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Saturday, November 14, 2026Nov 14

Chattanooga Knows: What famous preacher was rejected for a job in Chattanooga?

Staff photo by Olivia Ross / The 53rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial March and Parade started at Miller Park and ended along Peeples Street in 2023.
Staff photo by Olivia Ross / The 53rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial March and Parade started at Miller Park and ended along Peeples Street in 2023.

Q. What famous preacher was rejected for a job in Chattanooga?

A. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., fresh from seminary at age 24, applied for a pastoral position at First Baptist Church on East Eighth Street. Members of the congregation turned him down, saying they wanted someone with more experience.

Do you have Chattanooga related trivia to share or a question you’d like answered? Email news@timesfreepress.com with subject line Chattanooga Knows.