First Baptist Church Of Charleston

What First Baptist Church Of Charleston does

First Baptist Church of Charleston is a private, non-profit religious organization founded in 1776 and affiliated with the Great Commission Baptists denomination (Southern Baptist Convention) and the International Mission Board. It operates its primary campus in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, comprising administrative offices and parking at 48 Meeting Street and a historic sanctuary at 61 Church Street, and maintains a secondary retreat property at 1017 West Ashley Street, Folly Beach, with 47-person sleeping capacity. The organization serves a Christian congregation through weekly Sunday worship services (10:30 am) with Bible Study (9:15 am), Wednesday night programs, and segmented ministries spanning children, students, college-age, women, men, and family groups, supported by 27 staff.

The portfolio of offerings is built on a portfolio of community and ancillary revenue lines. The core is donation-funded (tithes and offerings collected in-person and via the Realm giving platform), with supplementary commercial activities: all-inclusive wedding ceremonies in the historic sanctuary (2026 rate $3,250, 2027 rate $4,000, plus $300 officiant honorarium); seasonal beach house retreat rentals priced $1,210-$5,500 per week depending on season; branded merchandise; and free SC250 Charleston sanctuary tours (April-September 2026). Distribution relies on physical presence plus digital channels: YouTube livestream, PodPoint podcast, Facebook, Instagram, weekly e-newsletter, and SMS text alerts.

The business model is donation-led with auxiliary facility-rental revenue. The underlying technology stack is comprised of third-party SaaS tools (Realm, YouTube, PodPoint, Google Calendar/Maps, social platforms) with no proprietary platform, no app, no API, and no integrations beyond standard SaaS. Strategic positioning is anchored on heritage (Pre-Revolutionary founding, 1791 Church Covenant), historic physical assets (sanctuary, Wicks Pipe Organ, beach property), and denominational alignment rather than technology differentiation. Customers include the local congregation, prospective brides, church-affiliated retreat groups, and tourists participating in SC250 programming.

Name

First Baptist Church Of Charleston

Legal name

First Baptist Church

Website

https://fbcharleston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1776

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Baptist Church of Charleston is a historic nonprofit Baptist congregation founded in 1776, serving a Charleston congregation through Sunday worship, Bible study, and segmented ministries, supplemented by wedding venue rentals, beach house retreats, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAA

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYEDACAAAN

Faith-Based Childcare Centers

Education/Early Childhood Education/Daycare & Childcare Centers

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Bible study programs
• Ministry outreach
• Wedding venue rentals
• Retreat accommodations

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary contributions from congregation members during worship services and through online giving via Realm platform
2. Beach House Retreat Rentals: Church-affiliated groups rent the Folly Beach property for retreats and mission projects at varying rates by season
3. Wedding Ceremony Services: All-inclusive venue rental including sanctuary, rehearsal, organist/pianist, ceremony coordinator, parking; officiant honorarium charged separately
4. Merchandise and Gift Shop: Sale of church-branded merchandise and gifts

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

First Baptist Church of Charleston provides Baptist worship services, Bible study, and ministry programs (including youth and adult ministry) to its congregation and the broader Charleston community. It also operates facility-based revenue offerings, including wedding venue rentals at the church and beach house/retreat accommodations at a Folly Beach property, and sells branded merchandise.

