For years, Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell, founder of Atlanta’s rapidly growing 2819 Church, has built a national following by preaching biblical authority, discipleship, and cultural conservatism while resisting easy political labels. 

He’s also avoided the Black church tradition of social justice and civic engagement, instead emphasizing personal holiness and what he describes as orthodox Christianity. That includes preaching to Black parents that they should stop blaming police for the deaths of Black children and instead teach them to obey authority. 

RELATED: There’s More to 2819 Church Than an ‘Obey Cops’ Controversy

Now, Michell has appeared as a featured speaker at Forward Conference 2026 — a massive annual gathering for evangelical youth and young adults, convened by a preacher with close ties to President Donald Trump.

Franklin and MAGA

Jentezen Franklin, the charismatic founder of a Georgia megachurch, hosts the event, which draws tens of thousands of participants, in his home state. But Franklin is not simply another megachurch pastor.

Franklin, the senior pastor of Free Church, a nondenominational, multi-campus church, has spent years as one of Trump’s trusted advisers, praying with him at the White House and publicly defending the polarizing president. This week, Franklin serves on the president’s Religious Liberty Commission and delivered the invocation at Trump’s America 250 Great American State Fair event on the National Mall.  

“Lord, … touch our president, touch his cabinet,” Franklin said. “Bless our Supreme Court, bless our Congress, and bless our Senate.”

Star Lineup

At Forward Conference 2026, Mitchell joins a lineup that includes Franklin, evangelist Reggie Dabbs, Elevation Rhythm, Girls Gone Bible, and several other speakers and worship leaders. Conference promotional materials prominently feature a photo of Mitchell, in his signature black hoodie, as among the event’s headliners. 

Though there’s little reporting on what he said, Mitchell’s presence was apparently well-received, according to Franklin’s Facebook page. 

“Night one of Forward Conference was something special,” he wrote in a post just after midnight Friday. “Thank you, Philip Anthony Mitchell and Free Chapel Music. Day two, we’re ready.”

Mitchell’s presence on that stage is significant because conferences often function as evangelical Christianity’s informal credentialing system. Invitations signal not only popularity, but theological trust, institutional acceptance, and growing influence. 

Sharing a platform with nationally recognized pastors introduces speakers to new audiences and embeds them within networks that shape the future of American evangelicalism.

That network has been expanding for Mitchell, a new-media-savvy, millennial preacher whose ministry and personal aesthetic draw heavily from rap and hip-hop. 

Over the past several years, Mitchell has increasingly appeared alongside influential evangelical leaders. That includes Tim Timberlake of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida; besides appearing together on tour, Timberlake and Mitchell co-host the “Street Preachers” podcast. 

Elevated Profile

His association with Franklin, however, puts Mitchell on a new level. 

Although their ministries differ in style — for example, Franklin favors tailored suits at the pulpit, while Mitchell’s preaching uniform is black jeans, a black hoodie, and Nike Dunks — they share several defining characteristics. They preach biblical authority, prioritize church growth, rely heavily on digital platforms, and appeal to younger, racially diverse Christians who often feel disconnected from traditional denominations. 

Though Mitchell does not have an obvious political profile, his theological commitments—including traditional views on sexuality, gender, biblical authority, and abortion—largely align with the broader movement that has overwhelmingly supported Republican candidates over the past decade. 

RELATED: Holy Culture Radio Produces a Joyful Noise on the Radio

For generations, the Black church has served not only as a spiritual institution but also as the moral and political center of Black civic life. Mitchell represents a younger cohort of Black pastors who continue to preach orthodox theology while placing less emphasis on institutional activism and more on discipleship, personal obedience, and spiritual formation.

Whether that trajectory ultimately reshapes Black evangelicalism—or simply broadens Mitchell’s own national platform—remains to be seen. But his appearance alongside Franklin at Forward Conference suggests that one of Black Christianity’s fastest-rising pastors is no longer speaking only to the Black church. 

The post 2819 Church Pastor Joins Pro-Trump Preacher’s Youth Conference appeared first on Word In Black.