mother” Lewis, with the support of the Church officials, saw the need for a larger church, and a new sanctuary was purchased at 2301 Fairmount Avenue in Richmond, Virginia where the Church is located today.

The Pastor and members marched in this Church in March 1958. Elder Thomas Peterson was appointed Assistant Pastor and Deacon Archie Williams, husband of Mother Lewis, was among the first deacons appointed. Mother Lula Dowden Smith was appointed the first official Church Mother and after her death, Mother Hazel Peterson was appointed the new Church Mother. Mother Lewis’ daughter, Sister Nancy W. Humphrey Augson was the Church pianist and organist. She served the Church faithfully for over 40 years. Reverend Charles A. Settles directed the Mt. Calvary Holy Church Radio Choir and Brother Mack W. Austin directed the youth choir, the Sunbeams. They both served faithfully for many years.

The accomplishments of Mother Lewis during her tenure as Pastor were many. She was Host Pastor for the state convocation for many years; State Mother for the Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and DC District; National and International Mother of the Mt. Calvary Holy Churches of America; she maintained a well-known radio broadcast for 38 years; organized Founder’s Day, a day set aside to honor the late Bishop Brumfield Johnson; and burned the mortgage on the church at 2301 Fairmount Avenue. She also pastured a Mt. Calvary Holy Church in Raleigh, North Carolina and moved that Church to a new edifice.

When Mother Lewis’ health began to fail, she stepped down after giving 50 years of service to the Church she loved, taking on the status of Pastor Emeritus. Vice Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr., then District Overseer met with Mother Lewis and church officials and saw to it that whatever assistance was needed to continue the ministry was given. In 1991, Mother Lewis went home to be with the Lord.

Following the death of Mother Lewis, the Church voted Rev. Frank Mixon as the 4th Pastor of the Church. He was installed as Pastor in September of 1991. Under the pastorate of Rev. Mixon, the Church’s name was changed to New Mt. Calvary Holy Church. Rev. Mixon pastored the Church for five years before relocating to Huntington, New York where he continues to pastor within the Mt. Calvary Holy Churches of America, Inc. network.

Vice Bishop Owens appointed and installed Elder Cosby Kittrell, an Associate Minister of Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church in Washington, DC as the new pastor of the Church on September 28, 1996. Elder Kittrell is the present Pastor of the Church and under his leadership, the Church’s legacy continues to be preserved and enhanced.