The Church of The Apostles sits just north of the intersection of Northside Parkway and West Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta, Georgia, in the shadow of Buckhead's tall trees and busy traffic circles. A neo-Gothic sanctuary with a rose window, more than ninety stained-glass pieces, and a 240-foot spire marks the campus, and worshipers file in each Sunday from neighborhoods across metro Atlanta. The congregation calls itself an evangelical body, declaring the whole counsel of God and the doctrines of the historic church, and describes itself as an independent non-denominational church shaped by Anglican roots.
A New Senior Pastor at a 39-Year-Old Church
In May 2026, Dr. Jonathan Youssef was installed as the new Senior Pastor of The Church of The Apostles, succeeding his father, Dr. Michael Youssef, who founded the congregation in 1987 and served as its Senior Pastor for thirty-nine years. Dr. Michael Youssef now holds the title of Pastor Emeritus and Founding Rector. The transition was announced on November 23, 2025, after a year of prayer and a formal vetting process led by a group of church leaders. Dr. Jonathan Youssef, who previously served as the church's Director of Ministries, holds a B.A. in History from Auburn University, a master's from Reformed Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching from The Master's Seminary (2024). Before entering ministry, he worked in politics, and he also served at a church in Australia.
The story of the church is inseparable from the story of its founder. Dr. Michael Youssef was born in Egypt in 1948, in a family with roots in the ancient New Testament church founded by the Apostle Mark. After surrendering his life to Christ at sixteen, he emigrated to Australia, studied at Moore Theological College in Sydney, and was ordained as a minister. He later earned a master's degree in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and a doctorate in social anthropology from Emory University. He became a United States citizen in 1984 and launched the church in 1987 with fewer than forty adults and the mission to equip the saints and seek the lost. The congregation has since grown to more than 3,000 members. From Atlanta, Dr. Michael Youssef also founded Leading The Way, a media ministry that broadcasts in more than twenty languages and reaches over two hundred countries.
Statement of Faith and Core Values
Apostles teaches a confessional, evangelical faith summarized in seven points. The Bible is inspired and the only infallible Word of God. There is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church confesses the deity of Christ, his virgin birth, his sinless life, his miracles, his vicarious and atoning death through his shed blood, his bodily resurrection, his ascension, and his personal return in power and glory. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential for salvation. The present ministry of the Holy Spirit indwells the Christian and enables a godly life. There will be a resurrection of both the saved and the lost. And believers in Christ share a spiritual unity.
Around this confession, the church has organized seven core values. God's Word is the authority for mission and ministry. The congregation seeks to be spirit-filled, led and changed by the Holy Spirit. Authentic communities of grace and truth shape lives. Members are called to steward time, talent, and treasure. Spiritual gifts are meant to be exercised for the edification of the body. Outreach flows from the love of Christ both locally and globally. And servant leadership is the model for those who lead.
Two Sunday Services and the Sanctuary That Holds Them
Sunday worship at Apostles takes place in two locations and two styles. At 9:00 a.m., the church gathers in the Chapel for a service with nursery, children's, and student ministries available. At 10:30 a.m., the larger congregation meets in the Sanctuary and the service is also livestreamed online. Adult Bible Classes run from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m., some in person and some on Zoom.
The Sanctuary itself is one of the most distinctive worship spaces in Atlanta. It seats 2,800 people, with 1,600 on the main floor and 1,200 in the balcony. From the rose window in front, it is approximately 240 feet to the top of the cross. The sanctuary addition spans roughly 100,000 square feet, and the published bid cost was near seventeen million dollars. The construction took just over two years. Inside, more than ninety stained-glass windows adorn the space; the large west wall windows depict the apostles, and stairwell windows trace the life of Jesus, all crafted by Lynchburg Stained Glass Co. The 100% wool carpet came from New Zealand. Slate placed beneath the pews serves as an acoustical treatment that helps worshipers hear themselves sing. The orchestra area seats thirty-five musicians, and an electronic organ (rather than pipe) provides accompaniment. It is fifty-four feet from the chancel to the ceiling. State-of-the-art audio and broadcast-quality television facilities support the livestream, and plasma screens along the corridors carry closed-circuit video of the service on Sundays.
