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Cargill Lead Pastor Steve Scott said Mount Zion came to it for help after realizing in late 2023 that with a shrinking membership and dwindling resources it would be tough to continue on much longer.

“They realized they had two options, either close or merge,” Scott said.

Discussions commenced between Cargill and Mount Zion. Scott said it made a lot of sense because the two churches are separated by about a mile and are basically neighbors. Mount Zion is at 2130 Mount Zion Ave. and Cargill is at 2000 Wesley Ave.

“We welcomed the conversation and we immediately said they’d be welcome to worship,” Scott said.

There were 36 members left at Mount Zion who voted to join Cargill, but Scott said there were less than 20 worshipping weekly at the time of the closure.

“It’s always hard for people to say goodbye to something that they treasured and that’s what Mount Zion was for people. But, it’s always about forming relationships and we are honored to continue honoring those relationships now. It’s an ending, but it’s also a beginning,” Scott said.

Mount Zion’s last service at its building at 2130 Mount Zion Ave. was Aug. 25. That building is a 14,000 square-foot facility that sits on about 2.8 acres of land. It was built in 1957. There is also a house that was used for the pastor.

The vote included transferring assets to Cargill, including the Mount Zion property.

“We will be looking for future uses for the good of the community. We are not looking to expand at our location. We are looking to see if that space could benefit Janesville. We don’t know what that would be,” Scott said.

Mount Zion began as Richards Memorial Church, according to a Cargill press release. That opened in 1908 at Milton and Prospect avenues. After outgrowing that location, Mount Zion opened.

Cargill has about 800 members.