Martin Luther King Ebenezer Research Paper

In Hebrew the word Ebenezer means the “stone of help”, and this church has helped the Atlanta community in many ways. The Ebenezer Baptist Church has a rich history of fighting against oppression and discrimination against the black community. Ebenezer was a spiritual home for many people, and the church had established different programs and groups to support the black community. This red-bricked church no longer hosts church services today because Ebenezer is now a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. Ebenezer is supported by the National Park Service, and there is no cost of admission to enter the facility. It is amazing that the church is open to the public to view and learn about the cultural and political importance
as a former member and pastor of Ebenezer. The posters in the Fellowship Hall emphasize on the accomplishment and events of King. King preached his first sermon in the Heritage Sanctuary at the age of 17. He would become co-pastor of Ebenezer in 1960, along with his father Martin Luther King Senior. King led rallies and meetings at Ebenezer to plan non-violent, civil rights protests against segregation. His meetings would lead to the creation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, and he was the President of the group. (Freeman, Greg). King’s activities helped the black community find hope and freedom through his inspiring sermons and actions. The posters in Ebenezer still seem to resonate King’s brave spirit and inspiring accomplishments
The next full-time pastor was Joseph L. Roberts Jr., and he created the following community-oriented programs: a teen mother ministry, a tutoring program, counseling services, and a senior’s day care center. Ebenezer’s Adult Day Care Center and Rehabilitation Program is open today to the public, and it is now called Intergenerational Resource Center (“Church History”). The posters of the Fellowship Hall mentioned that when the congregation began to start to overflow with many newcomers and visitors Pastor Roberts Jr. decided to create another Ebenezer Church, known as the Horizon Church, across the street from the original church. The original church is known as the Heritage Sanctuary, and many tourists continue to visit this historical place today. Pastor Roberts Jr. provided many services to the Atlanta community in order to enrich the people’s lives with more resources. He would leave the original Ebenezer with it’s last portion of