Southern Baptist Churches

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Southern Baptist churches share Baptist distinctives while cooperating through a convention structure for missions, education, and ministry.

Founded: 1845 in Augusta, Georgia, separating from northern Baptists; now a nationwide denomination

Governance: Congregational with cooperative convention — Each church is fully autonomous. Churches voluntarily cooperate through the Southern Baptist Convention, contributing to missions through the Cooperative Program.

• Inerrancy of Scripture as stated in the Baptist Faith & Message
• Believer's baptism by immersion
• Eternal security of the believer (once saved, always saved)
• Complementarian view of gender roles in church leadership
• Strong emphasis on the Great Commission

Ranges from traditional with hymns and choir to fully contemporary with worship bands. Preaching is central, typically running 30-45 minutes with strong biblical exposition.