A Pentecostal Congregation on Allgood Road
Mount Paran North Church of God sits on Allgood Road in eastern Marietta, just north of the Mount Paran Road and Northside Parkway corridor that gives the broader Mount Parry family its name. The church describes itself as a diverse and loving community of worshipers whose passion is to help people find and follow Jesus. Sundays at North draw families, students, seniors, and visitors from across Cobb County into a Worship Center, a large Kids wing, a Gym that doubles as a student venue, and a chapel that hosts young-adult services during the week.
What sets this Church of God congregation apart is the depth behind that Sunday morning. North is the heir of a Pentecostal movement in Atlanta that traces back to a 1917 tent meeting, and it carries both the global reach of modern Church of God missions and the practical ministry of a neighborhood church: an on-site preschool, a chaplaincy for Cobb firefighters and police, a recovery ministry, sports leagues for kids, and a building that doubles as a wedding venue. Senior Pastor Dr. Kirk Walters, who returned to lead the church in 2017, frames the work in three words: Love, Grow, Serve.
Over a Century of Church of God Heritage
The story North tells begins in 1917, when state overseer M. S. Lemons came to Atlanta and joined a Glenn Street Mission congregation started a few years earlier by Charles Holt into what became the first Church of God in the city. With 165 members, the group built a small white-frame building on Sixth Street in 1921 and grew through the Great Depression with a Sunday afternoon radio broadcast. By 1940 the Sixth Street Church of God had outgrown its home and moved to Hemphill Avenue, adding a television broadcast on WSB-TV along the way.
Pastors Paul and Carmelita Walker took the Hemphill Avenue church in 1960, sold the property to Georgia Tech in 1967, and built a 30,000-square-foot complex at Mount Paran Road and Northside Parkway. Rechristened Mount Paran Church of God, the congregation reached an average weekly attendance of 11,000 in the 1980s. To keep pace with that growth, leadership purchased an older Marietta church property on Allgood Road and opened Mount Paran North in August 1987 as a second location, pioneering one church in two sites. Over the next decade the Mount Parry family planted three other Atlanta-area churches from this model, each eventually becoming autonomous.
Dr. Mark and Udella Walker became co-pastors of North in 1997, and the church formally became its own autonomous congregation that year. They led for twenty-five years, expanded global missions, and in 2011 started a campus in Canton that has since become a stand-alone church. Pastor Kirk Walters, who had served as Missions and Administrative Pastor at North from 2006 to 2011, returned in 2017 as senior pastor. The church today describes itself as a century-old community still obedient to the Spirit's call to reach more of metro Atlanta and the world.
Sundays at North: Two Services, One Worship Center
Worship at North happens twice each Sunday morning, at 9:45 and 11:15am, in the Worship Center. The services are described as contemporary and passionate, with a worship team leading alongside biblical teaching. A livestream of the services runs on Sundays at 9:40 and 11:10am, with archived services available on the church's YouTube channel and podcast feed (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Podbean). Sermon notes are posted weekly and the archive stretches back to 2020.
Visitors arriving on campus are greeted by parking attendants and welcomed inside by a host team. Info desks in the Main Lobby and the Kids Entrance answer questions about anything from groups to upcoming events. Two practical details make the services broadly accessible: hearing support devices are available at the Welcome Center, and Spanish and Portuguese translation receivers can be picked up before the 11:15am service. A North app for iOS and Android carries the weekly sermon, events, online giving, and resources for the daily Bible reading.
Sunday morning also includes a mid-morning pause called NorthLife, a two-part connection class led by Community Care Pastor David Lewis. NorthLife is offered the first Sunday of each month at 11:15am in Room 123 and gives newcomers a guided look at the church, its beliefs, vision, and ministries, along with tools for identifying spiritual gifts and a place to serve.
North Kids: Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children from eight weeks through fifth grade experience their own version of Sunday morning through North Kids. The Early Childhood area cares for infants through PreKindergarten in clean, age-appropriate rooms where caregivers lead songs, simple Bible lessons, and play. Every adult leader is background-checked and parent volunteers are welcome to join the rotation. Elementary environments for kindergarten through fifth grade use object lessons, engaging Bible stories, and small group activities, and follow three core truths the church wants every child to internalize: make wise choices, trust God no matter what, and treat others the way you want to be treated.