Behind the building, a multi-level parking deck serves worshipers. Drivers can enter the church from the main level or from the balcony level directly off the deck. From Interstate 75, the easiest route is exit 255 at West Paces Ferry Road: northbound travelers turn left onto Northside Parkway, while southbound travelers turn left and then immediately left again, and the church is a half mile on the right.
The Order of Worship
A typical Sunday bulletin at Apostles follows a six-fold shape: Worship through Praise, Prayers of Intercession, Worship through Giving, Worship through the Word, Commitment and Celebration, and Benediction and Dismissal. On a recent Sunday, the service opened with God of Our Fathers and Fanfare for the Common Man, then moved through congregational songs such as No King But Jesus, In Christ Alone, and Build My Life/Christ Be Magnified, with a children's choir and an orchestra adding depth. Communion is offered on the second Sunday of each month. The Lord's Supper is observed in remembrance of Christ's death, celebrated as a sign of his victory and our salvation, and received as a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Worship Through Music
Music at Apostles is led by Jeremy Ezell, Director of Music Ministry, and Mac Powell, the founding singer of the Grammy-winning band Third Day, who serves as Artist in Residence. Powell also travels with Leading The Way for ministry events and continues to record solo music. The Apostles Worship team produces original music, including the recent releases The Holy Not Yet and Come and Lift Your Head Up from an upcoming Psalms project, plus worship recordings available on Spotify, Apple Music, and through a YouTube channel. Lyric sheets, chord charts, and music videos are posted for congregational use, and the church's music ministry records both studio albums and live recordings from the Chapel.
Children, Students, and Family Ministry
Family Ministry at Apostles pulls the church's children's, student, young families, and college ministries around a shared commitment to family discipleship. The church describes the home as a domestic church, where faith is shaped through everyday life. Children from infancy through fourth grade experience an age-graded Sunday school at 9:00 a.m. with developmental promotion through the year, a 10:30 Children's Church that walks through the Biggest Story curriculum, and Wednesday-night programs that include worship, scripture memory, and teaching for ages infant through fifth grade. Vacation Bible School is held each summer. Toria Peterson directs Children's Ministry.
Student ministry, known as STS, serves grades six through twelve under Slate Fluker, with a leadership team that includes Leah Colvin, Jenny Eberhard, and Elias Harper. Students meet on Sunday mornings beginning with breakfast at 8:45 a.m., followed by worship, teaching, and small groups from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday nights bring games, conversation, and teaching from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. Throughout the year, STS plans pop-up events, service days, mission trips (including an upcoming Costa Rica trip), and adventures designed to pull students away from screens and into shared life.
The Family Ministry umbrella also includes the Young Families ministry and the Young Adults ministry coordinated by Lauren Ezell. Young Adults gatherings include College and 20s Bible study on Thursday evenings, Young Adults on the Square on the second Thursday of each month at The Brickyard in Marietta, CORE (a discipleship class for adults in their twenties through forties meeting on Wednesday nights), Genuine Wisdom (a quarterly gathering for women in their twenties and thirties with older mentors), and Radical Mentoring for men.
Small Groups, Adult Classes, and the Midweek
The church's small-group ministry, directed by T.J. Diamond, places groups in homes across the metro area, from Alpharetta and Buckhead to East Cobb, Marietta, Smyrna, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Gwinnett County, Paulding County, Henry County, and beyond. Groups meet weekly or every other week for discussion, prayer, and community. Each fall the church hosts GroupConnect, a Sunday morning event where prospective members can meet leaders and find a group.
Adult Bible Classes meet on Sunday mornings between services, covering books of the Bible, topical studies, and seasonal series. A summer series called Seasons of the Heart works through passages such as Genesis, 2 Peter 3, and Revelation 21-22 around table discussions. Other offerings include the Marriage Retreat, Women's Winter Retreat, and Foundations, a six-week introduction to the Christian faith.
The Wednesday rhythm of the church centers on the Midweek Prayer Gathering. Dinner is served at 5:00 p.m. in The Commons, and corporate worship and prayer begin at 6:15 p.m. in the Chapel. CORE meets in the same hour. Children and students have their own parallel programs on Wednesday evenings.
