HOW WE AFFILIATE

Fairhope Avenue Baptist Church voluntarily associates and cooperates with the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a body of like-minded local churches cooperating together to reach the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Each Southern Baptist church is autonomous, unique, and completely independent. The Southern Baptist Convention does not control the churches, as denominations do, but exists as the result of voluntary cooperation among churches for the sole purpose of assisting those churches in their efforts to carry the gospel to every corner of the globe. Put another way, our church is able to do much more for worldwide missions and evangelism through our voluntary cooperation with other Southern Baptist churches than we – or they – could ever accomplish individually. That is the heart of, and the reason for, the Southern Baptist Convention.

The Southern Baptist Convention utilizes seven ministry entities and one auxiliary organization to accomplish its purpose. Missions, evangelism, and church planting are facilitated through the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. Ministerial preparation and continuing education are provided through six Southern Baptist seminaries. Christian ethics and religious liberty ministries are assigned to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Church enrichment ministry and literature publication are assignments of LifeWay Christian Resources. GuideStone Financial Resources manages ministerial retirement and insurance needs and administers Mission:Dignity, an assistance ministry for retired ministers and their families. The SBC Executive Committee is charged to conduct the work of the Convention between annual meetings in all areas not otherwise assigned to one of the ministry entities. The Women’s Missionary Union is the sole auxiliary of the SBC, working closely with the IMB and NAMB to encourage churches to give generously to support missions. LifeWay, GuideStone, and the WMU are self-supporting, while the mission boards, seminaries, ERLC, and SBC Executive Committee are funded through voluntary contributions from cooperating Southern Baptist Churches.

Fairhope Avenue Baptist Church also affiliates locally with the Baldwin Baptist Association and, at the state level, with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. Both of these organizations also identify with, voluntarily cooperate with, and support the work of the Southern Baptist Convention.