History

District Elder James O. Franklin was installed as the second pastor of Christ Temple No. 2 in Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 19, 1967, succeeding the founder, Pastor Lillian Mason. Committed to creating a sound administration and a distinct church identity, he led the name change to Mt. Zion Apostolic Church in 1969. During his pastorate, the church’s constitution and bylaws were established, and several ministries were organized, including the choir, Youth Training Council, and the brotherhood and sisterhood auxiliaries. The foreign missions program also expanded, supporting orphanages in Haiti, Jamaica, and Africa. A skilled carpenter, Bishop Franklin helped build the church at 3412 E. Prospect Street church in the 1950s and later directed construction of a three-story annex in 1978. Under his leadership, Mt. Zion reached its peak in the late 1970s, with approximately 100 members and nearly 150 regular Sunday School students. Bishop Franklin was also a devoted Bible scholar with a particular interest in eschatology, writing numerous articles on the subject for the church’s Sunday bulletin and for publications of the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith (PCAF), of which the church was affiliated. He continued to lead Mt. Zion until his death in 1987, bringing a 20-year pastorate to a close and leaving a lasting imprint on the congregation’s ministries, facilities, and spiritual life.

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Biographical Summary

Bishop James Oba Franklin was born November 1, 1921, in LaVergne, Tennessee. His early ministry included service as assistant pastor of Christ Temple No. 2, later known as Mt. Zion Apostolic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, before he was installed as its pastor in 1967. He was baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost under the pastorate of Elder Robert Tobin and received his ministerial license and elevation to the episcopate through the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith. An honorably discharged Army veteran, Bishop Franklin worked for 24 years as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier before entering full-time ministry. Known for his commitment to biblical study, he was widely respected for his deep knowledge of the book of Revelation and invaluable teachings on end-time prophecy. Bishop Franklin and his wife, Marian Perkins Franklin, were the parents of 11 children: Stephen, Paul, Marshall, Jonathan, Teresa, David, Anita, Timothy, Gordon, Nancy, and Kathleen. He served faithfully as pastor of Mt. Zion for 20 years until his passing at age 66 on November 27, 1987. His legacy continues at the Indianapolis campus of Kingdom Apostolic Ministries, where the Bishop James O. Franklin Chapel was named in his honor in 2005.​​​​

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