Oasis: Older Adults Sharing in Service
Seniors at Apostles are served through OASIS, a ministry built around fellowship, local service, missions, discipleship, worship, and resources for intergenerational life. Grandparents @ Prayer meets on the first Wednesday of each month on Zoom for an hour of focused prayer for grandchildren. A Grandparent Legacy Pray For Me Campaign, in partnership with national speakers, helps older members intentionally invest in their grandchildren's faith. The Senior Resource Guide lists vendors who support the eight dimensions of wellness: emotional, spiritual, physical, social, financial, environmental, intellectual, and occupational.
Congregational Care
Pastoral care at Apostles is coordinated by Rand Eberhard, Director of Congregational Care, and Care Ministry Pastor Michael Paddy. Each member is paired with a shepherd through the church's shepherding program, and the ministry emphasizes hospital and home visits, prayer, and the wise use of resources. Stephen Ministry pairs trained lay ministers with individuals going through crisis for one-to-one confidential care. Biblical Guidance and Counseling offers premarital counseling, marriage guidance, life and spiritual coaching, blended families counseling, substance addiction counseling, and anger management. The Bridge is a recovery ministry that walks with individuals, adolescents, couples, and families through grief, loss, and conflict. GraceTouch Meals provides meals for families in crisis, and the Home Bound Ministry Response Team keeps in touch with members who can no longer attend services.
Prayer Ministry extends through a dedicated phone line (404-591-2480) and an email inbox (prayer@apostles.org). Hospital and illness updates, birth announcements, and death announcements can be submitted through online forms.
Men, Women, and Singles
Men's ministry centers on The Hub, a Tuesday-morning gathering in The Commons with a light breakfast at 6:45 a.m. and teaching plus table discussion from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. The Hub is open to men of all ages and is overseen by Nate Campbell, Director of Adult Discipleship. Men's small groups meet on weekday mornings across the metro area. Radical Mentoring creates monthly men-to-men mentoring relationships, and The Path provides accountability mentoring using The Heart of Mentoring by Dave Stoddard and To the Heart and Back by Anson Ramsey.
Women's ministry is led by Elise Wilkes, Director of Women's Ministry. The church offers Bible studies, prayer retreats, pop-up events, service projects, and a regular midweek gathering called Woman2Woman. The Wives of the Word pop-up series equips women to think biblically about marriage. Single Hearts is a fellowship for single, divorced, and widowed women that meets regularly and hosts an annual Anniversary Luncheon.
Missions and Outreach
Each year The Church of The Apostles sets aside 20% of its offerings for missions and ministries locally and globally. The church partners with more than two dozen ministries in the Atlanta area and around the world, including:
- Atlanta Mission, providing shelter, recovery, and transitional housing for the homeless, including The Potter's House discipleship program for men.
- Buckhead Christian Ministry, an emergency food, clothing, and financial assistance organization serving more than 8,500 individuals annually across fifteen metro Atlanta zip codes.
- Frontline Response (formerly Atlanta Dream Center), which rescues victims of sex trafficking and homelessness and runs prevention programs for at-risk children.
- HeartBound Ministries, supporting Georgia prison chaplains and ministering to over 54,000 inmates annually.
- Hope Works, providing weatherization and support to low-income widows in Atlanta.
- Hope Thrives, offering healing programs and aftercare for adult survivors of abuse.
- Hope4Christmas, an annual outreach with Kidz2Leaders serving children of incarcerated parents.
- Operation Christmas Child, a Samaritan's Purse project. Apostles packs thousands of shoeboxes each year and serves as a drop-off location during National Collection Week in November.
- Wears Valley Ranch, a residential program for children from crisis family situations in the Smoky Mountains.
- Wycliffe Bible Translators, supporting translation work in language groups still waiting for Scripture in their heart language.
- WEC (World Evangelization for Christ), mobilizing international missionaries.
- Help The Persecuted, rescuing, restoring, and rebuilding the lives of persecuted believers.
- Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, the only full-time primary care safety net clinic in Cobb County.
Locally, the church hosts an annual Big Give in November to collect food, clothing, and Christmas gifts for Atlanta Mission and Buckhead Christian Ministry, and partners with the Red Cross for periodic blood drives.
