Gardendale First Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
Gardendale First Baptist Church (sometimes styled as "Gardendale's") is a Southern Baptist megachurch
in Gardendale, Alabama
. The church's senior pastor is Dr. Kevin Hamm, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky
; he has served the church since 2006.
The church is located on two campuses in Gardendale.
The church claims weekly attendance of about 3,500 worshipers on a typical Sunday morning, and a membership roll of at least 8,500.
Steve Gaines
preceded Hamm as pastor, serving for 14 years before leaving to become the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church
in suburban Memphis, Tennessee
, where he succeeded the late Adrian Rogers
.
The North Campus sanctuary features a full HD
video production facility, used primarily to produce the church's Sunday morning program on ABC 33/40.
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
in Gardendale, Alabama
Gardendale, Alabama
Gardendale is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States, and a northern suburb of Birmingham. The population was 11,626 at the 2000 census. 2009 Census estimates propose a population of 13,720.-History:...
. The church's senior pastor is Dr. Kevin Hamm, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
; he has served the church since 2006.
The church is located on two campuses in Gardendale.
- The North Campus, which houses a 2,500-seat sanctuary and features a 125-foot white metal cross outside, is located near the Mount Olive Road interchange on Interstate 65Interstate 65Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
. This facility opened in August 2010. Part of the worship center was set on fire a few months before the church. The arsonist was believed by Gardendale police to be an employee of a contractor working on the church.
- The South Campus is where worship services were held before the North Campus opened, and is still used for numerous ministries, including youth, children and recreation. The facility features a fellowship/dining hall and a gymnasium. This campus is located on Main Street in downtown Gardendale, across from Gardendale High SchoolGardendale High SchoolGardendale High School is a public high school located in Gardendale, Alabama, United States, operated by the Jefferson County Board of Education. The school's first graduating class was in 1968. Gardendale High School was developed in the mid-1960s as a result of population growth in the area...
.
The church claims weekly attendance of about 3,500 worshipers on a typical Sunday morning, and a membership roll of at least 8,500.
Steve Gaines
Steve Gaines (pastor)
Dr. John Steven "Steve" Gaines is an American Southern Baptist pastor. He is currently serving at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova , one of the largest congregations in the Southern Baptist Convention. On Sunday, July 10, 2005 the Pastor Search Committee of Bellevue Baptist Church presented Dr...
preceded Hamm as pastor, serving for 14 years before leaving to become the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church
Bellevue Baptist Church
Bellevue Baptist Church is a large Southern Baptist megachurch in the Cordova area of Memphis, Tennessee, United States.-History:Bellevue Baptist was founded in 1903 by Central Baptist Church as a mission church on the outskirts of Memphis...
in suburban Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, where he succeeded the late Adrian Rogers
Adrian Rogers
Adrian Pierce Rogers served three terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention , a Southern Baptist pastor, and a conservative author....
.
The North Campus sanctuary features a full HD
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
video production facility, used primarily to produce the church's Sunday morning program on ABC 33/40.