Atlanta's African American churches stand as pillars of strength and resilience, deeply woven into the fabric of the city's history. From their crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement to their ongoing influence on local politics and economic development, these churches have consistently served as vital centers of community leadership and social change.
Ebenezer Baptist Church, a cornerstone of Atlanta's African American community.
A History of Political Involvement
Georgia’s African American churches have a long history of political involvement, including a crucial role in the civil rights movement and, more recently, an influence on the decisions made by elected public officials in the city of Atlanta. Throughout the era of racial segregation ministers and educators often served as the leaders of the African American community in towns and cities across the South. In Atlanta prominent African American pastors, such as Martin Luther King Sr. of Ebenezer Baptist Church and William Holmes Borders of Wheat Street Baptist Church, have used their positions as community leaders to meet regularly with elected public officials.
In 1946 the federal courts outlawed the all-white primary in the state, opening the way for Blacks to register and vote in primaries. Responding to this change, Black church leaders spearheaded a voter registration drive in Atlanta to increase the number of African Americans who could participate in local elections. Atlanta’s longtime mayor William B. Hartsfield recognized the growing importance of Black voters in local politics and hired eight African American police officers in 1948. While Hartsfield proclaimed that Atlanta was “the City Too Busy to Hate,” local African American ministers continued to provide leadership in the struggle to end segregation.
For example, in 1957 Borders led a small group of ministers who boarded a city bus and sat near the front in defiance of Georgia’s transit-segregation laws. The ministers were arrested and immediately released on bond, providing a test case for federal courts. The federal district court declared the state law invalid, a decision that integrated the bus system in Atlanta.
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The Civil Rights Movement and the Church
The slow pace of gradual desegregation gave way to peaceful sit-in demonstrations by students from the Atlanta University Center who were determined to force change in the city. A younger generation of church leaders, particularly Martin Luther King Jr. and Andrew Young, taught the students principles of nonviolence. They also served as mediators in a voluntary desegregation agreement arranged among the students, downtown merchants, and such civic leaders as Ivan Allen Jr. The city’s African American churches continued to be instrumental in the struggle for civil rights: they provided space for meetings, their pastors served as community leaders, and their members participated in local politics. The influence of Blacks on city government was strong enough that in 1963 Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr., a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement.
Throughout the 1960s Atlanta’s population changed rapidly. Blacks were attracted to the city, in part because of the moderate climate of race relations, and at the same time whites moved to suburbs outside the city limits. The 1970 census reported that for the first time in the city’s history, the majority of Atlanta’s population was African American. Responding to this increased political strength, Atlanta’s Black ministers rallied their members to support the mayoral candidacy of Maynard Jackson, who was elected in 1973 as the city’s first African American mayor.
Some Black ministers played a more active role in local politics. Joseph Lowery, pastor of Central and Cascade United Methodist churches, served for more than twenty years as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the civil rights organization created by Martin Luther King Jr. From 1975 until 1998 the Reverend Lowery was a member of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), serving three years as chair of the board.
Concerned Black Clergy (CBC) and Economic Empowerment
With political power in the city firmly in the hands of African American elected officials, in 1983 the attention of Black ministers in Atlanta turned to economic issues. The pastors of six churches that provided services to the homeless met to discuss common problems and ways in which they could work together. From this modest beginning came an organization known as Concerned Black Clergy (CBC), which grew rapidly in size and scope. From its initial interest in providing soup kitchens for the homeless, CBC turned its attention to political issues in Atlanta.
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In 1986 CBC took an active role in deciding the future of MARTA’s rail lines. The ministers persuaded both Mayor Young and the Fulton County Commission chair to support the extension of a rapid-transit rail line to a low-income neighborhood in northwest Atlanta known as Proctor Creek. CBC had grown to include more than 125 religious organizations representing more than 100,000 members in 1994. Since its modest start, the organization has continued the tradition of active participation by African American churches in Atlanta’s politics. Candidates for elected office routinely seek its support because the influence of the city’s Black ministers and their congregations remains strong in policy decisions.
The first black-owned office building in Atlanta was the Rucker Building at the corner of Auburn and Piedmont, constructed in 1904 by businessman and politician Henry A. C.C. Consolidated Company was the first black small loan company licensed by the state.
Why is Atlanta the mecca of the civil rights movement?
Historical Landmarks
Big Bethel AME Church
Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest African American church in Atlanta. A congregation of enslaved African Americans formed the church in 1847 after they were prohibited from worshipping with white parishioners at Union Church. After the Civil War, the congregation joined the African Methodist Episcopal denomination and moved to Auburn Avenue. The church has occupied its current site at 220 Auburn Ave. since the late 1880s. In 1923, a fire famously ravaged the property one day after its insurance had lapsed. The church was later rebuilt thanks to the vigorous fundraising efforts of its members. Over the years, Big Bethel shared its space with Gate City Colored School, the first public school for African Americans, Morris Brown College, and several benevolent societies.
Big Bethel AME Church, a historic landmark in Atlanta.
