Rev. John H. Vaughn ’82, Son of Late Ogretta McNeil, Named Executive Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church

Rev. John H. Vaughn '82 was recently named executive pastor at Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he will be responsible for the overall leadership and direction of church staff, leading all functional areas in the accomplishment of the church's mission. Known for its notable pastor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ebenezer is part of the MLK Jr. Historical Park and serves a congregation of more than 6,000 members.

Vaughn is the son of the late Ogretta McNeil, the first woman hired on a tenure track to teach in the psychology department and the first African-American woman to serve on the faculty at Holy Cross.

"I am deeply honored to be named the Executive Pastor at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. This is a great opportunity to build on the national and international legacy of faith-rooted justice forged by Martin Luther King Sr. and Jr," said Vaughn. "I come with a commitment to personal, communal and societal transformation and am ready to face the challenges and opportunities that this call provides."

Previously, Vaughn was executive vice president at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, where he led overall strategic planning and management as the seminary worked to build communities and pursue justice.

Vaughn writes and lectures frequently on issues related to justice, race, economic equity, education, and community-building. His work has appeared in Huffington Post, The Living Pulpit, among other publications.

A French major at Holy Cross, Vaughn is the recipient of a 2015 Sanctae Crucis Award, the highest non-degree accolade the College bestows upon alumni, honoring his life’s work, dedicated to shedding light and spurring action on issues of justice, race, economic equity, and education.