Ebenezer Baptist Church

12/06/05

Dr. King's historic home church is still a prominent place of worship in Atlanta.

by Contributor

Overview
Once the spiritual centerpiece for the civil rights movement, the Heritage Sanctuary, a national historic landmark, is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. It was here that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was baptized at age 5, delivered his first sermon at 17 and later became senior pastor. Ebenezer's Cathedral, the redbrick structure built in 1922, has since been restored and renovated. It contains the original altar and pulpit furniture. Also preserved was the piano bench where King's mother may have been sitting when she was slain. Feel King's presence while hearing his famous sermons resonate throughout the sanctuary during each self-guided tour.

The Experience
Across the street sits the new Horizon sanctuary where Sunday services are held for today's Ebenezer congregation. The choir sings traditional spirituals, while sounds from the largest pipe and digital organ in the southeastern United States fill the tabernacle.