First Baptist Church of Spartanburg

What First Baptist Church of Spartanburg does

First Baptist Church of Spartanburg operates The Z, a Christian radio ministry targeting youth and young adults in the Southeast United States. The Z broadcasts contemporary Christian music across Rock, Pop, and Hip-Hop formats on 8 FM frequencies spanning South Carolina and Georgia (including Greenville, Spartanburg, Roebuck, Seneca, Clemson, Anderson, Charleston, and Savannah, plus HD-2 sub-channels), and extends its reach via web streaming, native iOS and Android mobile apps, and a podcast portfolio. The ministry is co-operated with HisRadio (Radio Training Network), which provides programming and broadcast infrastructure, while First Baptist Spartanburg provides local ministry oversight and studio facilities.

The product set extends beyond music broadcasting to include a 24/7 prayer support line (1-877-443-CARE) and online prayer chat portal, the Z Music Crew community program with over 3,000 participating members, a Christian concert calendar, and free event-announcement airtime for churches and non-profit organizations. No paid advertising is offered to non-profits; for-profit sponsorships are reported as available. The Z mobile app provides streaming access to three HisRadio stations (His Radio, HisRadioZ for Rock/Hip-Hop, and HisRadio Praise) with pause and rewind functionality.

The revenue model is that of a non-profit religious ministry: donor support, listener contributions, and advertising/sponsorships from for-profit entities, with free community announcements for churches and non-profits. The organization is privately held (no public ticker), reports no subsidiaries, has no disclosed funding rounds, and operates with approximately 12 employees. There is no public revenue disclosure, and no AI/ML capabilities are documented in the current technology stack.

Name

First Baptist Church of Spartanburg

Legal name

First Baptist Church of Spartanburg

Website

https://thez.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Baptist Church of Spartanburg operates The Z, a Christian radio ministry broadcasting contemporary Christian music across 8 FM frequencies in South Carolina and Georgia, serving youth and young adults through radio, mobile apps, podcasts, and 24/7 prayer support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Religious/Faith-Based Stations (MPABACAL)

Keywords

• Christian radio ministry
• Contemporary christian music
• Religious broadcasting
• Prayer support services
• Faith-based community programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Spartanburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorships: The station accepts announcements and advertising from churches and non-profit organizations at no charge, and likely generates revenue through paid sponsorships and advertising from for-profit entities.
2. Ministry Donations and Support: As a radio ministry partnership between HisRadio (Radio Training Network) and First Baptist Spartanburg, the station operates as a non-profit ministry likely funded through donations and listener support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First Baptist Church of Spartanburg operates The Z, a Christian radio ministry broadcasting contemporary Christian music (Rock, Pop, and Hip-Hop) across eight FM frequencies in South Carolina and Georgia. The ministry extends its reach through online streaming, iOS and Android mobile apps, podcast series, a 24/7 prayer support line, concert promotion, and the listener-driven Z Music Crew community program, all delivered as outreach in partnership with HisRadio (Radio Training Network).

Product overview

First Baptist Church of Spartanburg operates The Z as its primary outreach product — a Christian radio ministry broadcasting Rock, Pop, and Hip-Hop music. The Z functions as a unified platform combining FM radio broadcasts (with multiple regional frequencies across South Carolina and Georgia), online streaming via its website and mobile apps (iOS/Android), and podcast content. Additional offerings include a 24/7 prayer support service, the Z Music Crew listener community program, and concert promotion services. The ministry is co-operated with HisRadio/Radio Training Network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Z radio station Christian radio station broadcasting contemporary Christian music in Rock, Pop, and Hip-Hop formats, with programming focused on reaching students and young adults. Operates across multiple FM frequencies in South Carolina and Georgia and streams online.
• The Z Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that allows listeners to stream The Z station anytime, with access to all three His Radio stations (His Radio, HisRadioZ for Rock and Hip-Hop, and HisRadio Praise). Includes pause and rewind features.
• Prayer Request Service 24/7 prayer support service available through a dedicated phone line (1-877-443-CARE) and online chat portal, connecting listeners with prayer volunteers for prayer requests and emotional support.
• Z Concert Calendar Online calendar of Christian music concerts and events promoted on The Z station, supporting concert discovery and event promotion across the region.
• Z Podcast Portfolio of podcast series from The Z including The Z Takeover, Best of the Z, Celebration audio/video podcasts, Crossfire, Daily Encouraging Word, and Don Wilton Messages, providing on-demand Christian content.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HisRadio (Radio Training Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHisRadio, an outreach of Radio Training Network, is the primary operational partner in The Z radio ministry. Radio Training Network provides programming, broadcast infrastructure, and industry expertise while First Baptist Spartanburg provides local ministry oversight and studio facilities.
• First Baptist SpartanburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Baptist Spartanburg is the founding and hosting organization for The Z radio ministry. The church provides studio space, local oversight, and integrates the radio station into its community outreach mission as an official church ministry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cumulus Media: Major US radio operator running hundreds of FM/AM stations; relevant as a broad incumbent benchmarking operating scale, multi-market infrastructure, and secular radio industry economics.
• iHeartMedia: Largest US radio broadcaster with national digital streaming platform (iHeartRadio); relevant as a broad incumbent showing the secular radio industry trajectory that pressures regional broadcasters like The Z.
• Salem Communications: Large publicly traded operator of Christian and conservative-talk radio stations, providing a broader portfolio comparison for The Z's regional Christian broadcast business model.
• SiriusXM: Subscription-based national satellite/streaming audio platform including faith-based channels; relevant as a broad incumbent competitor for listener attention and ad/donor dollars in the audio space.

Direct peers

• WAY-FM Media Group: Non-profit contemporary Christian radio network operating multiple FM signals across the US, comparable to The Z in ministry-driven model, donor funding, and youth-focused music programming.
• Air1 (Educational Media Foundation): Sister network to K-LOVE focused on Christian rock/alternative, directly overlapping The Z's Rock and Hip-Hop-leaning contemporary Christian programming across broadcast and streaming.
• K-LOVE (Educational Media Foundation): National contemporary Christian music radio network and the largest direct competitor to The Z in the same format, targeting a similar youth/young-adult Christian audience via FM and digital streaming.
• Moody Radio: Christian radio network operated by Moody Bible Institute, comparable to The Z in combining faith-based teaching with music across multiple stations and digital streaming.
• Bott Radio Network: Christian radio network with regional FM signals and streaming distribution; comparable as a multi-market, donor-supported religious broadcaster with overlapping faith-based content mission.

Others

• HisRadio (Radio Training Network): Direct operating partner of The Z and a Christian radio network in its own right; comparable as a strategic ally and adjacent Christian broadcaster, though not an arms-length competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thezradio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-baptist-church-of-spartanburg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 First Baptist Church of Spartanburg