Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

What Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church does

Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church is a non-profit religious organization headquartered at 3826 Wheeler Avenue in Houston's historic Third Ward, founded in March 1962 by 13 worshipers meeting at Texas Southern University's Baptist Student Union. The church has grown to over 12,000 members under Founding Pastor William A. Lawson (1962-2004) and current Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby (since 2004). The organization operates 66 distinct ministries spanning spiritual, educational, and social welfare functions including the Wheeler Avenue Christian Academy (a wholly-owned educational subsidiary), transitional housing for homeless single mothers in Third Ward, and global missions outreach in South Africa.

The church's product portfolio combines in-person worship services (three Sunday services at 7 AM, 10 AM, and 1 PM plus Wednesday prayer) with digital ministry products including the Wheeler Wherever online ministry, a WABC Media mobile app (iOS and Android), live-streamed services, and the Chapters + Verses recorded gospel music album series distributed on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and physical CD. Technology integrations include PushPay for digital giving (mobile app, text-to-give at 833-642-2720, online portal), Zoom for prayer meetings, ShopLightSpeed for merchandise, KidCheck for children's check-in, Brushfire for event registration, and JotForm for pastoral care requests. The music ministry features over 100 singers and musicians producing the 'Chapters + Verses' series, with Volume 1 released in 2022 and Volume 2 announced for 2026.

The revenue model is based on tithes, offerings, and donations from the 12,000+ member congregation, with 12% of every contribution directed to outreach. Distribution occurs through in-person worship at the Houston campus, the global Wheeler Wherever online platform, and merchandise/CD sales through ShopLightSpeed. The church serves a multi-generational congregation with specialized programs for children, youth, young adults, seniors, and targeted ministries for those affected by Alzheimer's, cancer, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, addiction, incarceration, and deaf/hard of hearing individuals. Customer segments are diversified across general congregation, children/youth, the Third Ward geographic community, and an online/global audience, with no enterprise or commercial customer concentration.

Name

Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

Legal name

Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

Website

https://wheelerbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church is a Houston-based non-profit Baptist congregation founded in 1962 that serves over 12,000 members through worship services, 66 ministries, a Christian Academy, transitional housing, and the global Wheeler Wherever online ministry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church is a Baptist congregation that provides in-person and online Christian worship services, faith-based education, and pastoral care for members in Houston's Third Ward and a global online audience. It operates 66 distinct ministries spanning support, children, youth, outreach, music, discipleship, and counseling, supported by a digital giving platform and mobile media app. It also runs community programs including the Wheeler Avenue Christian Academy and transitional housing for homeless single mothers.

Product overview

Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church offers a comprehensive portfolio of church and community services organized as a unified ministry ecosystem. The core offerings include in-person and online worship services (Wheeler Wherever), a digital giving platform (PushPay), and the WABC Media app for mobile access. The church's music ministry produces the Chapters + Verses album series, with Volume 1 (60th Anniversary Edition) released in 2022 and Volume 2 upcoming. The church operates 66 distinct ministries spanning Support, Children's, Service, Outreach, Music & Fine Arts, Youth, Discipleship, Fellowship, and Counseling categories. Additional services include a Prayer Ministry with dedicated prayer line and online requests, the 52 Week Bible Reading Plan, Family Vacation Bible School, and care systems for pastoral support. Beyond spiritual services, the church provides community programs including the Wheeler Avenue Christian Academy and transitional housing for homeless single mothers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wheeler Wherever: Online ministry connecting believers from around the world through virtual worship, small groups, and on-demand content.

