First Baptist Church of Atlanta, is a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

located in

Dunwoody, Georgia Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. As a northern suburb of Atlanta, Dunwoody is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008 but its area establishment dates back to t ...

, a northern suburb of Atlanta. It is affiliated with the

Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...

. Originally located in Atlanta city limits, First Baptist Atlanta moved to the suburb of Dunwoody, Georgia. The senior pastor is Anthony George, succeeding the long-tenured and well known

Charles Stanley Charles Frazier Stanley (born 1932) is Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, after serving as senior pastor for 49 years. He is the founder and president of In Touch Ministries, which widely broadcasts his sermons through te ...

who pastored there for 49 years.

History

The church was founded in 1848 in midtown

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. In the late 20th century, a commercial facility was purchased on Atlanta's Interstate 285 and the church relocated to the larger, more accessible property in

Dekalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama * DeKalb County, Georgia * DeKalb County, Illinois * DeKalb County, Indiana * DeKalb County, Missouri ...

. In 2006, the church inaugurated the new building. On September 13, 2020,

, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, announced his transition to pastor emeritus after having been senior pastor of the church since 1971. In 2017, Anthony George was named as Stanley's successor.

Ministries

First Baptist Church Atlanta began a television and radio ministry in 1972, one year after Stanley became the senior pastor.John Blake
Two preaching giants and the 'betrayal' that tore them apart
cnn.com, USA, November 19, 2012 It is now known as

In Touch Ministries In Touch Ministries is a Christian evangelical organization that produces and distributes media and resources, including radio and television programs, podcasts, articles, and books, with the goal of spreading the message of the Gospel and help ...

. Together, the teaching of Stanley and beliefs of FBA are available globally—translated into more than 100 languages via radio, television broadcast, audiotapes, videotapes, CDs, DVDs, pamphlets, books and a monthly devotional magazine, In Touch.

References

{{reflist

External links

First Baptist Atlanta Website

In Touch Website
Evangelical megachurches in the United States Megachurches in Georgia Baptist churches in Atlanta Southern Baptist Convention churches Religious organizations established in 1848 1848 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)