Our History
Every story has a beginning. This is ours…
LEADERSHIP
In 1862, during the height of the American Civil War, twenty-five enslaved African Americans in Atlanta courageously sought and obtained permission from their white enslavers to form their own independent church. Among them was Reverend Frank Quarles (1819-1881), who became the congregation’s first pastor and a pivotal leader, despite being enslaved himself at the Ponder House.
This founding group established what would become the first autonomous African American Baptist congregation in Atlanta, laying a foundation for Black religious and civic life in Atlanta. It was an important milestone that resulted from a commitment to worship that took root much earlier in 1848, again with the permission of the white slave owners, when a small group was approved to attend the white First Baptist Church.
Friendship is affectionately called the “mother” to nine other Baptist congregations across the city .
Under Reverend Quarles’ visionary leadership, Friendship Baptist Church entered a period of remarkable growth and influence in Atlanta’s Black community. The church became known as the “mother church” to nine other Baptist congregations, nurturing new houses of worship and developing leadership throughout the city. Notably, Mt. Zion Second Baptist Church (1868) and Wheat Street Baptist Church (1869) were both founded on Atlanta’s East Side soon after Friendship’s own establishment, reflecting Friendship’s role as a catalyst for religious, social, and civic development among African Americans during Reconstruction.
In 1870, the fast-growing congregation completed a new building on the corner of Haynes and Markham Streets, which they also quickly outgrew. In 1871, they began construction of a new building at 437 Mitchell Street that was completed in 1872.
Rev. Frank Quarles
Founding Pastor
437 Mitchell Street
LEGACY
A defining chapter in Friendship Baptist Church’s legacy is its role in the founding of Spelman College, now the nation’s oldest historically Black college for women and a leader in liberal arts education. In 1881, Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles, two pioneering educators from New England, began teaching Black women and girls in the church’s basement. With the steadfast support of Pastor Frank Quarles and the congregation, the school flourished, attracting students from across the country and eventually from international locations.
Friendship’s role in black education has been unique in that Morehouse College, upon moving to Atlanta from Augusta, Georgia in 1879, set up classes in Friendship Baptist Church. Spelman College had its beginning in the basement of the previous church site in 1881. Close ties between these institutions continue to this day.
The college was named after Laura Spelman Rockefeller, the daughter of abolitionists, following the Rockefellers’ decision to become benefactors of the institution. Spelman’s close ties with Morehouse College, another prominent HBCU across the street, fostered collaboration and academic excellence, including a merger of several academic programs in 1929. Friendship’s pivotal support not only advanced education for Black women but also cemented its place in Atlanta’s broader social and educational history.
LINEAGE
On September 22, 2013, Friendship Baptist Church made the difficult decision to sell its historic Mitchell Street property to the Atlanta Falcons, paving the way for the construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The last service at the cherished site was held on May 25, 2014, led by Rev. Dr. William V. Guy, Pastor Emeritus, who reflected on the bittersweet end of an era and the enduring spirit of the congregation.
Despite the challenges and sense of loss, the church community demonstrated remarkable resilience, holding services at Morehouse College while a new sanctuary was being built at 80 Walnut Street. On July 30, 2017, Friendship Baptist Church opened its new doors, continuing its legacy of faith, leadership, and service to the Atlanta community.
It is worthy to note that Friendship has had only eight pastors to serve in its 163-year history: the Rev. Frank Quarles (1862-1881); the Rev. Dr. Edward Randolph Carter (1882 – 1944); the Rev. Dr. Maynard Holbrook Jackson (1945 – 1953); the Rev. Dr. Samuel Woodrow Williams (1954 – 1970); the Rev. Dr. William Vincent Guy (1971 – 2007); the Rev. Dr. Timothy T. Boddie (2008 – 2012); the Rev. Dr. Richard W. Wills, Sr. (2015- 2021); and the Rev. Dr. Kelly M. Smith, Jr., (2024).