The historic Ebenezer Baptist Church was founded in 1888, by John Andrew Park, the first minister of the church. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s grandfather, Adam Daniel Williams, became the church’s second minister where his work prompted the growth from 13 members to 750 members by 1913. In March 1914, Williams held the groundbreaking for the Ebenezer congregation’s new location on the corner of Auburn Avenue and Jackson Street in Atlanta, Georgia. Spending all of his time there during his father’s role as pastor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr formed strong bonds with members of the congregation and God. In 1960, Luther became co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church alongside his father. By moving his ministry work to the Ebenzer from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Luther was closer to the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) where his contributions would help improve and expand the Civil Rights Movement. Luther maintained his positioned as co-pastor until his death in 1968.
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