The Sunday flow for kids includes worship, a large group lesson, and small group time at both 9:45 and 11:15am. From the parking lot, the Kids guest services team greets families at the Quest entrance, walks them through a registration form, and issues matching security tags for parent and child. Pickup works the same way in reverse; children are only released to a parent presenting the matching tag. Snacks are offered based on age and length of stay, and the kids area is strictly peanut-free.
Wednesdays at 7pm bring another set of classes and activities for kids, with separate check-in for nursery and preschool on the first floor and elementary on the second floor. North Kids also runs a special needs and buddy ministry during the 11:15am service that pairs trained buddies with children who need extra support, including a sensory-friendly Haven Room. The ministry provides a Starting Point class for children in kindergarten through fifth grade who are ready to be baptized, and a Family/Baby Dedication ceremony is held quarterly, with parents gathering in the Chapel forty-five minutes before the service.
Across the parking lot, The Academy at North preschool meets Monday through Thursday from 9am to 1pm for children ages one through Kindergarten, using the Abeka curriculum and adding daily Bible lessons, music, and weekly chapel. Director Teresa Smith and the Academy staff run separate Infant, One-Year-Old, Two-Year-Old, Three-Year-Old, Pre-K, and Kindergarten classrooms.
Students: Middle School, High School, and Student Nights
Students in sixth grade and up have their own ministry led by Student Ministries Pastor Bradley Walters and Coordinator Mattie Walters. On Sunday mornings at 9:45am, middle and high schoolers gather in the Gym for a Next Steps Bible Study that lines up with the church-wide Bible reading plan, then join the 11:15am worship gathering. The marquee gathering is Student Night on Wednesdays at 7pm, also in the Gym, where students encounter God in worship, sit in Small Groups, and hear a teaching aimed at their next step with Christ.
Special events fill out the calendar, and the Student team recruits adult volunteers and student serve teams through the year. The stated goal of the ministry is to create fun and engaging environments where students are encouraged to grow deeper in their walk with Jesus, fall in love with God, grow as a follower of Jesus, and discover ways to serve the church family and local community.
Young Adults: YA Nights on Thursdays
Young adults ages 18 to 29 have a worship gathering designed specifically for them. YA Nights take place each Thursday at 7pm in the Chapel, led by Young Adults Pastor Joshua Greene. The format pairs worship with community for those navigating college, early career, or the transition into adult life. On Sunday mornings, a Young Adults Bible Study meets at 10am in Room 225 with Pastor Greene leading discussion on how to apply biblical truths to that season of life.
Life Groups: The Engine of Adult Discipleship
Discipleship at North happens in Life Groups. The Discipleship ministry, led by Discipleship Pastor Jon Rogers and Life Group Coordinator Stacey Mayes, organizes the groups into four tracks: Discipleship Groups for Bible study and growth, Interest Groups around hobbies and skills, Support and Care Groups for those walking through hard seasons, and Prayer Groups focused on intercession. Most groups run in eight to ten-week quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring), with many Sunday morning groups meeting year-round.
The Sunday and midweek calendar is dense. Sunday morning groups at 9:45am include Encouragers (age 60 and up), Going Deeper, LifeLine, Real Issues Real Answers, Reflectors, Single Focus, Young Adults Bible Study, and Knowing God. Off-campus options for couples and families include the Young Families, Goodroe, Barnes, New Believers, Marriage - The Early Years, and Feight groups, several of them meeting on the second and fourth Sundays. Wednesday nights at 7pm bring studies on 1 Corinthians, 1 and 2 Peter, Revelation, the Gospels, and Acts, plus two Portuguese-speaking men's groups and Teaching the Word with Pastor Rogers. Thursday evenings host Grandparents at 6pm, Book of Matthew and Bible Study Fellowship training, plus the YA Nights service at 7pm.
Other named groups target specific communities. Vet to Vet, led by Chris Coomer, gathers veterans on the second Wednesday of each month. A Saturday Spiritual Warfare Walkout meets every other week. Men of a Certain Age meets at a Marietta restaurant, Holy Hooligans gathers men 40 and up at another restaurant, and Wholehearted Men Online meets by Zoom on Thursday mornings for accountability around the weekly Bible reading.
Bethel Bible Study, a comprehensive overview of the entire Bible taught in chronological fashion using the Precept upon Precept approach, meets Sunday evenings from 6 to 8pm. New Testament lessons run through the academic year, with a four-month summer break. There is a $40 fee for each the Old Testament and New Testament portions.
