Historic church headquarters and civil rights landmark featuring monumental architecture, religious heritage exhibits, and the sanctuary where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final public speech.
Contact the church in advance to arrange tours or visits
Donations welcome
How to Get There
From Downtown Memphis (2 mi): Take South Third Street south, turn onto Mason Street in the South Memphis neighborhood, and continue to the church headquarters at 930 Mason Street.
Overview
Mason Temple: Church of God in Christ World Headquarters is one of the most important religious and civil rights landmarks in the United States. Completed in 1945 under the leadership of Church of God in Christ founder Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, the massive sanctuary became the international headquarters of the nation's largest African American Pentecostal denomination. The building's imposing design, large assembly hall, and prominent role in religious life have made it a center of worship, community leadership, and cultural influence for generations. Visitors are often drawn to its rich history, architectural significance, and enduring role in shaping African American faith traditions.
The church is perhaps best known beyond religious circles as the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech on April 3, 1968, the night before his assassination. That address became one of the defining speeches of the Civil Rights Movement and cemented the building's place in American history. Today, the sanctuary stands as both a living house of worship and a symbol of faith, perseverance, and social justice. Visitors exploring Memphis's civil rights heritage frequently include the church among the city's most meaningful historic destinations.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for the Mason Temple: Church of God in Christ World Headquarters, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
