You may email Pastor Allen by clicking on his name or by telephone: (Cell) 205-213-5777 or (Residence) 205-608-3274.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
PASTOR DARREN C. ALLEN
Pastor Allen was called as pastor on November 30, 2003 and has served as pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church since December 3, 2003.
Pastor Darren C. Allen is the son of Mrs. Alma Allen (Ford) and Mr. Harry Wilson. He was reared by his mother and grandparents Mrs. Clide H. Allen and the late Mr. Joseph Allen, Sr. He became saved through the ministries of the First Baptist Church Woodward in Brighton, Alabama under the spiritual tutelage of the Pastor Adolphus Moody. At the age of eighteen, Pastor Allen was ordained as the youngest deacon in the history of his church, later serving as a musician.
In January 2000, Pastor Darren C. Allen accepted the call into the ministry of the Word at the First Baptist Church, Northport, Alabama under the leadership of the Pastor Richard L. Morgan. He had previously served at FBCN as a musician and Minister of Music for eight years and associate minister for three years. On November 30, 2003, Pastor Allen was called as pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church, Cordova, Alabama and has served in this capacity since December 3, 2003.
Since December 2, 1995, he has shared his life with his wife and partner in ministry, Zephaniah (Lady Zay), a gifted choir director and vocalist. Lady Zay is currently employed as science teacher in the Jefferson County School system. They are blessed with one daughter, Little Miss Zoë Catherine, born March 25, 2002 and one son, Master Zion Christian, born February 5, 2008. They reside in City of Gardendale, just north of Birmingham, Alabama.
At the University of Alabama, Pastor Allen began to further develop his gifts as a member, staff musician, and assistant director of the Afro-American Gospel Choir (the Afros) in 1992. He was honored by the choir as Outstanding Tenor and Outstanding Male on more than one occasion. He later sang with the Abundant Life Music Ministry, Birmingham, Alabama from 1992-2002. In 1993, he won men's talent division of the National Baptist Student Union Retreat, earning the title of Mr. BSU in Louisville, Kentucky. He then served a term on the organization's national board of directors. Pastor Allen was a soloist on the audio recordings: Tribute to the Trinity for the Afro-American Gospel Choir's collaborative recording project with the Church of the Firstborn, Tuscaloosa, Alabama (1995); Abundant Life Music Ministry (two tracks) I Can't Stop Praising the Lord and A Song For You recorded in Birmingham, Alabama (1996); You Must Be Born Again with the Gospel Music Workshop of America Youth and Young Adult Mass Choir, Cincinnati, Ohio (1997).
He received his formal education from Brighton Elementary and High Schools, graduating from Hueytown High School in 1990. He furthered his education by earning a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Alabama. A former admissions officer at the University of Alabama, he has been employed at Lawson State Community College, Birmingham, Alabama since June 1, 1999. Pastor Allen has served various capacities including Enrollment Manager, Coordinator of Admissions and Records, Director of Admissions/Registrar and currently serves as Assistant Dean at the College.
Pastor Allen served on Family the Self-Sufficiency Program Coordinating Committee of Birmingham Housing Authority for over seven years, having served as its vice-president. From 2005-2007, he served as President-elect (later assuming the presidency) of Alabama Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (ALACRAO), the state's association of two-year and four-year college administrators. Pastor Allen is a graduate of the 2007 Class of Leadership Walker County. He is a member Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, having been initiated through the Kappa Alpha Chapter at The University of Alabama. He is also a life member and veteran state and local executive board member of the fraternity.
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