Products and services

• Chapters + Verses (Music Album Series) Gospel music album series produced by Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church's music ministry of over 100 singers and musicians. Volume 1 (60th Anniversary Edition) features 14 tracks of traditional gospel choir music; Volume 2 is announced as upcoming.
• Wheeler Wherever (Online Ministry) Global online ministry connecting believers worldwide through live worship services, Bible studies, small groups, and on-demand sermon access. Enables remote participation for those outside the greater Houston area.
• Online Giving Platform (PushPay) Digital tithes and offerings platform supporting mobile app giving, text-to-give (text 'Wheelerbc' to 833-642-2720), and PushPay portal. Includes recurring gift management and giving history.
• 52 Week Bible Reading Plan Annual Bible reading plan with monthly scripture readings available for download. Part of the church's Christian education ministry.
• Wheeler Avenue Christian Academy Educational institution established under Pastor Cosby's leadership, serving the community as part of the church's outreach initiatives.
• Transitional Housing Facility Housing facility for homeless single mothers in the Third Ward community of Houston, established as part of the church's social outreach ministry.
• Prayer Ministry Comprehensive prayer support including dedicated prayer line (713-741-4611), Wednesday Morning Prayer via Zoom and Facebook Live, online prayer request submissions, and weekly corporate prayer gatherings.
• 66 Church Ministries Portfolio Comprehensive ministry portfolio organized into 10 categories: Support Ministries, Children's Ministries, Service Ministries, Outreach Ministries, Music & Fine Arts, Youth Ministries, Discipleship, Fellowship Ministries, and Counseling Ministries. Includes ministries for all ages and community needs.
• Care Requests System Online pastoral care system handling funeral service requests, bereavement support, hospital visit notifications, homebound visit requests, and other care needs through digital forms.
• Family Vacation Bible School Annual summer program (July 13-17, 2026) offering Bible study, activities, and meals for all ages. Includes online registration via Brushfire.
• In-Person Sunday Worship Services Multiple Sunday worship services at 7 AM, 10 AM, and 1 PM at the Houston campus sanctuary, featuring Spirit-filled worship with the music ministry of 100+ singers and musicians and dynamic preaching.
• Sunday Worship Church Merchandise (ShopLightSpeed) Online retail store offering church merchandise including music albums and apparel, operated through the ShopLightSpeed ecommerce platform.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• First Baptist Church of Houston: Major Baptist congregation in Houston's Museum District with comparable scale and denomination. Directly comparable as a Houston-based Baptist church with extensive programming.
• West Angeles Church of God in Christ: Los Angeles-based large African-American Pentecostal church with comparable music ministry emphasis, community programs, and digital outreach. Similar scale and operational complexity.
• Lakewood Church: Houston-based megachurch with 40,000+ weekly attendees, comparable in urban location, large-scale worship production, and broad ministry portfolio. Directly comparable as a Houston Baptist/non-denominational community-focused megachurch.
• Ebenezer Baptist Church: Historic African-American Baptist church in Atlanta with deep community ties, comparable in denomination, scale, and social justice/community development orientation. Similar intergenerational ministry focus.
• The Potter's House: Dallas-based megachurch led by Bishop T.D. Jakes with 30,000+ members, comparable in scale, multi-ministry ecosystem, and urban community engagement focus. Similar operational model with music, education, and community outreach programs.
• Concord Church: Large Dallas-based Baptist church with comparable congregational scale, music ministry emphasis, and community outreach programs. Similar operational structure with multiple Sunday services and educational programs.
• New Birth Missionary Baptist Church: Atlanta-area megachurch with comparable scale, multi-ministry portfolio, and community development focus. Similar music production and digital ministry infrastructure.
• Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral: New York-based large African-American congregation with comparable community development focus and multi-ministry structure. Similar faith-based approach to addressing urban social needs.

Regional players

• Antioch Missionary Baptist Church: Historic Miami-based Baptist church with comparable community service model and African-American congregation profile. Operates similar social outreach programs in an underserved urban context.
• Salem Baptist Church: Chicago-based Baptist church (hometown of Pastor Cosby) with comparable scale, community development focus, and African-American congregation base. Similar urban ministry model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wheeleravenuebc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wheeleravenuebaptistchurch2786/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/WheelerAvenueBC
• Instagraminstagram.com/wheeleravenuebc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wheeler-avenue-baptist-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church