Ebenezer Missionary Baptist (MB) Church is one of the oldest churches in Alabama, with its doors first opening in 1870. Now, 156 years later, the church continues to be one of the most historic sites in Auburn.
Originally founded in 1868 – and possibly as early as 1863 – by Reverend Thomas Glenn, Ebenezer MB Church was built by newly emancipated slaves. Located at 450 E. Thach Ave., the church was built on land donated by congregation member Mary Clower who received half an acre of land from Lonnie Payne, an assumed slave owner.
On this land, the church was erected using hand-hewn logs, which were transported by mule from the nearby Frazer plantation. Now called the Frazer-Brown-Pearson Home or Noble Hall, the plantation serves as a historical site north of Auburn.
A majority of Ebenezer’s first congregation was newly freed from enslavement, and the building and many other predominantly Black churches in the South allowed for the freed to leave behind the custom of going to church with their masters.
Ebenezer is located west of the Baptist Hill community cemetery. The four acres of land is also assumed to have been donated by a former slave owner. However, it was the Black community’s first separate cemetery in Auburn. The cemetery gained this nickname due to the influence Ebenezer had on this side of Auburn and the amount of Black citizens on this side of Auburn.
The original location of Ebenezer MB Church served its congregation until its closure in 1969, five years after Auburn’s integration. After this closure, a new location was built from brick. Though the original location and Baptist Hill were left behind, they were picked up by the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 after being restored by the Auburn Heritage Association in 1970.
Currently located at 451 Pitts St., Ebenezer MB Church is a small and dedicated congregation. Their mission statement is as follows: “The primary mission of the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church is to teach and preach the word of God and to bring people to a closer relationship with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. . . . The church seeks to further the Kingdom of God on earth by having a Christian influence in the community, the nation and the world.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Brychelle Brooks, senior majoring in public and professional writing with a minor in information systems, has been with The Auburn Plainsman since August 2023. She previously served as the Campus Reporter, Opinion Editor and Newsletter Editor. She is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief.
