The Rev. Gerald Durley has assumed the role of interim pastor of West Hunter Street Baptist Church, after the death of its longtime senior pastor last year.
The Rev. Toussaint King Hill Jr., 61, died in October of complications from gastric cancer. He led the church for 14 years.
Durley, 78, also serves as pastor emeritus of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta and chairman of Interfaith Power & Light, a California-based interfaith nonprofit, which mobilizes the faith community to take action on climate change.
Durley, a prominent pastor and activist, will serve in that role until a new pastor is named.
Durley said his decision to come to West Hunter was based in part on how rapidly things are changing in Atlanta and the nation.
“We cannot leave our houses (of worship) bare right now,” he said, citing the pandemic and other challenges. “We must cover our pulpits. We cannot take God’s work for granted.”
Among the challenges West Hunter and other inner city churches face is continuing gentrification of neighborhoods. How does a church continue to thrive and serve the community? How do you bring in people of diverse backgrounds?
West Hunter Street Baptist Church, in Atlanta, is the home of noted civil rights leader, the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy from 1961 to 1990. It was organized in 1881 as Mount Calvary Baptist Church and over the decades underwent several name changes.
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