New Zion Temple Church

New Zion Temple Church Worldwide Fellowship, Inc. was founded as The Little Church on Ruthven Street, a Church Of God In Christ congregation. Bishop Hayward W. Falls fulfilled the communitys needs by using donated supplies to erect a wood-framed storefront building in March 1933 at 1601 Ruthven, in the historic Freedmens Town district of the fourth ward. He bought the property in 1938 and sold it to church trustees for one dollar. When the storefront building was expanded and renovated in September 1941, the name was changed to New Zion Temple Church Of God In Christ. The current edifice was erected and opened in May 1946. The congregation remained under Church Of God In Christ jurisdiction until May 1951, when Elder Falls heeded the call of God and established New Zion Temple as Non-denominational. Elder Falls was an early disciple and later an overseer of the Latter Rain Movement, which interprets the bible in a symbolic and stylized manner. With the organization of the Worldwide Fellowship in 1952, New Zion Temple became headquarters and host for its national meetings and conventions. On May 26, 1983, its name officially changed to include Worldwide Fellowship, Inc. New Zion Temple has been committed to spreading the word of God. With its assistance, other churches have been established in Texas, California, Louisiana, Ohio, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and England. Today, the congregation supports a food pantry and clothes closet, annual holiday donations, a prison ministry, and Juneteenth celebrations. Known for its generosity, the church has served as a nucleus for social, economic, educational, political, and cultural life. * 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011

New Zion Temple Church is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 2011. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7551, -95.3832 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include J. Vance Lewis, The Reverend Ned P. Pullum, and St. James United Methodist Church.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017015. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.