Pastor of Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to Speak at WSSU
Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock
February 2, 2012
The Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, will speak on Thursday, February 9, at 9:45 a.m. in Dillard Auditorium in the Anderson Conference Center on the campus of Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) as part of the school's annual James A. Gray Lecture Series.Warnock, who has served as senior pastor of the spiritual home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. since 2005, is the third speaker in the 2011-2012 series. His lecture is free and open to the public.
Prior to being called to Ebenezer Baptist, Warnock had trained in other churches known for their deep spiritual roots and strong public witness. He began as an intern and licentiate at the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, a leading light during Dr. King's Birmingham campaign. From there, he served as youth pastor and assistant pastor of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City and as senior pastor of Baltimore's Douglas Memorial Community Church, also a spiritual base for activism, before moving to Atlanta.
A cum laude graduate of Morehouse College with a B.A. degree in psychology, Warnock holds a Master of Divinity degree, a Master of Philosophy degree and a Ph.D. in the field of systematic theology from Union Theological Seminary. He has written on Dr. King and Dietrich Bonhoeffer and their challenges to the church as well as focused his research on the theological meaning and historical mission of Black churches born fighting for freedom. As an opinion leader, his perspective has been sought out by electronic and print media on local, national and international levels.
The James A. Gray Lecture Series, sponsored by the James A. Gray Endowment and Winston-Salem State University, annually brings in speakers to address ethical issues facing modern society. The final lecture for this year will be on April 12 with Dr. Gail R. O'Day, dean and professor of New Testament and preaching at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. For additional information, contact Dr. Cedric S. Rodney, lecture series coordinator, at 336-750-2479 or rodneycs@wssu.edu.
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Contacts: Nancy Young Aaron Singleton
Director Director
Public and Media Relations Media Relations
336-750-8764 (office) 336-750-3152 (office)
336-413-1472 (mobile) 336-414-9366 (mobile)
youngnn@wssu.edu singletona@wssu.edu
