The Southern Baptist Convention

Since its organization in 1845 in Augusta, Georgia, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) www.sbc.net has grown to over 16 million members who worship in more than 44,000 churches in the United States. Last year, Southern Baptists sponsored 5,271 missionaries in the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as sponsoring more than 5,300 missionaries working with more than 1,100 people groups in countries all around the world.

The term "Southern Baptist Convention" refers to both the denomination and its annual meeting. Working through 1,200 local associations and 41 state conventions and fellowships, Southern Baptists share a common bond of basic Biblical beliefs and a commitment to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world. The Southern Baptist Convention headquarters is located in Nashville, Tennessee.

You become a Southern Baptist by uniting with a Southern Baptist church, one in friendly cooperation with the general Southern Baptist enterprise of reaching the world for Christ. Typically church membership is a matter of accepting Jesus as your Savior and Lord and experiencing believer's baptism by immersion.

The Florida Baptist Convention

The Florida Baptist Convention www.flbaptist.org is the agency providing mission, ministry and support services to cooperating Baptist churches and associations. The Florida Baptist State Convention is the umbrella organization under which all State Convention agencies - including the Florida Baptist Convention - operate. It includes 2,203 churches and 608 church-type missions at September 30, 2006 and 49 associations. It is also the annual meeting attended by messengers from cooperating Southern Baptist churches that is held each November. The Florida Baptist Convention headquarters is located in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Tampa Bay Baptist Association

Tampa Bay Baptist Association www.tbba.org is an association of over 170 Southern Baptist missions and churches in Hillsborough and Pasco Counties on the west coast of central Florida. Churches work together cooperatively for mission causes in the name of Jesus Christ.

The association operates a conference center, sponsors counseling centers, and conducts training events. The Tampa Bay Association office is located at 1060 West Busch Boulevard in Tampa.