Rev. Dr. Patricia McAllister
The Rev. Patricia Ann Southerland McAllister grew up in North Carolina. She is the pastor of the 202-year-old congregation at Mount Zion AME Church in Columbia. She has served in that role for the past 14 years, succeeding her late husband, the Rev. Charles McAllister, who died in 2006. She earned her master’s degree in 2005 from Lancaster Theological Seminary and her doctorate in 2017.
Rev. McAllister graduated from New Hanover the following year and enrolled at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. It was there that she met and eventually married Charles McAllister. Upon graduation, they traveled to Illinois, where her husband earned the first of his two master’s degrees.
From Illinois, they moved to New Jersey, then to Pennsylvania. She pastored churches in Oberlin, Marietta and Parkesburg before joining her husband as an assistant pastor in Columbia when he became ill. Upon his death in 2006, she was assigned by the bishop to serve as pastor at Mount Zion.
She received her doctorate in 2017, and her congregation attended the ceremonies to honor and celebrate her achievement.
Mt Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church (1817) Columbia, Pennsylvania
In 1817, a group of emancipated slaves from Virginia settled in Columbia, Pennsylvania, and established the first Methodist Church. This small frame structure, on Avenue “N” between 2nd & 3rd streets, was used as a house of worship until 1832. This church was the beginning of the present Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church. During the pastorate of Reverend Stephen Smith, a frame church was purchased, located at the corner of Avenue “J” and Church Avenue. In 1840, this church was burned to the ground, and was replaced by a brick structure, which served as a church until 1852, when a new location was secured at the south corner of Avenue “N” and Fifth Street.
This brick building was used for 10 years and then turned over to the Columbia School Board to be used as a school for Black people. This building later became the Harvey T. Makle Legion Home. In 1872, the present site was purchased and a large brick church was built under the pastorate of Rev. George M. Witten, who served from 1876 to 1878. Reverend Jacob Wilkesheim (1881) was followed by Reverend J.H. Accoe, who pastored for three years. Reverend Santee Burch came to pastor here in 1900 and served four years, during which time the mortgage was burned. Rev. Murray followed and served two years.
Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church has a proud and unique history. This church was a focal point for the Underground Railroad in Central Pennsylvania. From Columbia slaves were sent to Philadelphia and as far north as Canada. Mt. Zion was the head of legal action fighting to keep free Black men from being returned to slavery under the Fugitive Slave laws.