First Congregational Church
In 1947, the church called to the pulpit the Reverend Dr. Homer C. McEwen, the first Congregational clergyman since Dr. Proctor. A graduate of Straight College (now Dillard University) and the Chicago Theological Seminary, Dr. McEwen brought a youthful dynamism to First Church. Upon his arrival, Dr. Dr. McEwen's ministry spanned a period of thirty-two years of growth. With continued significant financial assistance from the Herndon family, Mr. A. F. Herndon and his son, Mr. Norris B.
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Following the retirement of Dr. McEwen in 1979, Dr. Marvin L. A lasting contribution of the Thomas ministry was the raising of nearly $600,000 toward the Jacob's Ladder Fund. The first phase of the building renovation program--the Herndon Tower--was completed and dedicated in June of 1991. In December 1992, Reverend Thomas accepted a call as the Interim Senior Minister of Park Manor Congregational Church in Chicago, Illinois. However, before his tenure ended, the Church called an Associate Pastor, the Reverend Dr.
The Reverend Dr. Norman Rates, a member of the congregation and Professor of Religion at Spelman College, was called as Interim Senior Minister to serve during the search for a new Senior Minister. During his interim ministry the church joined with St. The Reverend Dr. Susan D. Newman was called as Senior Pastor during the spring of 1994. During her tenure at First Church, she cultivated new opportunities for religious and community involvement, including the building of another Habitat home and the adoption of the Walden Middle School. Rev. Newman was also instrumental in the formation of a number of new church organizations, including Today’s Leaders and the Men’s and Women’s Fellowships. Rev.
On July 19, 1999, the Reverend Dwight D. Andrews was called as Senior Minister of First Congregational Church. Dr. Andrews, like his predecessor Dr. Proctor a century before, is a graduate of the Yale Divinity School and an active advocate for ministries devoted to the whole person--- mind, body and soul. Under Dr. Andrews' leadership, the membership has grown significantly and the foundation for the Church’s next century of service has been carefully laid. Two not-for-profit organizations were created to fulfill the Church’s ever-expanding outreach efforts and its aspiration to create a downtown campus with facilities to support its broad-based, Christ-centered ministry. are partners and extensions of First Church’s ministry. The Agape Homeless Ministry was in operation for over six years. It provided over 34,000 meals for the less fortunate. To accommodate the increased growth in programs, the Church undertook an ambitious building and restoration initiative. The RISE Capital Campaign raised over one million dollars for the restoration and expansion of the historic church building. The New Legacy Campaign helped to see the renovation to completion. In addition, Community Forums have been held with participants of national reputation, and quality music and worship programs of diverse styles and traditions have become a hallmark at First Congregational Church. Longtime member Ambassador Andrew Young has been appointed Pastor of Global Mission, preaches regularly, and provides leadership on a variety of fronts. First Church has been well served by more than a century of distinguished and gifted pastors. Dr.
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Marker Text: Our Lady of Lourdes was established in November 1912 by Father Ignatius Lissner as the first African-American Catholic church in Atlanta. Father Lissner received funding for the church and parish school from Mother Katharine Drexel, a Pennsylvania heiress who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS), an order established to serve and support African and Native Americans. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Lourdes parishioners, including SBS nuns, participated in protest activities as part of the Old Fourth Ward community. The SBS staffed Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School until 1974. The school closed in 2001 when the Archdiocese of Atlanta could no longer provide funding.
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Atlanta's first African-American Catholic church.
New Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church
Partly wood, vinyl and stone, New Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church is uniquely nestled inside Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, an area full of million-dollar homes. However, Pastor David F. Richards III says a spiritual oasis resides inside the historic house of worship. This year marks the church’s 155th anniversary. “This church is 155 years old. It’s the original church. Before the church building was established, emancipated African Americans gathered to worship God at “camp meetings” at the New Hope Campground. In 1872, Buckhead farmer James H. In 1927, the church building was destroyed by a fire. It’s believed that building was built before the 1900s. Richards says it’s a blessing to serve as the pastor of a Black church with such a rich history. Behind them is a stained, colorful church window that bears the name of the church’s first pastor. Richards says Rev.
For Part 1 of the interview, Scott talks with Richards about the church’s response to the pandemic and racial unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. Faith leaders should come to the table,” said Richards. “You can’t do it over a few days. He further explained that God loves everyone who gives credence to love and uplift. Part 2 of the interview picks up at the church’s cemetery across the street from the church. Richards talks with Scott about the cemetery’s history and notes that the church’s first pastor and WWII soldiers are buried on the grounds. As the interview ended, Richards pointed out the church’s stone foundation. “Remember how people served to make a difference,” said Richards.
Since its modest start, the organization has continued the tradition of active participation by African American churches in Atlanta’s politics. Candidates for elected office routinely seek its support because the influence of the city’s Black ministers and their congregations remains strong in policy decisions.
More than 1 million+ visitors come each year to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. GSU’s 30,000+ students pass through this neighborhood every day on their way to class. New businesses have opened, with more on the way.
| Church Name | Year Established | Historical Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Big Bethel AME Church | 1847 | Oldest African American church in Atlanta; shared space with first public school for African Americans. |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church | 1912 | First African-American Catholic church in Atlanta; participated in Civil Rights Movement. |
| New Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church | 1869 | Historic church built by enslaved people, serving as a religious anchor for the Black community in Buckhead. |
