© ChoiceServices Mgt.
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church
In
the
early
years
of
the
twentieth
century,
the
Rev.
Sedley
E.
Lee
and
a
group
of
Rochester’s
Third
Ward
citizens
organized
the
Mt.
Olivet
Baptist
Church
of
Rochester,
New
York.
The
old
George
Hall
on
South
Avenue
served
as
the
first
official
church
site.
The
church
later
moved
to
Odd
Fellows
Hall
at
100 Caledonia Avenue, now Clarissa Street.
Mt.
Olivet
was
recognized
as
a
church
by
the
83
rd
Monroe
Baptist
Association
annual
session
on
October
14,
1910.
In
1912
Rev.
Lee
resigned
and
the
Rev.
A.
M.
Kearney
served
as
interim
pastor
until
the
Rev.
Charles
D.
Hubert
accepted
the
call
to
become
Mt.
Olivet’s
second
pastor.
Rev.
Hubert
was
the
first
African-American
to
attend
the
Rochester
Theological
Seminary.
During
his
pastorate
Hubert
Hall
on
Adams Street (the current church site) was erected.
In
1915
Rev.
L.
B.
Brown
of
Chicago,
Illinois
became
pastor.
He
was
followed
in
1918
by
Rev.
Singleton
M. Batchlar
of Tennessee.
In
1920,
the
Rev.
James
E.
Rose
became
pastor.
He
was
a
graduate
of
Howard
University,
and
Rochester
Theological
Seminary.
He
received
an
honorary
Doctor
of
Divinity
degree
from
Howard
University.
In
1923
the
church
began
building,
the
new
structure
consisted
of
a
sanctuary
on
the
main
level
and
classrooms,
office,
fellowship
hall
and
kitchen
on
the
lower
level.
The
new
structure
was
completed
and
dedicated
on
January
23,
1927.
Rev.
Rose
was
widely
known
as
a
fighter
for
social
justice.
He served Mt. Olivet faithfully for 22 years until his death in 1942.
On
August
13,
1942,
Rev.
Charles
Boddie
,
a
graduate
of
Colgate
Divinity
School,
was
called
to
pastor
Mt.
Olivet.
He
was
installed
as
pastor
on
December
13,
1942.
He
earned
a
Doctor
of
Divinity
Degree
from
Keuka
College
in
1950.
He
helped
the
Church
liquidate
its
mortgage
and
organized
the
Rose
Memorial
Fellowship.
During
his
tenure
the
church
broke
ground
for
the
Mt.
Olivet
Education
Building
in
August
1955.
From
1956
to
1967,
the
Rev.
Dr.
Arthur
L.
Whitaker
of
Malden,
Massachusetts
served
as
pastor.
Rev.
Whitaker
held
degrees
from
the
Harvard
University
Divinity
School
and
the
Andover
Newton
Theological
School.
During
his
tenure,
the
Mt.
Olivet
Education
Building
was
completed
and
dedicated
on
March
5,
1958
On
September
24,
1967,
the
Rev.
Dr.
Leardrew
Johnson
of
New
York
City
became
pastor.
Rev.
Dr.
Johnson
is
a
graduate
of
Virginia
University
and
Colgate
Rochester
Divinity
School.
During
his
pastorate,
Mt.
Olivet’s
Scholarship
Fund,
Senior
Citizen’s
Fellowship
and
Building
Fund,
for
the
construction
of
a
new
sanctuary were created. In 1989 Rev. Dr. Johnson retired and became Pastor Emeritus.
On
December
17,
1989
Rev.
Dwight
E.
Cook
of
Roswell,
Georgia
was
called
to
serve
as
pastor.
He
was
installed
as
pastor
on
February
4,
1990.
Rev.
Dr.
Cook
is
a
graduate
of
Tuskegee
University,
Morehouse
College
School
of
Religion
and
Drew
University
School
of
Theology.
Under
his
leadership
a
Family
Care
Ministry
was
established.
Ground
was
broken
for
the
construction
of
the
new
sanctuary
on
May
24,
1998.
The
new
sanctuary
was
constructed
with
a
connection
to
the
old
sanctuary.
The
congregation
marched
from
the
old
sanctuary
to
the
new
sanctuary
on
June
20,
1999
and
the
Dedication
Ceremony
was
held
on
October
24,
1999.
Pastor
Cook
accepted
a
new
pastoral
assignment
in
Hawaii
and
resigned
as
Mt.
Olivet’s
pastor in February 2006. Rev. Lawrence Hargraves served as interim pastor from 2006 until 2008.
On
November
2,
2008
Rev.
Rickey
Bernard
Harvey
of
Memphis,
Tennessee
preached
his
first
sermon
as
the
10th
pastor
of
Mt.
Olivet.
Rev.
Harvey
was
officially
installed
as
Mt.
Olivet’s
tenth
pastor
on
May
3,
2009.
Rev.
Harvey
holds
degrees
from
the
University
of
Memphis,
University
of
Phoenix
and
Golden
Gate
Baptist
Theological
Seminary
and
a
bachelor
of
Divinity
degree
and
a
honorary
Doctor
of
Divinity
degree
from
Tennessee
School
of
religion.
In
2012
Rev.
Harvey
received
his
Doctor
of
Divinity
degree
from
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Rochester, NY.
Mt.
Olivet
is
proud
of
its
legacy,
its
leadership,
and
the
support
provided
by
God,
our
dedicated
pastors
and
its
members.
With
God’s
blessing,
Mt.
Olivet
continues
its
vision
with
willing
hearts
as
we
move
into
the 21
st
century as one body confessing “Jesus Christ as Lord.”
1910 - A Hundred + Years of Serving God
We have no creed, but Christ - Preach no gospel, but Love -
Have no purpose but to Serve.
Church History