SEATTLE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

What SEATTLE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH does

Seattle First Baptist Church (SFBC) is a private nonprofit religious organization affiliated with American Baptist Churches USA, operating from a historic sanctuary at 1111 Harvard Avenue in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood since 1909, with the current sanctuary building constructed in 1946. SFBC describes itself as a justice-oriented, inclusive, and intentionally intergenerational Baptist congregation that has been open and affirming of LGBTQIA+ individuals since at least 2004. The church is a founding member of the Church Council of Greater Seattle and maintains active affiliations with the Evergreen Association of American Baptist Churches and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists.

SFBC's core offerings are weekly Sunday worship services at 11:00 AM, delivered both in-person at the sanctuary and online via a YouTube channel, supplemented by an extensive programming portfolio that includes small groups (contemplation, book studies, men's groups, intergenerational groups, climate action, play reading circles), children and youth ministries (Godly Play Sunday school, nursery care, youth activities), music and arts programs including Seattle Jazz Vespers, young adult gatherings, a Speaker Series, and justice and advocacy initiatives. The church participates in interfaith climate advocacy with Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue and in the international Geography of Tenderness initiative organized by Ecuador's Global View Foundation. Distribution is community-led: in-person sanctuary gatherings, YouTube streaming for global reach, Zoom-based small groups, and an in-person event calendar that includes an annual All Church Retreat at Camp Burton on Vashon Island.

SFBC's revenue model is entirely donation-based, with voluntary contributions from congregation members directed to a general fund (operations and staff), a Fellowship Fund (outreach), and special funds. Giving occurs weekly during services, online via the Vanco payment platform, by mail, or in person. No fees are charged for any service or program. The organization employs approximately 12 staff including co-pastors Rev. Anita Peebles and Rev. Leigh Curl-Dove, retiring Administrator Darren Hochstedler, Office Manager Christina Sunstone, a Music Minister, and an Organist. Leadership is undergoing a planned transition with a 2026 hire for the Administrator role and the recent return of Co-Pastor Anita Peebles from a Lilly Endowment-funded sabbatical. Governance follows Baptist polity with elected council members and congregational input, and the church engages in public policy advocacy, including formal endorsement of the No Hate in WA State campaign opposing 2024 ballot initiatives IL26-001 and IL26-638.

Name

SEATTLE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

Legal name

Seattle First Baptist Church

Website

https://seattlefirstbaptist.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seattle First Baptist Church is a historic, justice-oriented Baptist congregation in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood, offering weekly worship, intergenerational programs, and advocacy. It serves members through in-person services, YouTube streaming, small groups, and community partnerships funded entirely by voluntary donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Congregational community programs
• Baptist church ministries
• Intergenerational faith formation
• Social justice advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Giving/Tithes: Voluntary financial contributions from congregation members including general fund (operations and staff), Fellowship Fund (outreach), and special funds. Giving occurs weekly during services, online via Vanco platform, by mail, or in person.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Seattle First Baptist Church delivers weekly worship services (in-person and online), small group ministries (contemplation, book studies, men's groups, intergenerational groups, climate action, play reading circles), children and youth programs, music and arts programming, pastoral care, and community justice and advocacy initiatives. All offerings are free to participants and funded entirely by voluntary member donations and tithes.

Product overview

Seattle First Baptist Church is a religious organization offering in-person and online worship services, small group ministries (including contemplation, book studies, men's groups, intergenerational groups, climate action, and play reading circles), children and youth programs, young adult gatherings, music and arts programming, and community justice and advocacy initiatives. The church's digital presence includes online worship streaming and a member portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Worship Services In-person worship held every Sunday at 11:00 AM in the SFBC Sanctuary at 1111 Harvard Avenue, Seattle. Includes preaching, music, prayer, and congregational participation, and is available simultaneously online via YouTube for remote attendees worldwide.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Church Council of Greater Seattle (CCGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFBC was one of the founding churches of CCGS over 100 years ago. CCGS is an important ministry partner today for building collective power through faith-rooted community organizing for transformational change toward liberation and justice. SFBC participates in CCGS budget advocacy initiatives.
• Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFBC is an AWAB church actively working to extend spaces of grace and belonging. The church participates in AWAB events including Space for Grace conferences and supports LGBTQIA+ advocacy through this network.
• Global View FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFBC participates in the Geography of Tenderness initiative started by Global View Foundation of Ecuador, joining with Ecuador, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Arizona, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Chile for a Poetry Marathon.
• Bet Alef Meditative SynagogueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFBC's Interfaith Climate Action Group collaborates with Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue on climate advocacy initiatives.
• Evergreen Association of American Baptist ChurchesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional association of American Baptist churches. SFBC participates in Evergreen events including Mariners games and annual gatherings.
• Washington Trust for Historic Preservation - Stimson-Green MansionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in community events including the First Hill Improvement Association Block Party celebrating the Stimson-Green Mansion's 125th birthday.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Church Council of Greater Seattle: The regional ecumenical organizing body of which SFBC is a founding member. Comparable as a faith-rooted community organizing and advocacy institution serving progressive Seattle congregations.

Direct peers

• First United Methodist Church of Seattle: Another historic downtown Seattle mainline church with progressive theology, social justice programming, and an aging-but-active congregation. Comparable in scale, urban mainline identity, and progressive orientation.
• First Baptist Church of Portland: A historic Pacific Northwest progressive Baptist church similar to SFBC in denomination, urban location, age, and progressive orientation. Comparable as a regional peer in the same theological tradition and geography.
• Plymouth Congregational Church: Historic downtown Seattle mainline Protestant congregation (UCC) with progressive theology, social justice advocacy, and a similar music and arts profile. Comparable as a justice-oriented downtown Seattle mainline congregation.
• Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue: A Seattle-area Jewish congregation that is an actual SFBC interfaith partner (climate action collaboration). Comparable as a small, progressive, contemplative-oriented faith community in the same metropolitan area.
• University Baptist Church: A progressive Baptist congregation in Seattle with similar open-and-affirming identity, intergenerational programming, and social justice orientation. Directly comparable in denomination, theology, geography, and progressive Baptist positioning.

Regional players

• Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB): A network of affirming Baptist congregations. SFBC is a member; AWAB congregations share SFBC's open-and-affirming identity and progressive theology across a multi-region footprint.
• Evergreen Association of American Baptist Churches: The regional Baptist association to which SFBC belongs, covering the Pacific Northwest. Comparable as a peer institution in the same denominational structure and geography.

Broad incumbents

• American Baptist Churches USA: The national Baptist denomination to which SFBC is affiliated through the Evergreen Association. Comparable as the broader institutional governance and programmatic umbrella for SFBC's denomination.
• St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral: The Episcopal cathedral in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, offering similar progressive theological orientation, music programs, and social justice advocacy but as a larger institutional player with broader programming and a more established donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SeattleFirstBaptistChurch/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeattleFirstBaptist
• Instagraminstagram.com/seattlefirstbaptist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seattle-first-baptist-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SEATTLE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH