This Week's Program: Reverend Donavan Pinner
On Friday, November 6, the Rotary Club of Atlanta West End is pleased to welcome Reverend Donavan Jamal Pinner, Associate Pastor for Children and Youth at the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, as our program speaker. A Morehouse College graduate and passionate advocate for young people, Rev. Pinner has dedicated his career to youth development, education, and community empowerment. We look forward to hearing his insights on leadership, service, and inspiring the next generation.
Reverend Donavan Pinner
Reverend Donavan Jamal Pinner serves with joy, purpose, and unwavering dedication as the Associate Pastor for Children and Youth at the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church—the spiritual home of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Guided by a ministry rooted in justice, belonging, and the flourishing of young people, Rev. Pinner leads one of the most dynamic youth ministries in the nation, shaping the spiritual, educational, and civic lives of children and teens across Atlanta.
At Ebenezer, Rev. Pinner oversees a comprehensive portfolio of programs including Children & Youth Chapel (K–12), scouting units, the Boys of Valor mentoring program, nursery, middle and high school ministries, youth leadership development, and major seasonal initiatives. He also serves on the leadership team guiding the Education & Heritage Building Strategy, helping design a youth-centered hub for education, storytelling, history, and community empowerment.
Before joining Ebenezer, Rev. Pinner served as the Youth and Young Adult Team Leader at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, NJ, and previously worked as a special education teacher and after-school program coordinator in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. His early formation as an educator deeply influences his pastoral approach—centering dignity, creativity, inclusion, and liberation for every child.
Rev. Pinner’s civic engagement extends far beyond the church walls. He has organized large-scale community events to strengthen voter outreach and civic participation, and has served in significant leadership roles including the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, the Board of Directors of Hopkinsville Community College, and the National Civic League Council of Advisors. His work reflects a deep commitment to advancing equity, expanding opportunity, and empowering families and youth to shape their communities.
A proud graduate of Morehouse College, Rev. Pinner earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religion while serving as the 35th President of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Assistants Program and the Executive Director of the Student Government Association.
He later earned his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he continued to develop as a scholar, organizer, and advocate for justice. At Princeton, Rev. Pinner was elected President of the Student Body and served as the Social Justice Co-Chair of the Association of Black Seminarians (ABS). In this role, he helped lead a historic, community-driven initiative that resulted in the renaming of the Princeton Seminary Chapel, a milestone in the institution’s ongoing work of repair, truth-telling, and racial justice.
Rev. Pinner was licensed and ordained at Virginia Street Baptist Church in Hopkinsville, KY, the historic congregation that formed him spiritually and nurtured his early call to ministry. Today, his work is animated by a clear mission: to make a difference by equipping the next generation with faith, courage, and a vision for justice.
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