Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

How long has First Baptist been a church?
First Baptist was established on June 21, 1872. For many years the church grew and was located in the downtown area, in 1987 it was relocated to its present location on Lakeshore Drive.

Is First Baptist Church affiliated with any denomination?
Yes. First Baptist Church is part of the Southern Baptist denomination.

First Baptist also cooperates with churches on a local level to do work in Birmingham area through the Birmingham Baptist Association and we cooperate with other Alabama churches through the Alabama Baptist Convention to do work in our state.

What is a Southern Baptist Church?
In 1845 a group of Baptist churches met in Augusta, Georgia and agreed to begin cooperating together to do missions work around the world. From there the denomination began and grew. Today there are over 16 million Southern Baptists and some 42,000 churches. The denomination exists so that churches can cooperate together to do missions work on a local, state, national, and international level. The primary way that Southern Baptists work cooperatively is by giving money to the Cooperative Program (CP). The Cooperative Program funds the following:

  • the six Southern Baptist seminaries for theological training of church leaders
  • the International Mission Board (IMB) for mission work around the world
  • the North American Mission Board (NAMB) for mission work in the United States and Canada
  • the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) is the public policy arm of the SBC and is dedicated to addressing social, moral, and ethical concerns with particular attention on their impact on American families and their faith
  • the Annuity Board which allows workers in Southern Baptist entities and churches to invest in a retirement program
  • the Southern Baptist Foundation which was established to provide a wide range of investment and estate planning services for Southern Baptist Convention agencies, institutions and individuals. Its objective is to support the Convention in its goal of spreading the gospel

What is the Southern Baptist Convention?
Many people mistakenly call the denomination the Southern Baptist Convention, but this is actually the name of the annual meeting which is held each June. It is in this meeting that each Southern Baptist church can send up to 10 messengers to conduct the business of the denomination. The messengers from the churches are not delegates so each messenger is free to vote on denominational business as they feel the Holy Spirit is leading them.

Is First Baptist Church an independent church or does the denomination tell them what to do?
No one, with the exception of the Lord Jesus, tells a Southern Baptist church what to do or how to conduct itself. All Southern Baptist churches are independent but choose to work together, or cooperate, to train and send out workers to spread the Gospel around the world. The churches that make up the Southern Baptist Convention lead the convention and give it direction for ministry.

For Our Guests

Where is First Baptist located?
We are located at 2209 Lakeshore Drive in Birmingham which is at the west corner of Lakeshore Drive and US Highway 31 and is just east of Samford University on Lakeshore.

What are the service times?

  • On Sunday morning we have small group Bible studies called Sunday School which begins at 9:00 a.m. Our morning worship begins at 10:15 and normally lasts until about 11:30.
  • Our Sunday evening programming begins at 5:00 p.m. with the opening of our nursery area and AWANA’ for our children also begins at 5:00. Sunday evening service starts at 6:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday has a variety of activities beginning with our morning prayer time and fellowship meal starting at 11:00 a.m. downstairs in our dining hall. At 5:00 p.m. we have another fellowship meal followed by our prayer service which starts at 6:00 in the dining hall as well. Our children’s area opens at 5:30 and preschool and children’s choirs begin at 5:45 followed by missions at 6:20.
  • Our youth meet upstairs in the youth room (271/272) at 6:00 p.m.

Is there a fellowship meal on Wednesdays? How much is the cost?
The Wednesday evening fellowship meal is from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. The cost is $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children.

Is Sunday School only for children?
Actually, we have classes for all age groups. Most classes are divided by birth year but some are geared toward life stages such as our youth and college departments. Learn more about the many Sunday School classes at First Baptist.

Are there other classes beside those on Sunday mornings?
There are classes during the week in the daytime as well as on Wednesday nights. You can get a complete listing of these classes by calling our main office at 205.870.3888.

What is the best way to get to know people at First Baptist?
While First Baptist is not a massive church it is still large enough to be a bit intimidating when you first walk in. The best way to get to know people at First Baptist is to get involved on the small group level in our Sunday School and Discipleship classes.

Where do I go the first time I visit First Baptist Church?
There are four entrances to our church; at all of those entrances there will be greeters on Sundays who can help you find your way to the sanctuary, Sunday School classes, or the children’s and youth areas.

Where should I park?
The main parking area is on the north side of the church which is really at the back of the building. There you will find guest parking and a large covered drive for dropping off passengers during inclement weather. There is also a small covered drive on the west side of the building which leads to the children’s area.

Is there handicap parking?
Yes, and it is the closest to the church on the north (back) side of the building.

Where do I take my children or teenagers on Sunday?
Children birth through 5th grade will be in the children’s area which is in the downstairs part of our facility. Youth (6th through 12th graders) have classes on the top floor of our building.

Will someone contact me if I come to church there?
If you are a guest at our church and fill out a guest registration card, then we feel obligated to contact you and let you know that we appreciated your visit and we would like to see if you have any questions that we could help you with. Most of our contact times will be on Tuesday evenings.

What does it mean to be a “member” of First Baptist Church?
By becoming a member of a church this says that you have identified with that church and will support that church through your service and giving. In Scripture we see where believers were identified with various churches – this meant they worked in and supported that church. If you are a believer then you are already part of the Body of Church which is made up of all followers of Christ. However, it is essential for your personal growth as a believer that you join a local church. It is also essential to the growth of the church as a whole that you give of yourself and your resources to a local body of believers.

Sunday School membership is not the same as church membership and is open to everyone.

