The origins of Zion Church began around 1866 as a place for newly freed Blacks to worship. The church moved to its present property in 1880. Formerly known as, Zion United Methodist Church, Zion Church would serve as a place for mass meetings to help further the civil rights of Blacks in Marion. On the evening of February 18, 1965, marchers exited the front doors of the church on their way to the Perry County Jail to show support for Rev. James Orange, who the community had heard was in danger of being taken out of jail and “lynched.” Marchers were attacked by an angry mob and some were pushed back into the church, in the resulting chaos, Army Veteran Mr. Jimmy Lee Jackson was shot by an Alabama State Trooper, who had participated in beating marchers, many of them children. Mr. Jackson would die 8 days later and his funeral was held at Zion Church with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King leading the service. Led today by Pastor Adrian Knox, Zion Church is still a vibrant church serving the community of Marion.