Men, Women, and the Stage-of-Life Connection
North of 60, the senior adult ministry for ages 60 and up, gathers for a monthly fellowship luncheon in the Atrium on the third Tuesday of each month. The Encouragers Sunday school class for seniors meets at 9:45am in Room 126, and bus trips and an annual golf tournament at The Fairways of Canton round out the year. Joyful Hearts, a separate fellowship for widows, meets monthly with lunch, worship, and a guest speaker.
The men's ministry hosts Act Like Men events in the North Gym, with guest speakers, food, and activities like ax throwing. The next such evening carries the theme Brothers in Arms with speaker Mo Huggins. Life groups for men include a Sunday morning Men's Bible Study and Prayer, a twice-monthly Holy Hooligans gathering at a restaurant, a weekly Men's Bowling night, the online Wholehearted Men Bible Study, and two Portuguese-speaking men's groups on Wednesdays.
Women's ministry includes a mentoring program through Pastoral Care, study groups like the Way of Wisdom study in Proverbs, the Set Apart Biblical Worldview group, Heaven - When Faith Becomes Sight, and a Young Women's Group through Galatians. The annual Bloom Women's Conference, a one-day gathering with worship, teaching, and breakout sessions in English with keynote speakers and breakout teachers, brings women together from across the area. The women's ministry also partners with Bible Study Fellowship, with North serving as the host site for BSF-Marietta Women's Bible Study on Wednesdays at 9:30am in the Worship Center.
Pastoral Care: Counseling, Visitation, and Recovery
The Pastoral Care department, led by Pastor Ryan Joiner and Coordinators Brittany Remle and Ariana Ring, provides biblically-based pastoral counseling for the adults of the church family and a network of trained lay counselors and volunteers. Care services include hospital and home visitation, funeral and memorial support, and referrals to professional counselors when a need exceeds the church's capacity.
HOPE Ministry pairs individuals going through stressful life events such as divorce, serious illness, or the death of a loved one with a trained HOPE Minister for short- or longer-term companionship. Visitation Ministry sends trained volunteers to hospitals and rehab facilities. Two flagship support groups run on the church campus: DivorceCare, a 13-week program for those walking through separation or divorce, and GriefShare, a 13-week program for those grieving the loss of a loved one. Mended by Mercy is an 11-week care group for those carrying the heartache of estrangement from an adult child, and an Addiction Recovery Support meeting gathers on Tuesday nights in Room 121 for those walking out freedom from drugs and alcohol. Benevolence giving supports church members who have found themselves in financial difficulty.
A Praying Church: PrayerLink, Night of Prayer, and Saturday Mornings
Prayer at North runs through several streams. The church publishes a daily prayer calendar highlighting staff, ministries, and prayer points for missionaries and outreach partners. PrayerLink meets the first Tuesday of each month in Room 227 for updates from missionaries and focused intercession. Prayer for the Nation meets Tuesdays at 7pm in Room 123 with a free conference call option for those joining from home. Night of Prayer on the first Thursday of each month from 7 to 8:30pm in the Main Lobby offers individuals personal, confidential prayer from an intercessor. Saturday Morning Prayer is led by a different pastor each month on the second Saturday at 8am in the Worship Center.
Beyond formal gatherings, the Pastoral Care team staffs a prayer request form online and a 24/7 culture of intercession woven through small groups, classrooms, and the Wednesday night prayer emphasis.
Missions: GO. GIVE. PRAY.
Mount Paran North supports 15 U.S.-based and national missionary families and an additional 50 church-planting partners in 35 countries, with current field work in Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, China, France and North Africa, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zambia. The Missions Festival held each August brings missionaries to campus to share updates and invite the church into the work.
The strategy unfolds in three movements. GO means short-term mission trips throughout the year for those who can travel. GIVE means a Faith Promise card that funnels 100% of pledged dollars directly to missionaries and strategic projects. PRAY means committing to intercede for workers in restricted-access and least-reached areas, with the prayer ministry's PrayerLink serving as the steady update channel. The mission vision includes planting churches in Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Iraq, Liberia, Namibia, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Turkey, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Western Sahara, and Zambia, and continuing to advance the Gospel in Iran, Yemen, China, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan.
Community Outreach: Marietta and Beyond
The Community Outreach ministry at North, led by Community Care Pastor David Lewis, organizes the church's partnerships with other ministries across Cobb and Cherokee counties. A monthly Serve Day rotates volunteer teams across projects; past projects have included landscaping at Goshen Family Resources, meals for Marietta firefighters, and work at The Table on Delk. Annual drives include the MUST Summer Lunch Program (partnering with MUST Ministries to provide lunches to kids who receive free or reduced lunch at school), the Backpack Outreach with school supplies, and a Back-to-School Outreach at Green Acres Baptist in Smyrna.
