Rev. Cedrick Von Jackson, pastor of West Hunter Street Baptist Church, sits in the center of the church's sanctuary. (Julien Virgin/WABE)
On a late February afternoon, Rev. Cedrick Von Jackson walks across the sanctuary of West Hunter Street Baptist Church.
Established in 1881 under Rev. Alex Allen, the place of worship has roughly 120 members weekly and decades of testimonies in history and hope.
The building, with columns resembling that of a Greek temple and colorful stained glass windows, has stood in the West End Neighborhood since 1952, initially constructed for a white congregation. After the onset of integration throughout Atlanta, West Hunter moved into the property 20 years later.
Established in 1881, West Hunter Street Baptist Church has served as a pillar of worship in Atlanta’s West End for over five decades. (Julien Virgin/WABE)
Once led by civil rights leader Ralph David Abernathy, the church has grown to become a beloved landmark within its community. For Jackson, the current pastor, it has become home.
“I think about the first time I actually stood in the pulpit to preach. I looked down and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m standing right where Dr. Ralph David Abernathy stood.’ And I looked out at my wife, and I literally shed a tear just being in that space,” Von Jackson said.
“You can hardly go anywhere in Atlanta and not feel or see the presence and the impact and the influence of this church,” he added.
Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, March 13, 1970. (AP Photo)
However, despite the strong foundation of the church’s spirit and history, the building itself is slowly showing the weight of its experiences.
“There’s a lot of wear and tear on this building,” the pastor says. “We want to keep it for as long as we can, and we’re going to need that assistance from an infrastructure standpoint just to get that work done. I can’t do it by myself.”
Historic Black churches such as West Hunter Street Baptist are some of the oldest institutions in America. For some in the African American community, they’re also one of the oldest pillars for community and safety.
The sanctuary of West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta’s West End. The church is receiving a $200,000 grant this year from Action Fund, which is dedicated to preserving historic African American sites across the country. (Julien Virgin/WABE)
“They are repositories of culture, of social impact and of faith,” said Brent Leggs, the executive director of the Action Fund, which is dedicated to preserving historic African American sites across the country.
Leggs says these institutions are critical to understanding American history, which is why the organization is giving more than $8 million this year to 30 historically Black churches facing preservation threats. This includes West End’s West Hunter Street Baptist, which is receiving a $200,000 grant from the initiative.
According to the organization in a recent press release, this year’s grants will help congregations address urgent preservation challenges such as demolition threats, deferred maintenance and structural issues. The grants for 2025 range in the window of $50,000 to $500,000.
“This $8.5 million investment marks a critical step in safeguarding historically Black Churches as enduring symbols of faith, strength, and community leadership. By preserving them, we ensure that their powerful presence continues to live on in their communities and inspire future generations,” Leggs said in the press release.
Von Jackson says that the church will use their grant funding to hire a preservation manager to plan future restoration projects. The funds are expected to be spread over a three-year period.
“There’s wall damage that needs to be taken care of. There’s ceiling damage that needs to be taken care of,” the pastor notes. “This is going to allow us to do some things that on our own we just could not do.”
Von Jackson admits it’s becoming increasingly difficult to depend on their loyal but relatively small and aging congregation to make ends meet. But he says, with certainty, that it’s critical the church remains intact.
“We are necessary. We are hope for our community. We are hope for our nation. I know that there are people that are moving away from traditional religion … but the important work in our community has always been done through the black church,” Von Jackson said, glancing up at his sanctuary.
“We would not be where we are without the black church,” he added. “And if the black church does not survive, I don’t think the black race could survive.”