How do I become a member of First Baptist Church?
Once you have discerned that God is leading you to join our fellowship then you will be given an opportunity to join our church at the end of each Sunday service. After the pastor preaches he will ask you to respond by coming forward to express what God is leading you to do. When you come forward you will be asked why you are coming and the pastor or another staff member will counsel with you about this decision and take some basic information from you. You will not be made to give a speech or be “put on the spot” in any way.

There are basically four ways you can join First Baptist as a member:

  1. By becoming a Christian.
    Many people join our church this way when they come to understand their need for Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Through this process they have come to understand that they are sinful and Jesus loves them, wants to forgive them, and wants to change them into a new person. Once they have believed on Christ for salvation then they must be baptized to be a member (see “What is baptism and why does it apply to me?”).
  2. By baptism.
    This could apply to several groups of people. You may have been a believer for quite some time, but you have never been baptized. Or you may be coming from a church that either sprinkled you as a child or taught that baptism was essential for salvation. In any of those cases we ask that you be baptized either for the first time or again in some cases in order to be a member.
  3. By letter.
    Whenever you join a Southern Baptist church they keep a record of your membership. This record is called your “letter.” So when you move your membership from one Southern Baptist church to another then you move or transfer your letter. When you come to join First Baptist you will need to tell us which Southern Baptist church you are coming from and then we will contact that church and let them know that you have joined our fellowship. After this they will then transfer your membership to us.
  4. By statement.
    Many people who join our church do not come from another Southern Baptist church and that is not a problem. If you have believed on Christ for salvation and been baptized and you are coming from another evangelical church that believes similar to First Baptist in doctrine and practices baptism in the same manner, then you will be accepted as a member upon your “statement” of salvation and baptism. You will not be required to be baptized again.

What is baptism and why or how does it apply to me?
Baptism is a command that the Lord Jesus gave to His followers. In fact this was the first thing He did at the beginning of His ministry on earth. We require this because we believe the Bible is very clear about baptism being for all believers. We see in Scripture where baptism is only for believers and not for children or infants who have yet to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Finally, we see baptism as being symbolic and not something that is essential for one’s salvation. We do believe that if a believer has not been baptized then he or she will not experience God’s full measure of blessings because they have yet to follow the very first command that Jesus gave us to follow.

Why does First Baptist baptize by immersion or by placing someone completely under the water?
There are several reasons why we do this:

  • Every baptism in Scripture including Jesus’ baptism was by immersion.
  • It best symbolizes Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
  • It best symbolizes our death, burial, and resurrection from our fallen state to life in Christ.
  • The Greek word for baptize means “to immerse or dip under water.”

We are only in the area for a short time – should we still join?
Yes. There are many college students in the area as well as people who have transferred in temporarily through their job who need a church home while they are in the Birmingham area. We have found that individuals or families who are here for only a short time and still join are much more involved than those who don’t join. This also helps them to more easily find and get involved in a church at their next career stop or job assignment.

If I am not a member can I still attend?
Yes. You can participate in many aspects of the body life of the church, but you will not be allowed to be in leadership or to participate in the church business sessions. Incidentally, we have found that those who are not members are less likely to be fully involved in the church and do not grow as fast spiritually as those who become members. However, everyone who wants to attend our church is welcome and encouraged to come.

How do I listen to the Pastor online and what’s available?
You will find several of Pastor’s sermons online freely available on this website for you to download and listen. Visit our Sermons archive.

What translation of Scripture does Dr. Lewis use when he preaches?
Dr. Lewis uses the New King James Version (NKJV) to preach from; however, he uses many other translations to study and prepare his messages.

Beliefs and Doctrines

Does First Baptist Church have a statement of faith?
Of course the Bible would be our ultimate belief statement but First Baptist Church does affirm the 2000 edition of the Baptist Faith and Message. This is not a creed but is a generalized document which would be representative of what most Southern Baptists believe.

What does First Baptist believe about Scripture?
At First Baptist we hold to a high view of Scripture. We believe, preach, and teach unapologetically that the Bible is God’s inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word. We believe that it is without error and is complete.

What does First Baptist teach about giving?
We believe that the Bible teaches that all things come from God and He expects us to be good stewards of those resources. We also see a Scriptural pattern for the support of the local church by returning 10% of everything that God has given to us. We believe that the New Testament pattern is that all believers are given a mandate to support the local church with their tithe (10% of their income). Many believers support other para-church ministries and mission work but that work should always be supported by an offering above and beyond what is given to the local church.

How do I participate in giving to First Baptist?
If you are a member of First Baptist then you will receive giving envelopes in the mail each month for each week of the coming month. You can bring your offering and give during Sunday School or during any of our worship services. In addition, if you are not able to attend a service and turn in your tithe and offering then please feel free to come by the church office during the week and drop it off there.

If you are not a member but feel that God is leading you to give, then offering envelopes have been placed in the pew for you to use.

Organization

How is First Baptist Church organized?
First Baptist Church is Pastor led, deacon served, committee organized, and church approved.

The Pastor
The Pastor leads the church. He sets the vision for the church and leads the staff in having a focused plan for direction of the ministry of the church. Certain financial and personnel decisions must be made in consultation with various committees, the deacons, and with the approval of the church body.

The Deacons
The deacons serve the church body in many ways. Their various roles include serving as a sounding board to the pastor, approving certain financial and personnel decisions, serving on both permanent and special committees, ministering to the widows of the church, and being on-call for emergencies.

The Committees
There are two types of committees, standing or permanent committees and special committees. Standing committees come along side the pastor and staff to help with the ministry of the church. Special committees are convened for temporary task such as hiring pastoral staff or studying issues related to the church.