Christ-Centered Schools on Campus
Four Christ-centered schools use the church's facility and provide educational options for the broader community. Redeemer Day School is a teacher-directed, academically challenging preschool for children ages two through Kindergarten. Metro Academic Studies offers a la carte classes for sixth through twelfth-grade home-educated students. City Academy of Atlanta is a hybrid homeschool program for elementary and middle school students that emphasizes authentic learning through Christ-centered education, discipleship, and worship. Oaks Christian Academy, a newer hybrid homeschool program based on the Principle Approach, offers classes and learning plans for K-6 students meeting one day per week.
Sacraments and Pastoral Milestones
Apostles practices both infant baptism and believer's baptism. Infant baptism is a covenant-making service for the children of members, a moment of thanksgiving to God, a claiming of his promises (Acts 16:31), and a pledge to raise the child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Adult baptism is a public testimony of salvation and surrender to the lordship of Christ. Parents must be members of the church to have their child baptized.
Weddings at the church are open to members, with the bride and groom both expected to be Christians and at least one a member of the church. The parents of the couple are asked to bless the union. A Wedding Handbook is available from the church office.
Leadership and Governance
The church is governed by a fifteen-member Vestry of men elected by the congregation to three-year terms (five elected each year). The Vestry carries fiduciary responsibility for the property, business, and finances of the church and assigns each member to one or more ministries to support and pray for the staff. The Vestry meets monthly for prayer and review of finances and business. Each member of the Vestry is also a lay minister: prayer leader, usher, chalice bearer, communion Lay Eucharist Minister, small-group leader, or teacher.
The professional staff is led by Senior Pastor Dr. Jonathan Youssef and includes the directors of Music Ministry (Jeremy Ezell), Congregational Care (Rand Eberhard), Small Groups (T.J. Diamond), Women's Ministry (Elise Wilkes), Family Ministries (Jeff Falkowski), Children's Ministry (Toria Peterson), Student Ministry (Slate Fluker), Adult Discipleship (Nate Campbell), Member Engagement (Mary O'Brien), Administration (Richard Waites), and Communications and Media (Kevin Knox). Michael Paddy serves as Care Ministry Pastor, Blake Thaxter as Associate Director of Family Ministry, and Mark Johnston as College and Twenties Ministry Leader. Mac Powell serves as Artist in Residence.
Giving and Stewardship
The church accepts tithes and offerings online through FellowshipOne, where gifts can be one-time or recurring and can be made by debit/credit card, e-check (ACH), Google Pay, PayPal, or Venmo. Checks and cash can be placed in the offertory basket during Sunday services or mailed to the church. Gifts of stock can be coordinated through Ruth Gutierrez (rgutierrez@apostles.org or 404-591-1973), and the church also accepts Donor-Advised Fund gifts, IRA Charitable Rollovers (for those 70 1/2 and older), and estate-planning gifts. Designated giving is available for mission trips, VBS outreach, and Easter or Christmas flowers in memory of loved ones. A pledge program invites members to commit financially each year to support the church's ministry budget.
Worship Media and Discipleship Resources
Sermons from both 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services are posted online for on-demand viewing. Recent series include The Unstoppable Gospel, Jonah: Surprising Salvation, and Every Day Witness, preached by Dr. Jonathan Youssef, with guest preaching by Nate Campbell during the Jonah series. Discipleship Moments, a video series from the church's staff, offers short reflections on life, faith, and Scripture. The church also runs a podcast, an email newsletter, and a mobile app available through the App Store and Google Play. The app supports sermon viewing, online giving, event registration, and child check-in.
The Mission in Atlanta and Beyond
Apostles holds tightly to the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:14: This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. From its campus on Northside Parkway, the church reaches outward through a multisite ministry, a media presence that broadcasts sermons and Discipleship Moments online, partnerships with more than twenty local ministries, support for international workers through Leading The Way, and direct participation in the church's own short-term mission efforts. Twenty percent of every offering goes to fund this work. The Senior Pastor describes the church as a lighthouse in Atlanta and around the world, committed to preaching the whole counsel of God and trusting the Holy Spirit to grow his church.