FIRST AFRICAN BAPTIST CHURCH

What FIRST AFRICAN BAPTIST CHURCH does

First African Baptist Church (FABC) is a religious nonprofit organization constituted in December 1777 in Savannah, Georgia, recognized as the oldest continuous Black church in North America. Its 1859 sanctuary at 23 Montgomery Street is a National Historic Landmark housing original artifacts (an 1834 pipe organ, Semitic-inscribed oak pews made by enslaved Africans, BaKongo Cosmogram floor pattern, original light fixtures, and baptismal pool). The church delivers weekly Sunday worship (10am, with Facebook Live global broadcast), Thursday Bible study, and operates 17+ ministry departments spanning youth, music, Stephen pastoral care, New Disciples assimilation, senior services, deacons, trustees, and more.

Revenue is generated through voluntary tithes and offerings (including recurring automated giving via PayPal and Givelify), heritage-tourism ticket sales ($15 adult / $12 discounted, processed via Square checkout, Monday–Saturday at 1pm), and designated contributions to the FAB Restoration & Revitalization Project. The affiliated 501(c)(3) George Leile Visions, Inc. (founded 1990) extends operations into community social services (food distribution, job-readiness training, reentry support, parking services) and is led by the pastor as Chairman of the Board. The FAB Credit Union, established in May 1954 as the first federal credit union housed in a church, provides member financial services. Leadership rests with Rev. Thurmond N. Tillman, the 17th pastor since 1982, who concurrently holds civic roles as Convener of Healing Communities of Georgia in Savannah, Chaplain of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, and Senior Partnership Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau.

Name

FIRST AFRICAN BAPTIST CHURCH

Legal name

First African Baptist Church

Website

https://firstafricanbc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1777

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First African Baptist Church is a Savannah, Georgia religious nonprofit and National Historic Landmark, recognized as the oldest continuous Black church in North America. It operates weekly worship services, 17+ ministries, heritage tourism, digital giving, community outreach via affiliate George Leile Visions, and an on-site credit union.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary financial contributions from congregation members including tithes, special offerings, and ministry-specific contributions such as Empowerment Hour, Bible Study, Youth Ministry, and Outreach programs. Recurring automated giving available through PayPal.
2. History Tours: Revenue from guided history tours of the National Historic Landmark church. Tours offered Monday-Saturday at 1pm with tickets priced at $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, military, and students. Group discounts available for parties of 10 or more.
3. George Leile Visions Programs: Parking services and gift shop operations managed by the church's nonprofit affiliate George Leile Visions, Inc. Job-readiness program coordinates parking for all church events as an employment training component.
4. Preservation and Restoration Contributions: Designated donations for the FAB Restoration and Revitalization Project supporting ongoing preservation of the historic 1859 sanctuary and its original elements including stained-glass windows, pipe organ, original oak pews, and light fixtures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

First African Baptist Church (FABC) is a historic Baptist congregation in Savannah, Georgia, founded in 1773 and constituted in 1777, recognized as the oldest continuous Black church in North America. It offers weekly Sunday and Thursday worship services (with Facebook Live broadcast), guided heritage tours of its National Historic Landmark 1859 sanctuary, 17+ ministry programs, and operates community outreach through its affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit George Leile Visions, Inc.

