Denominations - Protestant

Southern Baptist Convention

Baptist, Evangelical

Date Founded:  1845

Membership: 16,136,044 Number of Clergy: 121,989 Number of congregations: 45,727

Headquarters:  901 Commerce St., Nashville, TN  37203

Schools & Seminaries:  Colleges are affiliated with the state conventions.  See a list of colleges and universities. Seminaries are affiliated with the national convention:  The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Publications:  SBC Life

Website:  https://www.sbc.net

Social Media:  Each part of the SBC family uses it's own social media outlets.

Kentucky Baptist Convention: https://www.kybaptist.org/

Core Beliefs:

"A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ [baptism by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper], governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture."  See the Basic Beliefs for a fuller list of beliefs.

Short History:

The SBC split from the original American Baptist Association in 1845 over the issue of slavery.  "By doctrine and polity, the SBC cannot and does not unite local congregations into a single legal denominational body. Each cooperating Baptist body -- local church, association, state convention, and auxiliary -- retains its sovereignty and is fully autonomous." In other words, churches in the SBC do not adhere to a centralized church like Roman Catholics. Each church is autonomous. However, if a church "strays" too far from the basic belief system of the SBC, it may be asked to leave the convention.

Today the SBC is the largest protestant denomination in the United States, and its membership makes up approximately 20% of all evangelical denominational adherents.

Additional facts about the SBC: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/06/07/7-facts-about-southern-baptists/

Local Churches:  There are 163 SBC churches in Louisville.  Two close to campus are:

St. Matthews Baptist Church, 3515 Grandview Avenue, Louisville, KY 40207, and

Deer Park Baptist Church, 1733 Bardstown Rd., Louisville, KY 40205.

Church Locator: https://churches.sbc.net/