He is an inspiration to his congregation and a solution-seeker as well. Senior Pastor Marvin C. Griffin of Ebenezer Baptist Church has seen a lot of change in the decades he has spent at the pulpit, but the minister is known best for reaching outside the walls of his church.
On Sunday, Ebenezer Baptist Church members honored Griffin for his 36 years of service.
"Rev. Griffin is a man of wisdom, a man of knowledge, a man who will be able to carry on our belief for many more years and be able to serve this community in many other aspects," church member Mary Hurst said.
Griffin has not only brought comfort to his congregation, but he has worked tirelessly to help the community both economically and politically. He established programs to help the elderly and built facilities to house them. He's worked with governors and the business community and contributed to youth education.
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Spiritual leader
Senior Pastor Marvin C. Griffin has led the Ebenezer Baptist Church in East Austin for 36 years.
 
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He and wife, Lois, are nourishers, said church member Funsho Akimgbala.
"They've really been responsible for the growth, care, and nourishment of the church in many aspects: spiritually, physically, economically, and I can say, politically," Akimgbala said.
Griffin has actually been a minister for more than 50 years, 18 of those spent at the helm of a church in Waco. But it is Austin where his career flourished, and where the road never ends, especially in ministering to the young.
"We have an old historic church, one of the oldest churches in the state of Texas, and we have to minister to those in the 21st century, and that means that we've got to be on the cutting edge," Griffin said.
Church members believe that despite his age of 82 years, Griffin will continue to forge a spiritual path for young and old.
