The pastor of one of Atlanta’s fastest-growing churches is under fire for his sermon Sunday urging his congregants to “be submittal to government authority.”
Philip Anthony Mitchell, who leads the 2819 Church, said that includes respecting law enforcement and telling parents “to stop blaming white cops for the killing of Black kids.”
“Instead, teach your Black children to be obedient to authority,” he said. “I don’t care if most of you are Black. We need to teach our children to not fight against authority, not fight against cops.”
Mitchell related a story from his youth when he was walking through the Hollis neighborhood in his native Queens. He said he came face-to-face with an Italian cop, who Mitchell said held a Glock to his head and dared his younger self to “say something.”
“In that moment, I hear the voice of my mom and my father,” he said. “Son, obey authority. Son, respect your elders … son, don’t be in trouble out there with the police, and I could hear them, blah blah blah.”
“In that moment, with a Glock pressed to my head, I thought, ‘Either my ego is going to be strong or my submission to authority is going to be stronger than my ego,” Mitchell continued. “And if I had not been taught to obey authority, and because I’m not saved, I’m separated from God for all eternity by a cop’s bullet.”
Mitchell’s comments drew sharp criticism on social media.
“It’s people like him who kept us enslaved for so long,” wrote one Instagram commenter.
“Ahmaud Arbery, what did he do wrong?” added another, referring to the Black Georgia man shot and killed in February 2020 by vigilantes as he jogged through a mostly white neighborhood.
Another Instagram account holder noted how Mitchell’s sermon seemed to mirror what you’d hear at a Donald Trump rally.
“He is definitely a MAGA pastor,” he said. “No question who he is. He is a MAGA cult member.”
In fact, Mitchell has never aligned himself publicly with President Trump. And it should be noted that his sermon seemed to be well-received inside of his church’s walls.
“Oooooh, so many people in these comments in their feelings!” observed a Mitchell supporter on Instagram. “He’s preaching about Christ and bringing souls to Christ. Oh, I get it.. he’s too Biblical for y’all. Smh.”
Some who may have disagreed with his message offered the benefit of the doubt to Mitchell.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right—and two things can be true at the same time,” wrote a Mitchell supporter. “Yes, we are called to obey authority, as stated in the Bible, and we should respect the law. At the same time, police officers should not target innocent Black young men or use lethal force for non-compliance when other de-escalation methods are available, depending on the situation.”
Mitchell does not shy from controversy, particularly when it involves church leadership. He’s been a major critic of his fellow pastors, who he says are betraying their congregations by focusing on materialistic and self-serving doctrines, choosing personal ambition over humility and service.
That message, along with a compelling personal story that includes a stint in prison, has made Mitchell a rock star among Atlanta pastors.
“This man has folks lining up HOURS before church starts just to be in the building,” posted one supporter on Instagram. “This man is helping to lead an entire generation to Christ. None of that gets posted. But he says something controversial, and we post that.”
In January, after news that city officials were trying to kick the 2819 Church out of its temporary home at Westside Atlanta Charter School, donations poured in from across the country for a new facility. Besides standing-room-only crowds, the church’s YouTube page boasts more than 718,000 subscribers.
Mitchell told his congregation that he anticipated his sermon Sunday might anger folks.
In his call to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” Mitchell admonished everyone from tax cheats to able-bodied drivers who park in handicapped spaces.
“Be model citizens, stop being rebellious towards authority,” he summarized.
