While most churches are dealing with the consequences of declining enrollment, 2819 Church in Atlanta is dealing with a different kind of issue- unprecedented growth.
2819 Church in Atlanta has encountered significant challenges due to its rapid growth. In less than two years, the church has grown to approximately 6,000 members, far exceeding building capacity and prompting parking issues in the area.
One TikTok user shared the extraordinarily long line to get into the church on a typical Sunday service (see below).
The overcrowding of the church, which is housed at a facility at 2250 Perry Blvd, NW, Atlanta, GA, has now caught the attention of city officials who have issued a 30-day notice to the church to vacate.
It is not known if the church and Pastor Mitchell had received previous warnings or not, or whether the 30-day notice was the first. The 30-day notice has created urgency (and stress) for the church.
Nevertheless, during a recent Sunday service, Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell of 2819 Church in Atlanta made a emotional confession and plea to the church. According to city ordinance, the church needed to vacate and find a new space large enough to accommodate their burgeoning 6,000 members.
Pastor Mitchell laid out two (2) options to deal with the rapid growth at their current location.
Option 1: A location in Greenbriar, owned by Jewish individuals, is currently a storage unit. It would cost $250,000 to buy the space and another $250,000 for renovations. The church could only stay there for 24 months before needing to move again.
Option 2: Another facility with 120,000 square feet of space, which would cost $7 million to buy and $12 million for renovations.
These are the only options laid out by the Pastor.
With the number of mega-churches and arenas in Atlanta metro area, it is unclear why 2819 Church was not able to partner with a neighboring church, similar to Pastor Keion and Joel Osteen after Hurricane Beryl.
Nevertheless, this financial pressure is making the future of 2819 Church uncertain.
UPDATE
Help may be on the way!
Rev. Tomi Arayomi, Senior Pastor of RIG Global Church in Houston, TX, revealed on his social media that he was able to sow a seed of over $200,000 to Pastor Philip Mitchell and 2819 church. In his post, he stated, "It was never my intention for our seed to become a public story. We did not help Pastor Phillip. God did and to God belongs all the glory."
Pastor Mitchell and 2819 Church have yet to release a follow-up statement or video concerning the future of 2819 Church and whether they have received enough money to relocate.
Meanwhile, time is of the essence...
