New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
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The New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, known familiarly as New Birth, is located in Lithonia, Georgia, United States, and led by Bishop Eddie Long. New Birth has a membership in excess of 30,000 members.[citation needed] While many megachurches are attended by more visitors than members on a weekly basis a recent study citied the church as having the largest number of members in weekly attendance than other well known churches in the nation.[citation needed]
The church has a variety of ministries, catering to children and youth, singles, seniors, couples, and families. It led a march to get a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state of Georgia. [1] The church also runs an ex-gay ministry which it claims can make homosexuals into heterosexuals through the power of Jesus Christ.[citation needed] New Birth also is prominent for its message of prosperity.[citation needed] Its greatest strength arises from the ability to make poor and destitute parishioners awake to "God's blessings for their lives."[original research?] The funeral of civil rights activist Coretta Scott King, wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., took place at the church. Their daughter Bernice Albertine King is an elder at the church.[citation needed] The church has become known as having a membership that is affluent and very active within their community with members holding several local political offices and being involved in the financial development of their respective communities.[citation needed] Media outlets report that New Birth gives $100,000 annually to the Hosea Feed The Hungry cause in Downtown Atlanta.[citation needed] New Birth and Bishop Eddie Long are known for its extravagant programs to support members of the church by giving away cars to single mothers,[citation needed] leading members in a massive weight loss program,[citation needed] paying off the debt of several resident families,[citation needed] and tutoring students who have achieved less than desirable grades in school.[citation needed]
A plethora of churches have been founded out of New Birth and are currently under the ministry's oversight.[citation needed]
[edit] Churches Founded Out of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
- New Birth South
- New Birth North
- New Mercies Christian Church
- New Birth Charlotte
- New Birth Memphis
- New Birth Concord
- New Birth Spartanburg (South Carolina)
- New Birth Greenville
- New Birth Savannah