Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a 501(c)(3) cooperative of approximately 46,000 autonomous US churches and 12.3 million members, coordinating missions funding through the Cooperative Program across six seminaries, two mission boards, Lifeway, GuideStone, Send Relief, and the ERLC. It is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1845
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Southern Baptist Convention does
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), founded in 1845 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, operating as a voluntary cooperative of approximately 46,000 autonomous local churches and 12.3 million members. It coordinates shared ministry through national entities funded by the Cooperative Program, including the SBC Executive Committee (governance and administration), the International Mission Board (overseas missions), the North American Mission Board (church planting and domestic missions), six theological seminaries (Gateway, Midwestern, New Orleans, Southeastern, Southern, and Southwestern), Lifeway Christian Resources (publishing), GuideStone Financial Resources (insurance and retirement for church workers), the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (public policy advocacy), Send Relief (disaster response), and the Woman's Missionary Union. Doctrinal unity is anchored by the Baptist Faith and Message (2000).
The SBC's product surface is a digital ecosystem centered on SBC.net: Baptist Press as official newswire, the SBC This Week and Lead On podcasts, daily devotionals, a searchable church directory of 46,000+ congregations, the SBC Jobs portal for ministry staffing, the Abuse Prevention & Response program with a dedicated helpline (833-611-4357), a Credentials Committee for doctrinal accountability, and the Resources Library archiving annuals, resolutions, and trustee records back to 1845. Architecture is conventional — the website runs on WP Engine, with adjacent sites for specific entities. There is no proprietary technology stack beyond standard content, audio, and directory infrastructure.
The business model is a non-dues religious cooperative: member churches voluntarily contribute a percentage of undesignated gifts through the Cooperative Program, which is then distributed to state conventions and SBC national entities according to an agreed allocation formula. The Convention itself charges no membership fee in the traditional sense; participation is confessional and voluntary, with messengers from cooperating churches voting at the annual meeting. The SBC does not publish consolidated revenue; financial disclosure occurs at the individual entity level (each seminary, mission board, and the Executive Committee). Recent strategic priorities include clergy abuse reforms (2022 Guidepost Solutions report), leadership transitions (President Clint Pressley elected 2024; Jeff Iorg named Executive Committee President/CEO in March 2024), and ongoing constitutional debate over pastoral role qualifications.
Southern Baptist Convention firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern Baptist Convention
- Legal name
- Southern Baptist Convention
- Website
- https://sbc.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1845
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Southern Baptist Convention is a 501(c)(3) cooperative of approximately 46,000 autonomous US churches and 12.3 million members, coordinating missions funding through the Cooperative Program across six seminaries, two mission boards, Lifeway, GuideStone, Send Relief, and the ERLC. It is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern Baptist Convention industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious Denomination Services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)
Keywords
Where Southern Baptist Convention is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Southern Baptist Convention business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Southern Baptist Convention product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Southern Baptist Convention is a cooperative network of approximately 46,000 autonomous Baptist churches that voluntarily pool resources through the Cooperative Program to support coordinated ministry. Its direct offerings include the SBC.net denominational hub and Church Finder database, Baptist Press news service, Cooperative Program funding mechanism, six affiliated theological seminaries, North American and International Mission Boards, Send Relief disaster response, Lifeway Christian Resources publishing, an Abuse Prevention & Response helpline, and a Credentials Committee governance process.
Product overview
The Southern Baptist Convention operates a unified digital ecosystem centered on SBC.net as its primary web platform. The offering includes: the main convention website providing institutional information; Baptist Press as the official newswire; SBC This Week podcast; the Cooperative Program for mission funding; a Church Finder database of 46,000+ churches; Abuse Prevention & Response resources with a dedicated helpline; SBC Jobs for ministry position listings; a Credentials Committee governance system; a Resources Library containing historical documents; and a network of six seminaries for theological education. These products serve SBC churches, messengers, and the public with information, news, career services, and accountability mechanisms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Baptist Press: Official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention providing news, reporting, and coverage of SBC events and issues.
- SBC This Week
- Lead On Podcast
Products and services
- SBC.net Denominational Website Official SBC website serving as the central digital hub for denomination information, church search, news, and resources for member churches, messengers, and the public.
- Baptist Press News Service Official SBC newswire providing news coverage of Convention activities, churches, entities, and Southern Baptist events for member churches and the wider public.
- SBC This Week Podcast Weekly podcast covering Southern Baptist news, interviews with SBC leaders, and updates on denominational activities.
