Paul Szmal: The Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church is celebrating a milestone and here to talk about it I have Victor Nelson and Reverend Dunn. Victor, good morning, how are you?
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: Good morning, Paul.
Paul Szmal: Reverend, how are you, sir?
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: Well blessed, thank you.
Paul Szmal: Yes, thank you both for being here. I was reading up a little bit on the history, Victor, and I did not realize that the church was actually formed by a group of folks that came up from Elmira.
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: Yes, one of the founding members came here from Elmira to start establishing a church. And 75 glorious years since then of serving the community.
Paul Szmal: That's correct. Tell me a little bit about the history of the church over the years and what the church has done.
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: Well, I've been affiliated with the church for the past 15, maybe 18 years. So in my role, we've have really been community-minded. And most recent, we have done a number of the COVID vaccination clinics, serving over 500 people with the vaccinations. We've done a number of neighborhood dinners and community dinners for homeless and for the elderly that can't really get out. Okay, and we are involved in all of most of the civic organizations, Martin Luther King Committee, Scholarship Committee, NAACP, African American Men's Association, and organizations as such.
Paul Szmal: And this has been now, correct me if I'm wrong, the longest running and operating African American church in the region.
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: Well, I think that we are one of the oldest. You know how history goes, never reported to the penny. So there could have been other churches along the same time period. I think Reverend Don would be able to speak to that a little better than myself. He's been affiliated a little longer than I have. Yeah, I came in 1995 and have been affiliated with them since that time. And we've tried to be involved in the community and just trying to do our best to support Geneva.
Paul Szmal: And how is the 75th anniversary going to be marked this year?
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: Well, it's going to be a three-day event. On Friday, the 16th, we're going to have a gala at Club 86.
Paul Szmal: Okay, a formal type gala.
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: On Saturday, we're having a open community musical at the church.
Paul Szmal: Oh, nice.
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: And then on Sunday, we will be just doing a normal anniversary type celebration.
Paul Szmal: And what's the outlook for the next 75 years, dare I ask?
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: Well, we're just praying that God allows us to survive and grow. You know, we've been able to upgrade our facilities and we just want to continue in that vein and working, you know, in the community. We've partnered with Hobart and William Smith Colleges and certain activities, tools for social change and things like that. And we want to just keep endeavoring in that vein.
Paul Szmal: Wow, fantastic. And I am so pleased to see that this kind of history is still living, breathing and continuing here in the Geneva community. If people want to come and pay a visit for the 75th anniversary celebrations for the gala, how would they get tickets for that?
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: They would get tickets through a number of us, but I'm here. So Victor Nelson, you can get tickets from at 315-729-5544 or come to the church at any time on tomorrow or actually this evening. We'll be at church from six to eight, ready to distribute and sell tickets.
Paul Szmal: Wonderful. And of course, the church on Sunday open to the public.
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: That is correct. And one thing I left out, Paul, is that the city did afford us the opportunity to have a name change, a street name change, an honorary street name change. So Sunday morning at 1030, we will be honoring that with the mayor who will be presenting us with a proclamation at the corner of North and Clark Street, which the honorary name will be Mount Olive Way.
Paul Szmal: Ah, fantastic. Well, gentlemen, thank you very much for being here. We certainly appreciate it.
Victor Nelson, Reverend Dunn: Thank you. It's a blessing to be here.
