Nelson Price, Longtime Georgia Pastor, Dies at 94

MARIETTA — The Rev. Dr. Nelson L. Price, the longtime pastor who helped shape Marietta’s spiritual and civic life for more than three decades, died Saturday at the age of 94, according to Mayes Ward Dobbins Funeral Home.

Price is best remembered for leading Roswell Street Baptist Church from a modest neighborhood congregation into one of Georgia’s earliest megachurches. When he arrived in 1965, the church counted just a few hundred members. By the height of his ministry, membership swelled to nearly 10,000, and the 4,000-seat sanctuary stood as one of the largest in the Southeast.

Since Price’s retirement, the church’s membership has suffered decline and it is merging with Woodstock First Baptist Church.

A Pastor With a National Platform

Beyond Cobb County, Price emerged as an influential figure in the Southern Baptist Convention, serving as first vice president and leading its national Pastors’ Conference. In 1977, he was invited to preach the inaugural sermon to President Jimmy Carter and his Cabinet — an appearance that cemented his reputation as both a spiritual and civic leader.

He also chaired the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ national board, bridging faith with the world of sports. His church’s broadcast ministry, Come Alive, brought his sermons into more than 20 million homes weekly.

Local Impact That Lasted Generations

For those in Marietta, Price was as much a community builder as a preacher. Under his guidance, Roswell Street Baptist launched outreach programs including Love Life, Inc., a ministry supporting women facing pregnancy decisions, and The Clay Home for unwed mothers.

He also championed early childhood education through Christian preschool and daycare programs, and he never shied away from civic life — writing a weekly column in the Marietta Daily Journal for nearly 60 years.

A Life of Recognition and Service

Born in Mississippi, Price studied at Southeastern Louisiana University and later received honorary doctorates for his contributions to ministry. His influence was recognized with numerous awards, including “Citizen of the Year” and honors from the Marietta Chamber of Commerce.

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary even named a chair and center after him, ensuring his academic and theological legacy would extend well beyond Georgia.

Remembering the “Pastor for Marietta”

While the megachurch he built has since declined in membership and become a satellite campus of First Baptist Woodstock, Price’s legacy continues in the lives of the congregants he baptized, the young pastors he mentored, and the countless families he guided through weddings, funerals, and life’s in-between moments.

Funeral arrangements for Dr. Price have not yet been announced.

For many in Cobb County, one phrase sums up his life’s work: he was, in the words of colleagues, “the pastor for Marietta.”