Kirby Woods Baptist Church

What Kirby Woods Baptist Church does

Kirby Woods Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist congregation headquartered at 6325 Poplar Avenue in East Memphis, Tennessee, operating a single physical campus that serves as the hub for an unusually broad portfolio of integrated ministries. The church runs weekly Sunday worship services at 10:30am in a blended traditional-and-contemporary style, alongside midweek Bible studies (women's, men's, and chronological), children's programming for birth through fifth grade during Sunday School and Wednesday nights, a 6th–12th grade student ministry meeting Wednesdays at 6:15pm in W311, women's Zumba fitness classes on Tuesday evenings, and free ESL classes on Wednesday nights led by Cristy Pursley. Two affiliated congregations operate on-site: Memphis Deaf Church, an ASL-led ministry pastored by Larry White for the past 10 years meeting Sundays at 10am and Wednesdays at 1pm; and Nueva Vida Iglesia Bautista, a Spanish-language congregation meeting Sundays at 11:50am with bilingual services on the last Sunday of each month.

The church's technology stack is built entirely on third-party ministry SaaS rather than proprietary infrastructure. Church Center provides a mobile and web experience (available on iOS and Android) for event registration, small group connection, and online giving, integrated with Planning Center for donation processing. A text-to-give channel (KWBC to 55498) enables mobile contributions, and Sunday services are streamed live at 10:30am with on-demand archives. The Off Script podcast, hosted on Buzzsprout and led by Pastor Jared, supplements preaching with Christian worldview commentary on current events, politics, and leadership. The Squarespace-hosted kirbywoods.org website functions as the central information hub for staff, schedule, events, and the campus map.

Kirby Woods' economic model is donation-based rather than commercial, with revenue derived from voluntary congregational tithes and offerings collected during services, online via Planning Center, and through text-to-give. The Global Impact Offering is an annual structured collection with codified percentage allocations: 30% to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (international SBC missions), 30% to Kirby Woods mission trips, 20% to church planting efforts, 10% to the TN Baptist Golden Offering (state missions), and 10% to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (North American missions). Supporting local ministries include Memphis Union Mission, Refugee Memphis, One by One Ministries, Feed the Family & First Responders, and the University of Memphis Baptist Collegiate Ministry. The church also directly supports church plants in Memphis TN (Miracle Baptist Church, Luke Tullos), Durango CO (Overland Church, Buddy Sampson), and Ogden UT (The Upward Call, Sam Torres), with a fourth Memphis plant under Cody Clark in development. International mission partnerships span Central Asia, Belgium (including a 2025 trip), North Africa/Middle East, the Pacific Rim (2024 trip led by Jonathan Weaver), and South Asia. A minor transactional revenue stream comes from $5-per-class Zumba fees, but the church does not publicly disclose giving totals or operating budget.

Name

Kirby Woods Baptist Church

Legal name

Kirby Woods Baptist Church

Website

https://kirbywoods.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kirby Woods Baptist Church is a Memphis-based Southern Baptist congregation offering Sunday worship, multi-generational discipleship programming, deaf and Spanish-language affiliated congregations, ESL classes, fitness ministries, and church planting and international mission partnerships, funded primarily by congregational tithes and offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Faith-Based Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Church ministries
• Biblical teaching
• Community worship
• Mission programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Weekly offerings collected during Sunday worship services and through mail-in donations. Congregants are encouraged to give as an act of worship and generosity reflecting God's provision.
2. Online Giving: Digital giving through Planning Center and Church Center platforms. One-time and recurring donation options available for general tithes and specific offerings.
3. Text-to-Give: Mobile giving via text message (KWBC to 55498) for convenient contributions.
4. Global Impact Offering: Annual missions offering distributed between local, national, and international missions: 30% Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, 30% Kirby Woods Mission Trips, 20% Church Planting Efforts, 10% TN Baptist Golden Offering, 10% Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.
5. Zumba Class Fees: Women's Zumba fitness class at $5 per class held Tuesday evenings in the gym.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kirby Woods Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist congregation in East Memphis, TN that delivers weekly worship services, Bible studies, and a portfolio of age-specific and demographic-specific ministries. Its core activities include Sunday worship services, small groups, men's/women's Bible studies, children and student programs, ESL classes, deaf and Spanish-language ministries, Zumba fitness classes, and local and international mission engagement supported by tithes and offerings.

