ATLANTA – The Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor of historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, will deliver the 2018 William L. Self Preaching Lectures Feb. 26-27 at Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology.
Dr. Warnock will present a series of three lectures on Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. in Cecil B. Day Hall on the Atlanta campus.
“We are very pleased to have Dr. Warnock as our guest speaker this year,” said Dr. Jeff Willetts, dean of McAfee School of Theology. “Anyone within his hearing will benefit.”
Dr. Warnock has served since 2005 as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Under Dr. Warnock's leadership, more than 3,000 new members have joined Ebenezer, enhancing the church's legacy of social activism with both spiritual and numerical growth.
Several new ministries have been launched, including Worship on Wednesdays, Jericho Lounge, Young Adult Ministry and After Midnight – A Watch Night Worship Celebration.
Dr. Warnock graduated cum laude from Morehouse College in 1991 with his Bachelor of Arts in psychology. He later earned his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, graduating with honors and distinction. He continued his graduate study at Union, receiving his Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in the field of systematic theology.
He is a member of alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc.
Dr. Warnock is married to Oulèye Ndoye Warnock, and the couple has one daughter, Chloé.
The William L. Self Lectureship was established in order to promote the practice of faithful and effective preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lectures seek to instill in students and pastors a passion for better preaching by providing worthy models and by offering seasoned instruction and encouragement.
The lecture series is named in honor of the late Dr. William L. Self, a former Mercer trustee who distinguished himself with a national reputation as a gifted preacher, pastor, author, lecturer, motivational speaker and innovator in church growth. Dr. Self achieved considerable acclaim by leading Wieuca Road Baptist Church in Atlanta to a place of prominence in Georgia and the nation. Then, as pastor of Johns Creek Baptist Church in Alpharetta, his leadership and influence brought that church to the vanguard of fast-growing churches.
There is a $40 fee to attend the lectures. A dinner will take place in the Trustees Dining Room between the first two lectures. Dinner reservations are required at an additional cost of $25 per person.
For more information, or to register, contact Diane Frazier at (678) 547-6470 or frazier_d@mercer.edu prior to the registration deadline of Feb. 20.
About McAfee School of Theology
McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University forms Christian leaders whose practice and scholarship, empowered by their passion for God and neighbor, change lives and transform communities. The School accomplishes this mission by: 1) integrating spirituality with service through: practicing spiritual disciplines that nurture us for Christian service; embracing ethnic, gender and theological diversity to enhance our spiritual growth and moral formation; creating opportunities to learn in community, experience transformation and risk action; 2) integrating theological inquiry with prophetic vision through interpreting the story of the Christian faith through sacred scriptures and traditions; connecting faith to global contexts in ways that engage personal, communal and political realities; critiquing the structures of our society from an informed prophetic voice; 3) integrating worship with witness through celebrating God's presence in worship as the source of the Church's call to community and global transformation; reading cultural contexts to create holistic strategies for ministry; proclaiming the love of God in Jesus Christ through dialogue and in partnership with others.
