For two decades, one Nashville tradition has quietly shaped the spiritual lives of young Black scholars across the South. While many college milestones are celebrated with tailgates, homecomings, and stepping on the yard, Mt. Zion Baptist Church created something different—an intentional moment for students to reconnect with God, recharge their purpose, and remember who they are beyond the classroom.
Faith, Fellowship & Future Leaders: Mt. Zion’s College Sunday Marks 20 Years of Keeping Students Covered in Christ Across the South
This year, Mt. Zion’s 20th Annual College Sunday Celebration—VIZN—will welcome students from HBCUs, PWIs, community colleges, and universities across the region on Sunday, November 9. What began as a single church’s outreach has now impacted more than 200,000 students over the past 20 years—a number that speaks not only to attendance, but to the movement College Sunday has become.
A Southern Tradition Rooted in Faith + Future
College Sunday was created with one simple truth in mind: students may leave home for school, but they still need a spiritual home. From Western Kentucky University to Clark Atlanta University, from Memphis to Huntsville, busloads of students make the trip to Nashville each year—not because it’s required, but because the experience feels like coming home.
The day is intentionally curated to feel familiar to students: high-energy praise, choir performances that sound like Sunday and the yard, and preaching that speaks directly to young Black adults navigating purpose, pressure, and identity.
This year’s service features:
- Clark Atlanta University Choir
- Tennessee State University New Direction Choir
- Lipscomb University Gospel Choir
- Austin Peay Gospel Choir
- Guest artists Joel Barnes and Dwan Hill
And for the first time, students can stream the full experience on Twitch, offering a digital “front-row seat” into worship through a student POV—ushering in a new era of tech-meets-testimony.
More Than a Service — It’s a Spiritual Lifeline
In an age where college students are balancing academic pressures, mental health challenges, social change, and the weight of adulthood, College Sunday stands as a reminder that faith is not seasonal, and purpose is not postponed.
“What started as a vision reverberated into something life-changing for church ministries across the nation,” says Dr. Darryl M. Taliaferro, Mt. Zion’s first-ever College Pastor. “I’m thankful God chose Mt. Zion to start that.”
For many students, the event becomes a turning point—some join campus ministries after attending, others recommit to their faith, and many simply feel seen, heard, and strengthened.
Why It Matters in the Black Southern Faith Story
Black Southern Belle readers know: faith and culture have always walked hand-in-hand in our communities. Whether through family pews, Sunday potlucks, or choirs that raised generations, the Black church has long been a place where identity and destiny intersect.
Mt. Zion’s College Sunday doesn’t just honor that legacy—it evolves it. It welcomes Gen Z and Gen Alpha into spiritual leadership their way, without losing what makes Southern church culture sacred: community, joy, music, and the unapologetic belief that God still calls young people.
Event Details
Date: Sunday, November 9
Time: 11:15 AM
Location: Mt. Zion Baptist Church
7594 Old Hickory Blvd, Whites Creek, TN 37189
Watch Live: Twitch (student stream)
More Info: www.mtzionnashville.org
About Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Based in Nashville, Mt. Zion is a Word-centered ministry committed to evangelizing the lost, empowering believers, and serving local and global communities through holistic ministry. For 20 years, College Sunday has helped the church support, mentor, and spiritually anchor the next generation of leaders walking college campuses today.
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