Mount Canaan Full Gospel Church
Mount Canaan Full Gospel Church is a non-denominational church located at 2725 24th Street Southwest and Bankhead Avenue near Ishkooda-Wenonah Road in Birmingham Garden Highlands neighborhood. Its worship services are broadcast on Sunday mornings on WABM, Channel 68.
The church was founded as Mount Canaan Missionary Baptist Church in 1944 by Caesar Williams and his wife in their home. The congregation remained small through the mid-1970s. When Willie O'Neal took over the pulpit in 1977 and began holding street revivals in nearby housing projects to boost membership. After undergoing a spiritual experience in 1980, O'Neal broke away from the Baptist convention and brought changes to increase the role of the Holy Spirit in the style of worship. O'Neal's wife, Patricia now serves as co-pastor.
By 1988 the church had purchased 26 neighboring lots and broke ground on a new $1 million building, which was completed in 1993.
In 2003 the church began construction of an educational building, but the project stopped when toxic wastes were found during excavation, evidently originating from a nearby petroleum processing facility. The church filed a lawsuit against the Kerr-McGee Corporation, which bought the site in 1985, as well as Allied Energy and Colonial Pipeline. The suit was complicated by allegedly fraudulent conveyence of liabilities from Kerr-McGee and its Tronox Inc. subdivision to the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. When the case is resolved, the congregation is likely to be forced to relocate.
Pastors
- Rev. Maddock (1940s–1960s)
- Olive Granger (1960s–1976)
- Willie O'Neal (1977–present)
References
- Mount Canaan Full Gospel Church v. Kerr-McGee, et. al. Jefferson Co. AL, 06-CV-2315
- Fitzgerald, Patrick (September 16, 2009) "Tronox Wants Toxic School Suit Put On Hold" Wall Street Journal blogs
External links
- Mount Canaan Full Gospel Church website