Product overview

First African Baptist Church offers a portfolio of religious and community services centered around its historic 1859 sanctuary. Core offerings include Sunday and Thursday worship services with live Facebook streaming, and paid history tours of the National Historic Landmark building. Digital giving products include Givelify integration for one-time donations and PayPal-based recurring contributions. The church operates 17 ministry programs including Youth Ministry, Music Ministry, Stephen Ministry (pastoral care), and New Disciples Ministry (discipleship). George Leile Visions, Inc., its affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit, manages community outreach including job-readiness training, cultural tourism, and assistance programs. The FAB Restoration & Revitalization Project accepts donations for ongoing preservation of the historic structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Worship Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 3208 households provided groceries through Brown Bag Program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Healing Communities of Georgia in Savannah, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLV partnership focuses on building relationships of healing, redemption, and reconciliation in families and communities impacted by crime and mass incarceration. Assists returning citizens in securing birth certificates, state IDs, and Social Security Cards while providing housing assistance and referrals. Pastor Tillman serves as Convener and FABC is certified as a Station of Hope.
• Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPastor Thurmond N. Tillman serves as Chaplain for the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, providing pastoral support and community policing liaison services.
• U.S. Census BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPastor Tillman serves as Senior Partnership Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau in preparation for census engagement, leveraging church community connections for accurate population counting.
• General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPastor Tillman serves as former President of the Congress of Christian Education and coordinates the Reentry Ministry for Returning Citizens for this convention representing Georgia Baptist churches.
• George Leile Visions, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1990 by First African Baptist Church as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to meet physical, social, and psychological needs of impoverished people. GLV manages and extends church ministries including tourism, parking, media, outreach assistance, and job-readiness programs. Pastor Tillman serves as Chairman of the Board.
• TripAdvisorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTripAdvisor platform listing for FABC history tours, featuring Certificate of Excellence recognition and visitor reviews to promote heritage tourism.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Leading private nonprofit organization focused on historic preservation in the United States. Relevant as an enabling/grantmaking entity and peer ecosystem participant for FABC's Restoration & Revitalization Project, providing institutional funding pathways and preservation technical resources.

Direct peers

• First Bryan Baptist Church: Another historic Black Baptist church in Savannah, Georgia, founded in 1773. Functions as a direct peer operating in the same geographic market with overlapping congregation, community outreach, and historical identity tied to the African American religious heritage of Savannah.
• Abyssinian Baptist Church: Historic Black Baptist church in Harlem, New York, founded 1808, one of the oldest Black Baptist churches in the United States. Comparable heritage tourism appeal, extensive community service portfolio, and reputation for progressive social outreach analogous to FABC's George Leile Visions programming.
• Brown Chapel AME Church: Historic Black church in Selma, Alabama, designated a National Historic Landmark as the starting point of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches. Comparable civil rights heritage tourism destination with deep community programming and preservation mission.
• Dexter Avenue Baptist Church: Historic Black Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor. Comparable as a National Historic Landmark Black Baptist church with heritage tourism operations, civil rights legacy programming, and community outreach initiatives.
• Mother Emanuel AME Church: Historic Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, founded 1816, one of the oldest AME congregations in the South. Comparable as a heritage tourism site with national recognition, deep community service mission, and significant historical/civil rights profile in the broader Southeastern African American heritage corridor.
• Big Bethel AME Church: Historic Black AME church in Atlanta, Georgia, founded 1847, with active community service programs and a significant cultural footprint in the African American community. Comparable as a heritage-focused Black church with extensive ministry programming and community outreach in the same regional Southeastern market.
• Ebenezer Baptist Church: Historic Black Baptist church in Atlanta founded 1886, serving as the spiritual home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a major heritage tourism destination. Directly comparable to FABC as a National Historic Landmark Black Baptist church with substantial tour traffic, community service programs, and external thought leadership.
• 16th Street Baptist Church: Historic Black Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, and a defining landmark of the Civil Rights Movement. Comparable as a historic Black Baptist church with heritage tourism, civil rights education programming, and preservation/restoration funding needs.
• Metropolitan AME Church: Historic Black church in Washington, D.C., founded 1838, with national prominence and a strong community service portfolio. Comparable as a long-established Black church with significant historic legacy, active ministries, and engagement in national social and civic causes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/First_African
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3-PCvcum1emGNYf8dSbCiA
• Facebookfacebook.com/firstafrican
• Instagraminstagram.com/firstafricansav
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-african-baptist-church

Compliance1 record

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 →

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