Since its organization in 1845 in Augusta, Georgia, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has grown to 15.8 million members who worship in more than 40,000 churches in the United States. Southern Baptists sponsor about 5,000 home missionaries serving the United States, Canada, Guam and the Caribbean, as well as sponsoring more than 4,000 foreign missionaries in 126 nations of the world.
The term "Southern Baptist Convention" refers to both the denomination and its annual meeting. Working through 1,221 local associations and 39 state conventions and fellowships, Southern Baptists share a common bond of basic Biblical beliefs and a commitment to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world.
You become a Southern Baptist by uniting with a Southern Baptist church, one in friendly cooperation with the general Southern Baptist enterprise of reaching the world for Christ. Typically church membership is a matter of accepting Jesus as your Savior and Lord and experiencing believer's baptism by immersion.
The fact that Jesus died for our sin, was buried, and then rose from the grave is foundational for Southern Baptists. He lives today and stands ready to give abundant and eternal life to all those who repent of sin and place their faith in Him. Southern Baptists invite everyone to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
We have prepared a statement of generally held convictions called The Baptist Faith and Message. It serves as a guide to understanding who we are.
Southern Baptists support 3,066 fields missionaries and 1,749 volunteers in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.
The SBC support 4,750 international missionaries in 127 nations.
An in-depth statement of faith with supporting scriptural references. Read the Basic Beliefs section for a short version.
An overview of the Southern Baptist national emphasis in celebration of the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program's 75th Anniversary. An audio message from Dr. Morris Chapman is included.
We offer here an overview of the positions and beliefs of Southern Baptists today and throughout history.
Conviction statements of prominent Southern Baptists throughout history.
Contact information for individual state conventions.
Copyright © 1999 - 2002, Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention.