Living the Dream _ LoudounTimes

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Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 by Laura Peters | 0 comments | Email this story

Pastor Elton Wilson of

Mount Zion Baptist

Church of St. Louis in

Middleburg stands atthe altar where he

has preached for

eight years and as

pastors have done

before him since

1929, when thischurch building was

constructed. Times-

Mirror Staff

Photo/Beverly Denny

It was a l ight drizzle on April 4, 1968, while Elton Wilson was trying to get subscriptions forthe Washington Star. Although just 13 years old, Wilson still remembers the day Dr. MartinLuther King was assassinated and looks back on as if it were yesterday.

When he returned to his familys apartment from his route, which at the time overlookeddowntown Washington, D.C., people were already starting to gather throughout the city.

Going back across the city, up 14th Street we saw the crowds starting to gather. He made it apoint to get us home. In the apartment building where we lived at that time we could see thecity, downtown Washington up 14th Street start to glow, Wilson said.

Growing up in Northwest Washington, D.C. Wilson, 56, says the city was one in transition,and that African Americans were about one generation removed from experiences like JimCrow or segregation. Wilson recalls seeing signs for whites and colored only bathrooms. Butgrowing up with a pastor father, there were limitations of what he could do.

I think the uniqueness of my experience was that my father was a minister and subsequentlya pastor and that has blessing and curses that are built into being a preachers kid. So there

was always a fine line that I had to walk as a young person, Wilson said. And of coursegrowing up in Washington there was always that opportunity to be one step removed fromhistorical events - the March on Washington. In fact I remember very vividly the night thatDr. King was assassinated. Living in the 14th Street corridor at the time, the people whoelected to take to the street and vandalize and demonstrate their anger in destructive ways,had an effect for years on the city.

Wilson remembers his first exposure to the National Guard after Kings assassination, whenhe was taking a trip to his neighborhood Safeway. He said the guardsmen threatened toshoot and kil l him if he took a step closer to the store so he went home.

I went to the Safeway and I was denied access to the Safeway or even being on that particularpart of the street by the National Guardsmen, Wilson said. I remember he said to me, getout of here or Ill shoot you. Because I was on the street. So I went back home. But, I stillremember that to this day not doing anything, not vandalism, not rioting, nothing.

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__

Now

Wilson currently serves as the pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church of St. Louis outside ofMiddleburg. Its a post hes held for the past eight years.

David Stewart, Middleburg Town Council member, has attended Wilsons church for yearsand is now working under him in the ministry. He considers Wilson as his father in theministry.

I do believe that since hes been [pastor of] the church in Middleburg that hes made adifference. Hes actually gotten this church back to where its supposed to be. Were going totry to do things this coming year, Stewart said. Were going to have a community garden atthe church. We want to be community- oriented. Its not all about whats going on in thechurch, but the church should be involved in the neighborhood and thats the way Pastor

Wilson is. He has a good sense of communication with the people.

I think, and as a man this is something that we dont usually say, hes a beautiful man. Hepractices what he preaches. When he preaches about the love, the love of Christ, that samelove is in him. Thats why I go to that church because of him, Stewart continued.

Wilson, who lives in Fort Washington, Md., commutes to St. Louis daily to serve as thevillages pastor. Although not a Loudoun County resident, Wilson remains a prominent figurein the county and his influences range throughout the area, through different Baptistchurches.

I dont know anyone who doesnt like him hes that kind of guy. I havent heard anyonesay anything bad about him, Stewart said.

Carter Howard, whose ancestors founded the church, has attended services since he wasbaptized there in 1965. He says Wilson has brought more people into the church.Hes a wonderful man, a child of God and the church is moving. Were growing, Howardsaid. This is a small congregation and now people are coming in from the community.

Then

Wilson remembers retreating to southern Virginia for the summers to his grandfathers farmas a child. By spending so much time there, it helped him transition to a position in in St.Louis.

