The History of Vessels of Praise

Vessels of Praise was founded and established in 1996 on the first Sunday in January of that year. The church was lead by founding Pastor Charles and Alberta McNair and a handful of members including David and Betty Franklin-Hammonds who helped to establish the churches 501C3 status for tax exempt and tax deductible organizations. Other notable members including sons: Coliér, Vique, and Trey McNair; Lonnie & Dorothy Tyus; Marvin Allen and family (5) John and Linnel Thomas and family (4); Bertha Thomas; Everline Thomas; Sam and Vickie Thornton (3); Carolyn Briggs and family (3); Angela Ellis (3); and a few others helped to establish the make up of the congregation.

In 2006, before Pastor Coliér was extended the opportunity to accept the pastorship of Vessels of Praise, the Lord had already laid on him a burden with a vision and mission to build the Body of Christ for Kingdom purposes and the fulfillment of God’s divine will intended plan for mankind here on earth. Out of that vision Zion City International Church Ministries, Inc. was born. (Read more about Kingdom 360).

When Vessels of Praise founding Bishop Charles McNair moved to officially transition the church into the hands of his son Coliér McNair in September 2006, Pastor Coli and his wife Myra, and a remnant of people begin to work together prayerfully and strategically to fulfill the purposes for which the church was established.

In honor of the legacy of our founding leaders, Pastor Coliér revealed the vision of Zion City International while simultaneously continuing the work of Vessels of Praise to help thread the legacy of his father and pastor Charles McNair, who also serves as Emeritus Bishop and Senior Associate Pastor.

In 2008, Zion City International Church Ministries, Inc. was officially introduced as the new legal name for the entire ministry “Unified With One Accord and One Purpose!”.

2006 - 2018

History of Zion City Church

Zion City Church was established in 2006 and officially in 2008 when the new name became the sole name of the previous ministry established by Bishop Charles C. McNair, Sr., (father) and Evangelist Alberta F. McNair (mother), parents of new pastor Coliér McNair. Highlights include:

On March 26, 2014, Coliér McNair and Chris Dolson met at Adler’s for the first time to introduce themselves and their ministries to one another. The two pastors continued to make subsequent lunch meetings at one of their favorite Wisconsin burger joints (Culver’s) with their first follow up meeting taking place on April 23, 2014. Coliér initially reached out to Chris in an email hoping to establish a cross-cultural mentor-protegé relationship with a successful pastor and leader in the evangelical church community. Moreover, McNair’s desire to build a successful African American church became paramount to his dreams and passion for ministry after he moved his congregation into their new standalone location on Applegate Road in 2012.

Here’s a bottomline graphic timeline of how the relationship between the two churches and their congregants has grown over the years.