Raphael Warnock, the Democratic Senate candidate for Georgia, claims he preaches from the same pulpit as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. But that’s not entirely true, according to one of the nieces of the late civil rights leader.
Alveda King, an author and evangelist in her own right, is joining the myriad voices condemning Warnock, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, for saying Tuesday he is a “pro-choice pastor.”
“He is doing such a disservice to his own congregation — to the women and the men and the families, the children, and his community,” King told Faithwire. “He should be giving them alternatives: ‘There are better ways to live. Let me as pastor of this church help you so you don’t have to kill a baby and hurt your own body.’”
Warnock, she continued, “should offer real, genuine service to his parishioners that cannot include abortion. God said choose life. He didn’t give any excuses for not choosing life.”
As for the oft-repeated claim that Warnock preaches “from MLK’s pulpit,” King suggested Wednesday that isn’t the whole story.
The pro-life leader, who is also a Fox News contributor, differentiates between the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church — where her grandfather, father, and famous uncle served as pastors — and Horizon’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Warnock now preaches. In 1999, the latter facility was built and became the main sanctuary for congregants while the former space, Historic Ebenezer, became part of a memorial for MLK and is now used only for special occasions.
“Historic Ebenezer was an altar that was raised to God in the Bible,” King explained. “Now, the Horizon’s Ebenezer is an altar to Baal. They’re across the street from each other. So when Raphael Warnock says, ‘I’m preaching from Martin Luther King Jr.’s pulpit,’ well, Historic Ebenezer, that’s God’s pulpit; that is the real Ebenezer.”
Our interview with King comes ahead of the premiere of her new special, “Alveda King’s House,” which will begin airing on Fox News’ streaming service, Fox Nation, this Friday, Dec. 11. In the show, King will share some of her signature recipes as well as talk about her favorite Christmas traditions.
Going into the holiday season, King encouraged people to cling to the New Testament passage 3 John 1:2, which states: “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.”
Noting she’s lost close friends to COVID-19, King said: “Still fellowship, still gather in smaller units. We don’t ever have more than six people gathered at a time right now.”
“Do not forsake your spirit, connected to God, loving others,” she explained. “It’s very important this year to forgive others. … If you say, ‘I’m alone. I don’t have anybody to share the holidays with,’ connect with us online: God is not leaving you. Jesus said He’d never leave you or forsake you.”
“We just want everybody to love each other as one race, of Acts 17:26, one blood, forgiving and loving through the holidays,” King added.
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