Partner organizations fall into five streams. Crisis Care lists The Extension (Cobb homeless recovery), Goshen Valley Family Resource Center, Marietta Housing Authority, and MUST Ministries. Women's Care lists First Care Women's Clinic, The HOPE Center in Woodstock, Seeds Thrift Boutique, and The Table on Delk. Foster Care lists FaithBridge Foster Care, Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, and Waymark Foster. School Partnerships cover FCA at Osborne High School and FCA East, Lockheed Elementary, the Rise UP! after-school program in 22 Metro Atlanta public schools, and Sawyer Road Elementary. Local Service Personnel Care includes Cobb County Fire Station #56, Dobbins Air Force Base, Marietta Police Station, and United Military Care. Senior Care partners include Dorsey Manor and the North of 60 fellowship, with the Men of Acts team helping widows, single moms, and seniors around their homes.
Beyond these community partners, the ministry maintains standing relationships with the Foundation for Hospital Art, the Marietta Housing Authority Family Self-Sufficiency program, Green Acres Baptist, House of Cherith, Maximum Impact Love, the McCleskey East Cobb YMCA hunger relief program, and Simple Needs GA.
Sports at North: A Christian Ballpark
The North sports complex anchors community athletics on campus. A Fall Baseball season runs for ages 4 through 12, with T-ball, coach pitch, and kid-pitch leagues all hosted on the campus fields. A day Sports Camp runs from late May through July, Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 6pm for children ages 6 to 12, with weekly registration, sports, large-group games, and a $150-per-week fee plus a one-time $50 activity fee. Adult tennis and the occasional corn hole tournament round out a competitive but Christ-centered recreational program.
Weddings and Facilities
Mount Paran North hosts weddings in two spaces. The Chapel seats up to 160 guests; the Worship Center can hold up to 500 for larger parties. Receptions are hosted in the Atrium for up to 100 seated (150 standing) and are limited to church members. Member fees run $500 for either ceremony space, with non-member fees at $1500; reception fees are $450 for members. A non-refundable $150 deposit reserves the date, with remaining fees due one month before the wedding. Weddings are not scheduled on Sundays or holidays, and all couples using North pastors are required to complete premarital counseling. Outside pastors are permitted subject to approval of the Senior Pastor and state licensing requirements.
The same campus houses the Kids wing, the Gym and Sports Complex, the Chapel, the Worship Center, the Atrium, the Fireplace Lobby, and a Network of classrooms used for Life Groups, North Kids, the Academy preschool, and Pastoral Care. Info Desks in the Main Lobby and the Kids Entrance serve as points of orientation on Sundays.
What North Believes
Mount Paran North holds to a Church of God statement of faith that begins with the Bible as the only inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God and affirms one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church confesses that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died for the forgiveness of sins of all people, was bodily resurrected, ascended to the right hand of God, and will return to establish the kingdom of God.
Salvation is by grace through faith and repentance from sin, and eternal life is found only in Jesus Christ. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is taught as available to all Christ-followers and producing deeper spiritual fruit, growth in Christ-likeness, the gifts of the Spirit, and a stronger prayer life. The church affirms divine healing for spirit, mind, and body through the work of the cross, the resurrection of the righteous to eternal life and the ungodly to eternal punishment, and the practice of communion and water baptism. The statement of faith also affirms that God creates each person male or female as two distinct genders that together reflect the image and nature of God, and that marriage is between one man and one woman in a single exclusive union, with sexual intimacy intended to occur only within that union.
Counseling at North draws on the Exchanged Life Model, which traces identity in Christ to the believer's union with Jesus in his crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension. The model teaches that this becomes lived experience through a decision to surrender and by an ongoing walk of faith and obedience to the Holy Spirit.
A Century-Old Mission Continuing Forward
From a 1917 tent meeting on the south side of Atlanta to a renovated church property on Allgood Road in Marietta, Mount Paran North carries forward a Pentecostal heritage with a distinctly Marietta flavor. The church's own story highlights both what has stayed the same - preaching the Gospel, making disciples, sending missionaries, welcoming children - and what has grown: a Worship Center, a Kids wing, an Academy preschool, a sports complex, a global missions network, and a pastoral care system that touches hospital beds, widows' homes, and recovery meetings across Cobb County. As Pastor Walters often says, the church believes the greatest years of North's ministry are yet to come.