Ebenezer Baptist Church (Atlanta, Georgia)

Ebenezer Baptist Church is an evangelical Christian Baptist church located in Atlanta, United States, affiliated with the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

Ebenezer Baptist Church
Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta
33°45′19″N 84°22′27″W
LocationAtlanta
CountryUnited States
DenominationProgressive National Baptist Convention
Websiteebenezeratl.org
History
Founded1886

History
Interior of the church building in 1979

The church was founded in 1886 by Pastor John A. Parker and eight people.[1] In 1913, the church had 750 people.[2] In 1922, the building was inaugurated. [3] In 1927, Martin Luther King Sr. became assistant pastor.[1] In 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. became co-pastor of the church with his father until 1968.[4]

Horizon Sanctuary in 2016

In 1999, a new 1,700-seat church building called the Horizon Sanctuary was inaugurated on the site of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park.[5]

Since 2005, Raphael Warnock has been the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church;[6] he is the fifth person to serve as Ebenezer's senior pastor since its founding.[7] On January 30, 2020, Warnock announced his campaign for Kelly Loeffler's Senate seat during the 2020 special election.[7]

The Funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. was held at the church on April 9, 1968.[8] The funeral of Rayshard Brooks was held on June 23, 2020 at the church.[8] The funeral of John Lewis was held on July 30, 2020 at the church.[8]

References
  1. Paul Finkelman, Cary D. Wintz, Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century Five-volume Set, Oxford University Press, USA, 2009, p. 119
  2. Martin Luther King, Clayborne Carson, Ralph E. Luker, Peter Holloran, Penny A. Russell, The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Volume I: Called to Serve, January 1929-June 1951, University of California Press, USA, 1992, p. 13
  3. Paul Finkelman, Encyclopedia of African American History: 5-Volume Set, Oxford University Press USA, USA, 2009, p. 119
  4. Paul Finkelman, The Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties: A - F, Index, Taylor & Francis, USA, 2006, p. 889
  5. KEVIN SACK, A New Place to Nourish One Dreamer's Legacy, nytimes.com, USA, MARCH 8, 1999
  6. Greg Bluestein. "Exclusive: Pastor of historic Ebenezer Baptist Church considers U.S. Senate run". ajc.
  7. Fausset, Richard (January 30, 2020). "Citing 'Soul of Our Democracy,' Pastor of Dr. King's Church Enters Senate Race". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  8. Suggs, Ernie (July 29, 2020). "Ebenezer Baptist Church fitting site for John Lewis' funeral". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
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