You’ve probably driven past it a thousand times if you’ve ever spent time in North Philadelphia. Sitting right at the corner of Broad and Venango, Zion Baptist Church Philadelphia doesn't exactly look like your stereotypical "old school" church. It’s got this bold, modern brick-and-glass look that screams 1970s architecture. But honestly? The building is the least interesting part of the story.
What really happened inside those walls—and the old stone annex across the street—basically changed the world. No, that isn’t hyperbole. If you’ve ever benefited from a job training program, used a credit union, or even wondered how the global fight against Apartheid gained traction in corporate America, you’re looking at the house that Leon Sullivan built.
The Lion of Zion and the 10-36 Plan
When people talk about Zion Baptist Church Philadelphia, they’re usually talking about the Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan. He arrived in 1950 from West Virginia, and back then, the church was much smaller, located over on 13th and Melon. He was only 28, but the guy was a powerhouse. They called him the "Lion of Zion" for a reason.
Sullivan wasn't the type of preacher to just talk about "milk and honey in heaven." He famously said he wanted "ham and eggs on earth." He realized his congregation couldn't just pray their way out of poverty if the local department stores refused to hire Black people for anything other than sweeping floors.
So, he started the "Selective Patronage" movement. It was basically a "don't buy where you can't work" campaign. It was wildly effective. But Sullivan’s most genius—and kinda risky—move was the 10-36 Plan.
Think about this for a second:
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- He asked 50 members to give $10 a month for 36 months.
- For the first 16 months, the money went to a charitable trust for scholarships and community needs.
- For the final 20 months, it went into a for-profit investment corporation.
That little pool of "ten-dollar bills" eventually built Progress Plaza in 1968, the first Black-owned and developed shopping center in the entire country. Imagine the guts that took in the sixties.
That Time the Church Literally Burned Down
Most people don’t realize the current sanctuary at 3600 North Broad Street wasn’t the original plan. In the early 70s, a massive fire gutted the previous building. It could have been the end of the road for the congregation, but Sullivan used it as a catalyst.
He hired Walter R. Livingston, Jr., one of the most prominent Black architects in Philly at the time. They didn’t just build a church; they built it using their own construction firm, Progress Construction Company. They literally hired Black laborers who had been shut out of unions to build their own house of worship.
The building was finished in 1973. Sullivan called it the "New Ship of Zion."
The Annex: More Than Just Sunday School
Across the street stands the Zion Educational Annex. It’s a 1912 Gothic Revival beauty that looks a lot more "churchy" than the main sanctuary. For decades, this was the heartbeat of North Philly’s social services.
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Under Sullivan’s lead, this building housed:
- An employment agency.
- A credit union (because banks weren't lending to the neighborhood).
- Adult literacy classes.
- A daycare center.
It eventually became the birthplace of OIC (Opportunities Industrialization Centers). Sullivan started OIC in an abandoned jail cell on 19th and Oxford, but the spirit of it—the idea of "helping people help themselves"—was pure Zion Baptist. OIC has since trained millions of people globally.
What’s Happening Right Now?
If you walk by today, you might see construction crews. For a while, the Annex sat vacant and took some hits from vandals and time. But things are changing fast.
The church, along with a group called Called to Serve CDC, is currently transforming that old Annex into the Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center. It’s a massive $18 million project. We’re talking about a 40,000-square-foot hub that will include:
- A health clinic run by Temple University (16 exam rooms!).
- An e-sports and gaming lounge for local kids.
- A cafe and bookstore.
- Art galleries and community spaces.
It’s basically the 21st-century version of Sullivan’s original vision. They officially broke ground on the newest phase in early 2025, and it’s slated to be a major anchor for the Nicetown-Tioga area.
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Why You Should Care (The "Actionable" Part)
Zion Baptist Church Philadelphia isn't just a relic of the Civil Rights movement. It’s a blueprint. People often feel overwhelmed by systemic issues like the wealth gap or lack of healthcare, but Zion’s history proves that a localized, "self-help" approach actually works.
If you’re looking to connect with this history or the current mission, here’s the deal:
- Visit for a Service: They still hold Sunday worship at 10:00 AM. It’s a great way to see the Livingston-designed interior, which is almost exactly as it was in '73.
- The "Zion Cares" Program: Every Sunday at noon, the church runs a community outreach that provides meals, clothing, and health resources. If you want to volunteer or see a church actually "being" the community, this is it.
- Support the Impact Center: The project is a massive lift for North Broad. Keeping an eye on Called to Serve CDC is the best way to see when the new cafe and e-sports center open up for the public.
The legacy here isn't just about a man or a building. It's about the fact that a group of people in North Philly decided they weren't going to wait for permission to build their own economy. That’s a lesson that hits just as hard in 2026 as it did in 1960.
To truly understand the story of Zion Baptist, you have to look at the intersection of faith and "ham and eggs" economics. Start by taking a walk around the 3600 block of North Broad. Look at the modern sanctuary, then look across at the Annex being reborn. You can see the transition from the old stone traditions to the mid-century fight for jobs, and finally, the new era of tech and healthcare integration. It is, quite literally, Philadelphia history in the making.