Of course, the culture in rural Virginia was significantly different than it was inWashington, D.C. and of course our grandparents certainly briefed us on the rules ofengagement, Wilson said. I guess to me growing up in Washington, having that experiencein rural Virginia and then after some time the Lord as a minister brings me out here. Thisculture wasnt foreign to me. But, being here in St. Louis ministering and pastoring for the

past eight years has been an enriching and rewarding experience.

Growing up, Wilson was taught that the color of his skin was not an obstacle. His parentsinstilled the idea in him and his sister to be whatever they wanted to be in life.

But the truth of the matter is that there was still limitations, spoken, unspoken, limitationsput on people just because of the color of their skin. Ive seen the transition, not that Im oldenough to have vivid memories that said for whites only and for colored here, Wilson said.But, in my lifetime we have transitioned through those things. Today we have an African

American president, who I think is doing a fine job.

Wilson said that when President Barack Obama was elected, it was l ike his forefathersdreams being realized.

Its encouraging to know that in one generation that we, the United States of America, canmove from segregation and vestiges of Jim Crowism to actually not by coercion or force or by

military coo or takeover but by the free voting of the people, exercising their constitutionalrights, Wilson said. To put a person, an African American in the seat of the president.

As a father

Wilson met his wife after leaving the U.S. Air Force in the mid-1970s. They had moved toSumter, S.C. - which he said was an entirely different experience than that of growing up in

Washington, D.C.

Sumter, South Carolina really had an impact on me. It really truly did. That was a cultureshock. I mean you talk about infrastructure, across the tracks, was really across the tracks amarked difference, Wilson said. On one side of the tracks the stores and the homes, theconditions of the roads and the streets. Then theres the other side of the tracks where thereare factory-built homes for the workers on stilts or pillars. Very, very well delineated point

between the cultures.

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. . . __

He said he raised his children the same way he was brought up the same guidance that wasinstilled in him by his own parents.

I have always tried to teach them first to be good children, secondly dont get in trouble,thirdly if you do bad things dont get caught, because those things stay with you, Wilsonsaid. And do your best to get an education. Self-sufficiency, always have your own. I learnedthat from my grandfather.

That really had an impact on me. My wife would say that it had such an impact on me that itworks to my detriment, he continued. That self sufficiency, that independence and Imrelatively confident that Ive instilled that in my children. I guess all of that goes to make usand we pass those things on to our children.

In his community

Stewart, who describes Wilson as a mentor, says the pastors impact on the community hasbeen of great importance.

For someone thats not originally from here, he has more interest in what happens here thana lot of the people that live here, Stewart said.

Wilson humbly admits that he doesnt think hes done an incredible amount for the church,but has tried to teach the congregation the same ideals hes taught his children.

Ive tried to instill in the congregation to be giving not to be selfish. The desire, the visionthat God has placed in my heart as pastor of these people is that we need to be doingeverything we possible can to make Gods presence known in the lives of these people,

Wilson said. To address needs not just be a place of convenience because its too far to drive

somewhere else. But to be a kind of place that people come to because they are being satisfiedhere. We all have needs and we go to those places that satisfy needs. Quality of life, I guess,could sum that up. We need to have a positive and significant impact on the quality of life inour community.

Stewart and Howard both said that Wilsons influence in the church has brought a greatermeaning to the community of St. Louis. The churchs attendance, according to all three men,has skyrocketed and will continue to work toward a more community oriented angle.


Mount Zion Baptist

Church of St. Louis in

Middleburg,reflecting about Black

History Month, says

he remembers

Washington, D.C.

glowing from all thecandlelight vigils the

night Martin Luther

King Jr. was

assassinated. Times-

Mirror StaffPhoto/Beverly Denny


Mount Zion BaptistChurch of St. Louis in

Middleburg,

reflecting about Black

History Month, says

his dreams and thedreams of his

forefathers have been

realized with the

election of a black

president. Times-Mirror Staff

Photo/Beverly Denny

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Living the Dream _ LoudounTimes