Product overview

First Baptist Church of Charleston offers a unified set of worship and ministry services centered around its Sunday worship services (10:30 am) and Bible Study (9:15 am). The church provides digital engagement tools including livestream services via YouTube, a podcast on PodPoint, online giving through Realm, and SMS text messaging alerts. Additional offerings include ministry programs for children, students, college-age individuals, women, men, and families, as well as facility rentals including historic sanctuary weddings (2026 rate: $3,250) and the Folly Beach House retreat facility (sleeping 47). The church also offers free SC250 Charleston historical tours on Saturdays through September 2026. The portfolio spans in-person gatherings, digital platforms, and property rentals, with no formal modular platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly Baptist worship services held at the Charleston campus and designed for congregants, families, and visitors seeking corporate worship and biblical teaching.
• Bible Study Programs Structured Bible study classes and groups for congregants and visitors who want deeper scriptural engagement and fellowship.
• Youth and Adult Ministry Programs Age-segmented ministry programs including youth ministry and adult ministry offerings that support spiritual formation, fellowship, and community service for members and their families.
• Wedding Venue Rentals Rental of the church's historic Charleston facility for wedding ceremonies and receptions, marketed to engaged couples seeking a historic venue.
• Folly Beach Retreat Accommodations Short-term rental of a beach house retreat property at Folly Beach, offered to groups and individuals for retreats and leisure stays near Charleston.
• Church Merchandise Sale of branded merchandise to congregants and supporters of the church.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First Baptist SchoolcoreOthersAffiliated K-12 educational institution operating on the church campus. Referenced on church website as a connected ministry.
• Great Commission Baptists (Southern Baptist Convention)coreOthersDenominational affiliation providing theological alignment, mission network, and doctrinal standards for the congregation.
• International Mission BoardminorOthersSouthern Baptist Convention mission agency for international missions; referenced as part of church network.
• Bliss in Bloom CharlestonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesignated florist for weddings at First Baptist Church. Brides must use one of the designated florists who have security and entry access to the facilities.
• Branch Design StudiominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesignated florist for weddings at First Baptist Church with facility access and knowledge of floral policies.
• Festoon CharlestonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesignated florist for weddings at First Baptist Church.
• SC250 CharlestonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization coordinating 250th Anniversary celebration of the Declaration of Independence; First Baptist Church offering free historic sanctuary tours in partnership with this initiative.
• Beverly Bradley (Organist)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDr. Beverly C. Bradley serves as the church organist required for all wedding ceremonies; reviews and approves all ceremony music selections.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• First Baptist Church of Houston: Major SBC-affiliated congregation operating as a hub for worship, education, and missions. Provides a benchmark for programming depth and digital infrastructure comparable to First Baptist Charleston's portfolio.
• First Baptist Church of Dallas: Large Southern Baptist-affiliated flagship congregation. While materially larger, shares the same SBC network, worship programming, ministry segmentation, and digital engagement model as First Baptist Charleston.
• First Baptist Church of Atlanta: Historic Southern Baptist congregation in a major Southern city, comparable denominational heritage, multi-generational ministry programming, and downtown urban footprint analogous to First Baptist Charleston.

Direct peers

• St. Philip's Church, Charleston: One of Charleston's oldest congregations located directly across the street on Church Street. Operates in the same historic downtown footprint and serves a similar Episcopalian demographic with comparable worship, weddings, and heritage-tourism offerings.
• Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Charleston: Historic downtown cathedral that hosts weddings and serves as a major heritage tourism site. Direct competition for sanctuary wedding bookings and downtown congregational visibility in Charleston.
• Church of the Holy Cross, Charleston: Historic Charleston church offering worship and venue services in the same local market. Comparable heritage positioning, congregation scale, and competition for weddings and community engagement.
• Circular Congregational Church: Another of Charleston's historic downtown churches offering worship services, weddings, and heritage programming in the same immediate neighborhood. Directly comparable congregation scale and event-venue function.
• Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston: Historic downtown Charleston congregation also offering worship, ministries, and event-hosting in the same local market. Comparable congregation size and historic-Presbyterian presence directly competitive for members, weddings, and community visibility.
• Bruton Parish Church: Historic Pre-Revolutionary Episcopal church in Colonial Williamsburg offering worship, weddings, and historical sanctuary tours. Strong parallel as a heritage-anchored congregation leveraging its historic sanctuary for revenue diversification.

Others

• Realm (ACS Technologies): Technology vendor providing the online giving and member engagement platform used by First Baptist Charleston. Relevant adjacent peer illustrating the digital-infrastructure dependency underlying the church's donor funnel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVZL4Q__1dEv52DL3ATM6iw
• Facebookfacebook.com/FirstBaptistCharlestonSC
• Instagraminstagram.com/fb_charleston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-baptist-church-of-charleston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 First Baptist Church Of Charleston