- Cooperative Program Unified funding mechanism through which Southern Baptist churches voluntarily contribute a percentage of their undesignated gifts to support missions and ministry work nationally and internationally across SBC entities.
- Church Finder Searchable online database of more than 46,000 Southern Baptist churches and congregations across the United States, available to individuals seeking a local church.
- Abuse Prevention & Response Resources and confidential reporting channels (phone helpline 833-611-4357 and email [email protected]) for survivors of sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches and entities, connecting them with advocacy and care.
- SBC Jobs Portal Job posting platform where Southern Baptist churches and entities can list ministry positions such as pastor, worship leader, youth minister, and other church staff roles.
- SBC Seminaries Network Network of six affiliated theological seminaries providing pastoral and ministry training: Gateway Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
- Resources Library Digital archive containing CP Stories, Ministry Reports, Resolutions, SBC Annuals, and Trustee Contacts dating back to 1845, available to member churches and the public.
Quantifiable outcome
- 263,075 baptisms reported in 2025
Companies that use Southern Baptist Convention
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Southern Baptist Convention technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Southern Baptist Convention partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Southern Baptist Convention competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Presbyterian Church (USA): Another mainline Protestant denomination governed by presbyterian polity with regional synods, national agencies, and seminaries. Comparable to SBC as a US denomination navigating membership decline, congregational disaffiliation, and theological realignment.
- United Methodist Church: A large mainline Protestant denomination with comparable structure of autonomous local churches cooperating through a general conference, mission agencies, and seminaries. Directly comparable as a US denomination facing similar membership decline and internal doctrinal conflict over human sexuality.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Mainline Protestant denomination with a similar structure of congregations, synods, seminaries, and a national churchwide organization. Comparable to SBC as a denomination facing long-term membership decline, funding pressure, and debates over theology and ordination.
- Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod: Conservative Lutheran denomination comparable to SBC in confessional identity, congregational autonomy, network of seminaries, and resistance to theological liberalism. Faces similar tensions over theology, ordination, and cultural engagement.
- Church of God in Christ: The largest Pentecostal denomination in the US and a historically Black denomination with comparable governance through jurisdictional bishops and general assemblies. Comparable to SBC as a major US Protestant denomination with millions of members.
- American Baptist Churches USA: A historically mainline Baptist denomination that split from the same Baptist tradition as SBC in the 1840s. Direct peer as a US Baptist denomination with shared heritage but contrasting theological and cultural trajectories.
- National Baptist Convention, USA: Largest historically Black Baptist denomination in the US, structurally and theologically comparable to SBC as a Baptist body with autonomous churches, conventions, and missionary organizations. Often compared alongside SBC when analyzing US Baptist denominational landscape.
- Episcopal Church (USA): US branch of the Anglican Communion with semi-autonomous dioceses and congregations, comparable in scale and structure to the SBC. Faces the same membership decline, internal doctrinal disputes, and disaffiliation pressure as SBC.
- Assemblies of God: Largest Pentecostal denomination in the US, with a comparable network of autonomous churches, district councils, and cooperative missions funding. Directly comparable as a fellow evangelical-leaning denomination with global missions footprint.
Broad incumbents
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: The national leadership body of the Roman Catholic Church in the US, comparable to SBC as a centralized religious governance organization with national agencies, mission initiatives, and policy advocacy. Larger in scale than SBC and operates under a different polity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Southern Baptist Convention social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern Baptist Convention financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern Baptist Convention leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Southern Baptist Convention subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
Southern Baptist Convention funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Southern Baptist Convention M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Southern Baptist Convention
What does Southern Baptist Convention do?
The Southern Baptist Convention is a cooperative network of approximately 46,000 autonomous Baptist churches that voluntarily pool resources through the Cooperative Program to support coordinated ministry. Its direct offerings include the SBC.net denominational hub and Church Finder database, Baptist Press news service, Cooperative Program funding mechanism, six affiliated theological seminaries, North American and International Mission Boards, Send Relief disaster response, Lifeway Christian Resources publishing, an Abuse Prevention & Response helpline, and a Credentials Committee governance process.
Is Southern Baptist Convention a public or private company?
Southern Baptist Convention is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Southern Baptist Convention founded?
Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1845. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Southern Baptist Convention based?
Southern Baptist Convention is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Southern Baptist Convention's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Presbyterian Church (USA), United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Church of God in Christ, American Baptist Churches USA, National Baptist Convention, USA, Episcopal Church (USA) and Assemblies of God. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Southern Baptist Convention have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern Baptist Convention.
What industry is Southern Baptist Convention in?
Southern Baptist Convention's product category is Religious Denomination Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAB, Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8600.