Product overview

Kirby Woods Baptist Church operates as a single-entity ministry offering a portfolio of connected digital and physical ministry programs. The core digital presence centers on Church Center, a mobile and web app for church engagement that integrates with Planning Center for online giving. Supporting this are media offerings including the Off Script podcast, Sunday livestream, and sermon message archive. Physical programs include Zumba fitness classes, Bible studies across multiple demographics (women's, men's, chronological), ESL classes, and various mission and prayer ministries. These programs work together to fulfill the church's mission of presenting everyone mature in Christ, supporting spiritual growth through worship, study, fellowship, and service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Memphis Deaf Church: A deaf congregation ministry that meets at Kirby Woods Baptist Church, led by Pastor Larry White, with the mission to develop followers of Jesus who love, learn, and lead.
• Nueva Vida Iglesia Bautista
• Off Script Podcast

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services In-person worship services held Sundays at 10:30am in the Auditorium, featuring blended worship (traditional hymns and contemporary music) and expository Bible preaching. Designed for the general congregation and visitors seeking a Bible-believing Southern Baptist church in East Memphis.
• Bible Studies Group Bible study programs for women, men, and general adults that meet on a recurring weekly schedule, designed to promote biblical literacy, discipleship, and community fellowship.
• Kids Ministry Age-appropriate Bible teaching and programming for children from birth through 5th grade, held during Sunday School at 9am, the worship hour, and Wednesday night activities with a child check-in system.
• Student Ministry Discipleship program for 6th through 12th grade students meeting Wednesdays at 6:15pm in W311 (3rd floor), focused on peer community, relevant Bible teaching, and spiritual formation during formative years.
• Memphis Deaf Church An ASL-speaking congregation that meets on the KWBC campus for worship on Sundays at 10am and Bible study on Wednesdays at 1pm, led by Pastor Larry White with a mission to love, learn, and lead. Designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and families.
• Nueva Vida Iglesia Bautista Spanish-language worship service meeting Sundays at 11:50am in E200 (Massey entrance), with bilingual services on the last Sunday of each month and a Wednesday Bible study for students at 7pm. Designed for Spanish-speaking families in the Memphis area.
• ESL Classes Free English as a Second Language instruction meeting Wednesday nights from 6-7:30pm during fall and spring semesters. Led by Team Leader Cristy Pursley and serves Spanish-speaking and other immigrant community members seeking language skills and cultural integration.
• Zumba Fitness Classes Weekly women-only Zumba fitness class held Tuesday evenings at 6pm in the church gym at $5 per class, led by instructor Kris Stewart. Designed for women seeking an affordable, supportive, and flexible workout environment.
• Missions Program Coordinated mission engagement program including local community partnerships (Memphis Union Mission, Refugee Memphis, One by One Ministries, University of Memphis BCM, Feed the Family), church planting support (Miracle Baptist Church, Overland Church, The Upward Call), and international partnerships across Central Asia, Belgium, North Africa/Middle East, Pacific Rim, and South Asia, funded by the annual Global Impact Offering.
• Church Center App Mobile and web application available on Android and iOS that enables members to register for events, connect with small groups, and give online through an integrated Planning Center giving experience. Designed for congregants and visitors seeking continuous engagement with the church throughout the week.
• Off Script Podcast Weekly equipping podcast hosted by Pastor Jared that applies a Christian worldview to current events, politics, leadership, and guest interviews, supplementing the Sunday preaching ministry. Distributed via the church website and podcast platforms.
• Sunday Livestream Live online streaming of the Sunday worship service at 10:30am with on-demand archives, allowing remote viewers to watch the full service, review announcements, and submit connection cards. Designed for members unable to attend in person.
• Sermon Messages Archive On-demand library of past sermon series and messages available for viewing and listening, with podcast subscription options on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Designed for congregants and the broader public seeking ongoing teaching content.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• ESL Classes (Cristy Pursley, Team Leader)coreOthersLocal ministry providing free English as a Second Language instruction to community members. Meets Wednesday nights 6-7:30pm with fall and spring semesters. Team led by Cristy Pursley. Serves immigrant and refugee populations seeking language skills and cultural integration.
• Memphis Union MissioncoreOthersLocal ministry serving those experiencing poverty and homelessness. KWBC volunteers provide dinner monthly (4th Monday) at 383 Poplar Ave. Coordinated by Richard Bock. Part of Global Impact Offering support.
• One by One MinistriessupportingOthersLocal Memphis ministry. Directed by Artricia Transou. Supported through KWBC mission giving and volunteer engagement.
• Refugee MemphissupportingOthersLocal ministry serving refugees in Memphis. Directed by Darla Richardson. KWBC provides support through mission programs and volunteer involvement.
