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On Easter Sunday April 22, 1907, thirteen (13) disciples of Christ founded the Mt. Olive Baptist Church. The First regular services of worship were held in the Jacob Stern Warehouse on Donaldson Street. In 1925, the church changed its name from Mt. Olive Baptist Church to Mt. Olivet Baptist Church.
The present church site at 428 East Main Street, was purchased in 1929, the year of the Great Depression. This church edifice had been known as the Friends' Church. In 1958, under the leadership of Mt. Olivet's eighth pastor, Dr.H. Beecher Hicks Sr., the original church structure was torn down and our present sanctuary and fellowship center were erected to the glory of God.
The following ministers of the Gospel have served as "under shepherd" of the Mt. Olivet flock and we acknowledge their contributions to our physical and spiritual growth:
| John R. Thomas | 1907-1909 |
| John R. Thomas | 1909 |
| W. Henry Beasley | 1909-1916 |
| Henry James Starks | 1917-1926 |
| Starling Andrew Grayson | 1926-1936 |
| Luther H. Johnson | 1937-1946 |
| David T. Woods | January-May 1946 |
| H. Beecher Hicks, Sr | 1946-1977 |
| Charles E.Booth | 1978-Present |
On July 30, 1977,the Mt. Olivet Baptist church voted unanimously to call Charles Edward Booth as her ninth pastor. He officially assumed his ministerial responsibilities on Sunday, January 1, 1978, and was installed as pastor in sacred services on Sunday, May 14, 1978. Under the spiritual leadership of Dr. Booth, the Mt. Olivet congregation has been blessed with:
- A tremendous increase in church membership
- An increase in tithes and offerings annually
- The creation of two paid staff positions: Minister of Christian Education and Director of Music
- Leadership training courses, tutoring program and clothing bank
- 24-hour telephone prayer ministry
- Weekly radio broadcastministry, which can be heard in 65 counties in Ohio, and portions of Kentucky and Pennsylvania
- Mid-week Bible Study at the noon hour
- Weekly in-depth Bible study
- The Mount Olivet Christian Academy opened in 1993
In 1980, Pastor Booth shared his vision for remodeling and expanding the facilities of the church so that we could perform greater Christian service. The membership gave strong support to the building vision and planning for a three-phase Building Program which, to-date has included:
- 1980 - Hunger Outreach Ministry
- 1981 - Remodeling of Sanctuary and restrooms and Balcony addition
- 1983 - Administrative addition and new roof for Sanctuary
- 1986 - Land purchased for Rich Street parking lot and construction
- 1989 - Two-story Educational Wing addition
- 1989 - Construction of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Chapel
- 1989 - Expanded Fellowship Center
- 1991 - Construction of four-bay garage for vans
- 1995 - Kitchen and Utility Area Renovation
The Mt. Olivet Baptist Church rejoices in her past, remains steadfast to the cause of Christ in the present and is preparing to be of even greater Christian service in the future.
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