First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia
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First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, is a megachurch located at 4400 North Peachtree Road at Interstate 285 in Dekalb County, Georgia. It is commonly known as First Baptist Atlanta. It is an evangelical, Christian church, and is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Charles F. Stanley, former President of the Southern Baptist Convention, has been Senior Pastor of the church since 1971.
[edit] Details
The church has two Sunday morning services, a Wednesday night prayer meeting, extensive Sunday Morning Bible Study and midweek Christian training programs, and other meetings throughout the week. Dr. Stanley typically preaches at both Sunday morning services. The newly renovated sanctuary seats 3,000, excluding the overflow room. In addition to the sanctuary, the church building includes a chapel, a theater, an extensive youth facility (including a coffee shop, a rock climbing wall, and a gym), dining facilities, a bookstore, rotunda and other spaces typical of megachurches. The church is a theologically-conservative congregation, and Dr. Stanley has long-time links to Jerry Falwell, Bill Bright and others in both evangelical and Baptist circles. Since desegregation, the church has become ethnically diverse.
First Baptist Church of Atlanta began their television and radio ministry in 1972, one year after Dr. Stanley became the Senior Pastor. It is known as "In Touch Ministries". Dr. Stanley is heard around the world, and In Touch has an extensive CD/DVD distribution system.
[edit] History
First Baptist was originally located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, in Fulton County, Georgia. In the late 20th Century, a commercial facility was purchased on Altanta's Interstate 285 and the church relocated to the larger, more accessible, property in Dekalb County. The trend of churches relocating adjacent to a major interstates and highways is not uncommon in commuter-oriented cities such as Atlanta.
