On the border of Clayton and Fayette counties sits a church that has been at the same location for 126 years.

Corinth Baptist Church was constituted on Sept. 19, 1880. The church has been predominately white throughout its history, though its first preacher was a black man named Berry Austin.

This Sunday, all that will change. Corinth has invited the South Atlanta Community Church, a predominately African-American congregation, to share the building.

Even though the churches are different in both denomination and race, their pastors say they believe these differences are less important than what unites them.

“We have found that we can ‘walk together as sisters and brothers’ in Christ Jesus,” say Pastor Raymond Causey of South Atlanta and Pastor Chuck Kitchens of Corinth Baptist. The two pastors enjoy a deep friendship that, they say, would surely put a smile on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s face, if he had lived to witness it.

While the churches will remain autonomous of one another, they will share the building, occasionally swap pulpits and have joint services, do community outreach projects together and have a unified youth ministry, among other things.

Their first day together will be celebrated with a joint worship service at 11 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 12, followed by a covered dish dinner.

On succeeding Sundays, Corinth will worship at 9:45 a.m. and South Atlanta will worship at 11:15 a.m.

Both congregations invite the surrounding communities to join them as they “seek to fulfill the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”

Corinth Baptist Church is at 398 Corinth Road (Fayette County), between Ga. Hwy. 54 East and Ga. Hwy. 85 North. Turn onto Corinth Road from either highway, and go about four miles. For more information or directions, call 770-461-4456.

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