Our Affiliation

We associate ourselves with three networks of churches to reach more people for Christ and start new churches.

1. The Bessemer Baptist Association is made up of about 47 Southern Baptist churches in our city.

2. The Alabama Baptist Convention is made up of about 28,00 churches all over Alabama. Worship services are held in more than 30 languages.

3. The Southern Baptist Convention is made up of about 45,000 churches and about 16 million members. It is the largest association of Christian churches in America. SBC churches include every race, nationality and ethnic group. Worship services are held in over 110 language groups. The SBC baptizes over one thousand new Christians a day in the U.S., and begins nearly five new churches a day, making it one of the fastest growing denominations in the world. Each SBC church is completely independent. We voluntarily affiliate ourselves for the purpose of accomplishing the Great Commission. There is no denominational control or hierarchy. Each SBC church is self-governed, chooses its own pastor, owns its own assets, and determines its own programs. Affiliating ourselves with the SBC allows us to identify ourselves with other Christians around the world who are known for their commitment to the Bible. The SBC has no man-made creed. The Bible is our sole authority. It allows us to take part in national mobilization efforts. Every year, over one hundred thousand Southern Baptists participate in short-term mission and disaster relief projects in the U.S. and abroad. The SBC trains over twelve thousand vocational ministers each year through our six seminaries. Through the SBC’s “Cooperative Program,” we help support over nine thousand career missionaries in one hundred and twenty-five countries in the largest missionary organization in the world. Our affiliation with the SBC also allows us to be a part of LifeWay Christian Resources, the largest publisher of religious materials in the world, sending resources to over seventy countries worldwide.