Pastor Jamal Bryant Breaks Ground on New Birth Village, 390 Affordable Homes for Black Families

Pastor Jamal Bryant's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has launched New Birth Village, a development project that will use 35 acres of church-owned land to build 390 affordable homes near Atlanta, Georgia.

The project is designed to address the housing affordability crisis facing Black families in the Atlanta metro area, where rising home prices have pushed homeownership out of reach for many residents. Bryant has framed the initiative as a direct response to the displacement of Black communities through gentrification.

"The church has always been the center of Black community life," Bryant said at the project announcement. "Now we're using our land to build generational wealth."

New Birth Village will offer homes at prices accessible to working- and middle-class families. The development includes plans for community amenities and green space. Homeownership, rather than rental housing, is the focus, reflecting Bryant's emphasis on wealth building through property ownership.

The project is part of a broader movement among Black churches to use their land assets for community development. In Chicago, the Apostolic Church of God is moving forward with Woodlawn Central, an $800 million mixed-use development on 8 acres. In Berkeley, California, St. Paul AME Church recently broke ground on a 50-unit affordable housing complex for seniors.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund awarded $13.5 million in 2026 to support historically Black churches, with some grants going toward community development capacity.

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is one of the largest Black megachurches in the country. Bryant has been a prominent voice on issues of economic justice and community development.

Construction on New Birth Village is expected to begin in phases, with the first homes available within two years.