• University of Memphis Baptist Collegiate MinistrysupportingOthersCampus ministry at University of Memphis providing spiritual community for college students. Coordinated by Dillon Patrick. KWBC supports through mission partnership and student involvement.
• Feed the Family & First ResponderssupportingOthersLocal outreach ministry. Coordinated by Alan Melicks and Sissy Freeman. Provides food assistance to families and support for first responders in the community.
• Miracle Baptist Church (Luke Tullos)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch plant in Memphis, TN led by Luke Tullos. KWBC supports through the Global Impact Offering (20% designated to church planting efforts). Part of North America church planting strategy.
• Overland Church (Buddy Sampson)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch plant in Durango, CO led by Buddy Sampson. KWBC supports through the Global Impact Offering and mission trip involvement.
• The Upward Call (Sam Torres)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch plant in Ogden, UT led by Sam Torres. KWBC provides mission support through the Global Impact Offering.
• Future Church Plant (Cody Clark)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanned church plant in Memphis, TN under leadership of Cody Clark. Part of KWBC's local church planting vision.
• Central Asia Mission PartnerssupportingOthersInternational mission partnership supporting ministry in Central Asia. Part of KWBC's global missions strategy supported by the Global Impact Offering.
• Ghent, Belgium Mission PartnerssupportingOthersInternational mission partnership supporting ministry in Ghent, Belgium. KWBC has sent mission teams including recent 2025 trip. Part of European evangelism efforts.
• North Africa Middle East PartnerssupportingOthersInternational mission partnership supporting ministry in North Africa and Middle East regions. Supported through Global Impact Offering (30% Lottie Moon Christmas Offering allocation).
• Pacific Rim Mission PartnerssupportingOthersInternational mission partnership supporting ministry throughout Pacific Rim countries. KWBC has sent teams including Pacific Rim 2024 trip led by Jonathan Weaver.
• South Asia Mission PartnerssupportingOthersInternational mission partnership supporting ministry in South Asia. Part of KWBC's global Kingdom Impact vision for evangelism and discipleship.
• Memphis Deaf ChurchcoreOthersASL-speaking congregation meeting at KWBC. Led by Pastor Larry White who has served for 10 years. Meets Sundays at 10am for worship and Wednesdays at 1pm for Bible study. Mission: love, learn, and lead. Hosted on KWBC campus.
• Nueva Vida Iglesia BautistacoreOthersSpanish-language congregation meeting Sundays at 11:50am in E200 (Massey entrance). Led by dedicated Spanish-speaking leadership. Offers bilingual services last Sunday of each month and Wednesday Bible study for students at 7pm. Hosted on KWBC campus.
• Lottie Moon Christmas OfferingsupportingOthersInternational missions offering of Southern Baptist Convention. KWBC designates 30% of Global Impact Offering to this fund supporting international missionaries worldwide.
• Annie Armstrong Easter OfferingsupportingOthersNorth American missions offering of Southern Baptist Convention. KWBC designates 10% of Global Impact Offering to support home missionaries.
• TN Baptist Golden OfferingsupportingOthersTennessee Baptist state missions offering. KWBC designates 10% of Global Impact Offering to support TN Baptist mission work statewide.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bartlett Baptist Church: Memphis-metro Southern Baptist church serving a similar suburban demographic with comparable mid-size programming, mission engagement, and family ministries.
• Bellevue Baptist Church: Large Southern Baptist church in Memphis, TN, the most prominent Baptist congregation in the metro and direct competitor for congregants, members, and mission visibility in the same denomination and city.
• Second Baptist Church Memphis: Established Southern Baptist congregation in Memphis offering comparable multi-generational programming, weekly services, and Bible study structure in the same metropolitan area.
• Germantown Baptist Church: Southern Baptist church in the Memphis suburb of Germantown, competing for the same East Memphis-area demographic and family-oriented congregants as Kirby Woods.

Emerging players

• McLean Bible Church: Washington DC-area church with multilingual and multicultural ministry model similar to KWBC's English/Spanish/Deaf hosting approach, providing relevant peer benchmarking.

Broad incumbents

• North Point Community Church: Large Atlanta-area multisite church known for digital content distribution and small-group ministry, comparable to KWBC's Church Center app + small group strategy.
• Church of the Highlands: Large Southern Baptist-affiliated multisite megachurch in Birmingham, AL with comparable digital engagement (app, livestream) and multi-generational ministry programming.
• Fellowship Church: Large multisite evangelical church with strong digital content (podcast, livestream, app) comparable to KWBC's Off Script podcast and Church Center platform investments.

Regional players

• Collierville First Baptist Church: Southern Baptist church in the Memphis suburb of Collierville, competing for family demographics from the same East Memphis/Memphis metro population pool as Kirby Woods.

Others

• Christ Community Church: Memphis-area church with significant community outreach and refugee/immigrant ministry comparable to KWBC's ESL classes and Refugee Memphis partnership approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kwbcdeaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kirby Woods Baptist Church