First Baptist Church Of Opelika

What First Baptist Church Of Opelika does

First Baptist Church of Opelika (FBCO) is a Southern Baptist congregation located at 301 S 8th Street, Opelika, Alabama, founded around 1870 in a growing railroad town and operating continuously for over 150 years as a community religious anchor. The organization is a private, non-profit religious institution incorporated under Alabama state law, governed by congregational polity with elected deacons and a Constitution and Bylaws framework, and is not publicly traded and has no parent company.

Its core "products" are comprehensive multigenerational ministry programs organized into two primary Sunday worship environments (traditional Worship Center upstairs; contemporary 3:16 Center downstairs) plus three additional Sunday services (Latino at 12:30 p.m., Korean at 1:00 p.m., and an evening service at 6:00 p.m.), age-graded NextGen ministries spanning preschool through college, dedicated ethnic-specific congregations (Korean Ministry and Primera Iglesia Bautista de Opelika / PIBO), and an array of pastoral-care, missions, and educational sub-programs. The technology stack supporting these operations is conventional and non-proprietary: BOXCAST for live streaming to connected-TV platforms and web, Wufoo for event registration, and TouchPoint as the church management system.

Revenue mechanics combine voluntary contributions from the congregation (general tithes/offerings, designated giving to mission offerings such as Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong, and planned/legacy giving) with fee-for-service programs operating from church-owned facilities. The Bright Beginnings Weekday Preschool charges $1,755 (3-day) to $2,205 (5-day) annual tuition for ages 14 months through PreK; the Fine Arts Academy charges $402 to $801 per semester for private music lessons in 30-, 45-, and 60-minute formats plus $180 Middle School Band Camp tuition in summer. Distribution spans the physical campus (in-person services and programming), regional radio (97.7 Kicker FM during the 11:00 a.m. service), and digital channels including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, and the BOXCAST streaming app. The church is currently navigating a leadership transition after the December 4, 2025 unexpected death of Senior Pastor Dr. Jeff Meyers, with Dr. Gary Hollingsworth serving as Interim Pastor beginning May 2026.

Name

First Baptist Church Of Opelika

Legal name

First Baptist Church of Opelika

Website

https://fbcopelika.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Baptist Church of Opelika is a 150-year-old Southern Baptist congregation in Opelika, Alabama, offering multigenerational worship services, dedicated Korean and Latino ethnic congregations, Christian preschool and academy programs, and global mission outreach to the Auburn-Opelika community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services and Faith-Based Community

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC), Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF), Community & Nonprofit Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAD)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Christian education programs
• Weekday preschool services
• Private music instruction
• Multicultural congregation ministries

Headquarters

HQ city

Opelika

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: General fund giving from congregation members through Sunday offerings, online giving, and text-to-give. Church encourages proportional, prayerful, and joyful giving as acts of worship and stewardship
2. Designated Giving: Donors can designate gifts to specific areas including missions (Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering), facilities, future opportunities, and fellowship fund
3. Creative Giving: Appreciated investments and property donations, legacy/estate giving, and memorial gifts for planned giving strategies
4. Fine Arts Academy Music Lessons: Private music instruction for over a dozen instruments at semester-based tuition rates with 30, 45, and 60-minute lesson options. Also includes summer camps like Middle School Band Camp
5. Bright Beginnings Weekday Preschool: Christ-centered weekday preschool program for ages 14 months to PreK, August through May, with 3-day and 5-day class options and monthly tuition payments

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

First Baptist Church of Opelika operates a multi-generational Southern Baptist congregation delivering weekly worship services, age-graded discipleship programs from preschool through college, tuition-based Christian preschool and academy education, private music instruction, and pastoral care. The church runs two Sunday morning worship environments (traditional upstairs and contemporary downstairs), a Spanish-language Latino congregation (PIBO), and a Korean-language congregation, alongside on-campus preschool, K-12 academy, and music academy programs. Funding comes primarily from member tithes, offerings, and designated charitable giving, supplemented by tuition revenue from preschool, academy, and music lesson programs.

