Quick Facts
Founded
1886
Denomination
Progressive National Baptist
Service Times
Sunday mornings (see website)
Men's Ministry
No
Kids Ministry
Yes
Pastor Credentials
Ph.D., Union Theological Seminary; US Senator from Georgia (D)
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
Liberation-theology trajectory emphasizes social transformation; specific Christological affirmations on site are thin — 'living in the message and carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ' — yellow/red.
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Liberation-hermeneutic approach typical — Bible as authoritative witness but not inerrant — red.
WARNING!
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
J.L. Roberts Jr. Men's Chorus mentioned; no dedicated men's discipleship visible.
WARNING!
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
'Individual growth and social transformation' framing replaces classical soteriology — red.
WARNING!
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
CONFIRMED FEMALE CLERGY: Rev. Chelsea D. Waite (female) and Rev. Olivia D. A. Maxwell, M.Div. (female) serve in pastoral/officiating roles alongside Sen. Warnock. Egalitarian ordination confirmed.
Full egalitarianism.
WARNING!
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Warnock is both senior pastor and sitting US Senator — dual role raises concerns about pastoral focus. Multiple associate ministers including women.
WARNING!
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Social-gospel/liberation-theology framing; Warnock known for political-prophetic preaching — red per rubric.
WARNING!
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
'Urban-based global ministry dedicated to individual growth and social transformation' — social-justice-replaces-gospel trajectory — red.
WARNING!
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
RED CONFIRMED: 'America's Freedom Church' self-designation; 'Social Justice' ministry department; civil-rights/political activism prominent.
Disqualifier
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC) — liberation-theology tradition, many affirming congregations — black per rubric.
Disqualifier
Assessment
Ebenezer Baptist in Atlanta is MLK's home church, now pastored by U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock — whose PhD work at Union Seminary was explicit Black liberation theology and whose public theology affirms abortion rights and LGBTQ inclusion. The church is fully aligned with the Progressive National Baptist Convention and serves as a flagship of liberation-theology preaching in America. Historically iconic, theologically disqualified.
#abcusa#affirming#atlanta#black-baptist#ebenezer#georgia#liberation-theology#megachurch#mlk#mlk-church#needs-review#pnbc#pro-choice-pastor#warnock
MOOP Engagement Tracker
How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:
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Researched church website
Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes
Historic MLK church; Warnock's 2014 pulpit affirmation of same-sex marriage blessings is on record. Prog- prefix appropriate.
These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.
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[1] Live source
ebenezeratl.org
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[2] Live source
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Baptist_Church
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[3] Live source
advocate.com/commentary/2020/10/27/senate-candidate-rev-w…
Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.
Last reviewed:
2026-05-16
— Annual review recommended
101 Jackson St NE, Atlanta, GA 30312
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