Southside Baptist Church

Southside Baptist Church is a church located at the intersection of 11th Avenue and 19th Street South in Five Points South. Formed in 1886, the church has been one of the largest and most influential churches in the Alabama Baptist State Convention, though this has changed throughout history.

Originally, the church worshiped in two buildings in Birmingham's Southside. After a fire destroyed their second sanctuary in 1906, the church made plans and built their current Greek Revival building, completed in 1911. The church built an education building in the 1920s. The church contributed a number of leaders to local and state Baptist causes.

The church was the first church in Alabama to televise a worship service in 1950.

As the demographics in Birmingham changed around the church, they remained dedicated to ministering to the increasingly diverse populations rather than moving to a suburb of Birmingham. The church offers space for other congregations to meet, including Chinese and Korean congregations, and space and support for community ministries. In 2001-2002, Southside Baptist provided worship space to Temple Emanu-el while their facility was being renovated.

Pastors include:

• A.C. Davidson (1898-1906)
• James E. Dillard (1918-1936)
• James Buchanan (1937-1957)
• Lamar Jackson
• Dale Chambliss
• J. Steven Jones (1999-present)

Prominent members have included:

• Frank P. Samford, Sr., CEO of Liberty National and namesake of Samford University

External links

• Southside Baptist website

References

• Allen, Lee. Southside Baptist Church: A Centennial History. A.H. Cather Publishing, 1996.
• Flynt, Wayne. Alabama Baptists: Southern Baptists in the Heart of Dixie. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1998.