Product overview

First Baptist Church of Opelika is a multi-generational Southern Baptist congregation offering a comprehensive portfolio of spiritual programs and services. The church operates with two primary worship environments (traditional upstairs and contemporary downstairs) and maintains distinct ethnic congregations (Latino PIBO and Korean Ministry). Core offerings include Sunday worship services at multiple times, age-graded Next Generation Ministries (Preschool through College), Bible studies, and pastoral care. The church provides educational programs through Bright Beginnings Weekday Preschool and First Baptist Academy, music instruction via the Fine Arts Academy, and worship ministry through choirs, orchestra, and contemporary teams. Additional services include mission trip programs, counseling, and online streaming via BOXCAST with podcast and social media distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly worship services at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 a.m., plus a 6:00 p.m. evening service, with parallel traditional (Worship Center) and contemporary (3:16 Center) options for individuals and families in the Auburn-Opelika community.
• Korean Ministry Worship Services Korean-language worship service held Sundays at 1:00 p.m. in the Worship Center with Bible study, youth programs, and family ministries for Korean families in the Auburn-Opelika area; launched July 2019 under Dr. Lloyd Seok.
• Primera Iglesia Bautista de Opelika (PIBO) Latino Congregation Spanish-language Latino congregation with worship on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. in the 3:16 Center, Bible study at Room 121, and children's ministry programs led by Dr. Daniel González for Spanish-speaking families.
• Online Streaming and Media Distribution Live streaming of all worship services via BOXCAST to Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and web browsers, plus distribution through Facebook, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts, with on-demand sermon archive at fbcomedia.com.
• Bright Beginnings Weekday Preschool Christ-centered weekday preschool for ages 14 months through PreK, operating August through May from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with 3-day and 5-day class options at $1,755 to $2,205 yearly tuition and a $150 non-refundable registration fee.
• First Baptist Academy Private Christian K-12 school with nearly 30 years operating on the FBCO campus under Headmaster Matthew Kendrick, integrating a biblical worldview into academic instruction for students.
• Fine Arts Academy Private Music Lessons Private music instruction on more than a dozen instruments (piano, voice, guitar, band instruments) at semester-based tuition of $402 (30-min), $600 (45-min), or $801 (60-min), plus $35 annual registration fee and summer lesson packages.
• Middle School Band Camp Five-day summer band camp for middle school students (requires 1-3 years experience) at $180 per child with a $30 registration fee and a $140 sibling rate, held June 15-19, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Pastoral Care and Recovery Support Services Pastoral care ministries including Caregiver Coffee, Widows/Widowers Ministry, Healing Hearts, Life Recovery addiction support, Pastoral Care Partners, counseling referrals, hospital visits, and grief support for congregation members and the broader Auburn-Opelika community.
• Missions Program Domestic and international short-term mission trips to Honduras, Costa Rica, Uganda, Boston, El Salvador, and other locations, plus promotion of Southern Baptist Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Annie Armstrong Easter Offering through IMB and NAMB partnerships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Korean Ministry grew from 50 to 200+ members in under 5 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Mission Board (IMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Baptist Convention missionary sending agency supporting international missionaries through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Every dollar goes directly to sending and sustaining missionaries around the world. FBCO participates in the annual Lottie Moon offering.
• North American Mission Board (NAMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Baptist Convention church planting and evangelistic agency for North America. Supports church planting and evangelistic work through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. FBCO participates in the annual Annie Armstrong offering.
• Southern Baptist Disaster Relief AlabamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisaster relief network providing emergency response and recovery assistance. FBCO supports local disaster relief efforts through this partnership.
• Women's HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's ministry partner organization providing resources and support for women's discipleship and outreach initiatives at FBCO.
• Community (CBS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based ministry partnership supporting local community outreach and service initiatives.
• Hashem MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal ministry partnership supporting community outreach and faith-based initiatives.
• Big House FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit serving foster and adoptive families in the community. FBCO supports through volunteer engagement and community outreach.
• Alabama Children's HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild welfare organization providing foster care, adoption services, and family support. FBCO staff serve as foster parents with the Alabama Baptist Children's Home.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Church of Eleven22: Growing non-denominational/Southern Baptist-friendly congregation in Jacksonville, Florida that scaled rapidly through multi-ethnic outreach, digital streaming, and contemporary worship — comparable trajectory to FBCO's PIBO/Korean ministry model.
• McLean Bible Church: Large multi-congregation evangelical church in the DC metro with multi-ethnic services, a K-12 academy, and contemporary-traditional service blend. Comparable in multi-format service architecture and ethnic-language ministry design.
• Johnson Ferry Baptist Church: Large Southern Baptist church in Marietta, Georgia with extensive next-gen ministries, weekday preschool, and worship production infrastructure. Closest structural peer to FBCO's combination of Sunday services, school, preschool, music academy, and ethnic-language outreach.
• Prestonwood Baptist Church: Large SBC congregation in Plano, Texas operating a K-12 classical academy, weekday preschool, Fine Arts academy, and multi-ethnic ministries. Their academy + preschool + music school + ethnic ministry stack is the closest functional template to FBCO's subsidiary portfolio.
• Bellevue Baptist Church: Large Southern Baptist congregation in Memphis, Tennessee with traditional + contemporary worship, global missions focus, and multi-generational programs. Comparable denomination, comparable scale, comparable multi-format service structure.
• Watermark Church: Large Southern Baptist congregation in Plano, Texas with diverse ministry programming across age groups and an emphasis on broad digital distribution. Same denomination, similar multi-program portfolio, similar Auburn/college-region-adjacent demographic draw.
• Shallowford Baptist Church: Large Southern Baptist congregation in Atlanta metro with comparable multi-generational ministry, weekday preschool, and academy. Similar model of conventional + contemporary services and multi-departmental staffing makes this the most direct operational comparable for FBCO.
• First Baptist Church Birmingham: Historically large urban Southern Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama — same state, same denomination, similar 19th-century founding era. Direct comparable for legacy brand strength and urban-suburban ministry footprint in Alabama.

Broad incumbents

• North Point Community Church: Megachurch headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia — same SBC/Baptist-adjacent space, Georgia-based, broad digital distribution. Represents the upper bound of operational sophistication and production scale toward which FBCO's media team could develop.
• Church of the Highlands: Multi-campus Southern Baptist megachurch headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama — same state, same SBC affiliation, and overlapping Auburn-Opelika regional draw on weekends and broadcasts. Substantially larger scale provides a directional benchmark for the upper bound of where FBCO could grow post-leadership-transition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fbcopelika
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FBCOpelika/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/fbcopelika
• Instagraminstagram.com/fbcopelika
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-baptist-church-of-opelika

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Opelika