A growing hunger for spiritual clarity, biblical preaching and authentic worship is drawing thousands to a south Atlanta church each week, according to a recent segment on Erin Burnett OutFront. The report highlights the rapid rise of 2819 Church, led by Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell, whose sermons are prompting people to travel across state lines and line up before dawn just to attend Sunday services.
The CNN report opens inside the sanctuary, where Mitchell’s preaching centers on perseverance, faith and gratitude in the face of hardship.
“Doctor’s report? Still standing. Betrayal? Still standing. Lost a job? Still standing. Is anybody happy that you’re still standing? Give God praise,” Mitchell declared from the pulpit.
The segment, reported by Ryan Young, documents worshipers arriving hours early, some driving through the night from states like Ohio and North Carolina. Many told CNN they wait in line not out of hype, but because they believe something spiritually significant is taking place.
Mitchell acknowledged modern culture’s distractions while reframing the purpose of prayer and faith.
“Since we’re in America and I know we’re mad, materialistic, wanting to hear Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell. The greatest reward you’ll get in prayer is not something you can touch,” he said.
The church’s name is rooted directly in Scripture. Mitchell told the network, “2819 was taken from a scripture, Matthew 2819 and that scripture Matthew records what’s called the great commission.”
That biblical foundation is fueling something far bigger than a local church movement.
“I think it’s a revival that’s happening in America through 2819 and around the world. People are coming in here, and they’re finding a message of hope. They’re being encouraged,” he said.
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Mitchell also referenced personal and spiritual trials the church has endured.
“The devil took his best shot last year, but [we’re] still standing, though,” he said.
Rather than cultivating exclusivity, Mitchell said the goal is accessibility.
“We want to create an atmosphere that’s not so stuffy that anybody can come from any walk of life and feel comfortable,” he said.
Throughout the service, Mitchell repeatedly invited congregants to respond publicly to what God has done in their lives.
“Does anybody got that kind of testimony? All right. You give Him praise in this house,” he said.
CNN’s report also highlights Mitchell’s emphasis on spiritual urgency, including moments he described outside the pulpit.
“Three a.m., 3:00 a.m. there, I am weeping on the floor as I’m hearing this warning of God that time is coming to an end,” Mitchell said.
Rejecting shallow motivational preaching, Mitchell told the crowd, “This ain’t no pep talk, this real life. Come on, put your hands together and give Him praise.”
As attendance has swelled from roughly 200 people to about 6,000 each Sunday, Mitchell acknowledged the visible crowds are only part of the story.
“Yes, people do stand in line for hours to get into these gatherings, but something is happening on the inside that’s making them… want to be out there. I do feel overwhelmed at the amount of people,” he said.
He added, “But all of the things that we are busying ourselves with –”
The CNN segment also explored Mitchell’s personal testimony, including his conversion after a life-altering moment in 2003.
“I knew I was different; my heart was different. Something changed in my heart, and for the first time, I felt bad about the wrong that I was doing. So, God literally met me in that bathroom, Nov. 2003. And that day changed the whole trajectory of my life,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell also addressed the church’s rapidly expanding digital audience.
“To all of our digital disciples watching live right now across America and around the world, you are our family,” he said.
With more than 72 million YouTube views across over 50 countries, the message of 2819 Church is now reaching far beyond Atlanta. Mitchell said the response reflects a deeper reality in the world today.
“Whether we’re young or old, black, white, brown, we all can agree that we live in a world that is broken when we see violent weather patterns, we see wars, we see crime, murders, lawlessness,” he said.
For Mitchell, the guiding principle behind the church’s growth remains simple and unwavering.
“I want to be faithful to whatever the Bible says,” he said.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
