Still Church on Salem Road
Canaan Baptist Church sits along Salem Road in southern Newton County, Georgia, less than a half mile from Liberty Middle School and South Salem Elementary School. The address, 5581 Salem Road, places it about six and a half miles south of Interstate 20, halfway between Brown's Bridge Road and Highway 81, in a stretch of Covington where churches, schools, and wooded lots still define the rhythm of the week. The church's location is part of its identity: a permanent building in a fast-growing county, set up to feel familiar week after week rather than to imitate whatever is trending in the broader culture.
Under Pastor Billy Ingram, who has led the church since 2014, Canaan Baptist has built its identity around a deliberately old-fashioned conviction. The welcome page puts the matter plainly: "We want you to know that there is still a church that feels like a church. It won't feel like a rock concert, comedy club, or motivational seminar. It's not old-fashioned, as in 50 years ago, it is timeless, as in 2,000 years ago." That posture shapes everything from the music to the dress to the preaching to the school classrooms that share the campus.
What a Sunday Looks Like
The weekly rhythm begins at 9:15 am with Discovery Bible Study, also called Small Group Bible Fellowships. This is the church's Sunday school hour, divided into graded classes by age and stage of life, where adults study the Bible together and children begin their own instruction. Sunday morning worship follows at 10:30 am, and a smaller Evening Service gathers at 5:00 pm. The full schedule picks back up on Wednesday at 7:00 pm, when an Evening Service runs alongside King's Kids for children in third grade through sixth grade.
The Morning Worship service is the heart of the week. Preaching comes first in importance. The church teaches that preaching will be "direct and unapologetic" and that its goal is not entertainment but change. Hymns carry the music, with the church explaining that "the hymns are alive and sung with a passion." Some of the songs are old, some newer, but all are chosen to honor God rather than to stir an emotional response on its own. Every service closes with an invitation, a moment for anyone listening to respond to the preaching through prayer, confession, or a decision to follow Christ. Trained men and women are always on hand to pray with those who step forward.
Still Preaching, Still Hymns, Still Reverent
Canaan Baptist describes its convictions under a banner it labels Still Church, broken into seven short calls: Still Reverent, Still Family, Still Preaching, Still Hymns, Still Men, Still Exciting, and, in its own phrasing, Still Exciting. Each is a deliberate pushback against the surrounding culture.
Still Reverent means the church expects its members and guests to dress in their best for the gathered service. There is no formal dress code, but ministry leaders and many of the congregation wear traditional "Sunday" attire. The church explains the choice this way: "Because God is the audience of the service, you'll find it a little more formal without being stuffy." Still Preaching returns to the conviction that the Bible is the foundation for everything said from the pulpit, and that preaching should be Bible-centered, relevant, and unapologetic. Still Men and Still Family remind the congregation that the church still teaches the biblical roles for husbands, fathers, and homes.
Music follows the same conviction. Rather than chase the latest trends, the music ministry is hymn-based and traditional, and the description of music states plainly: "When it comes to church music, God is the audience." Songs are chosen to make people think great thoughts about God, and the church teaches that "emotions are greater and purer when they are the result of truth." The result is a worship style that prizes reverence, clarity, and congregation-wide singing over performance.
What the Church Believes
Canaan Baptist holds to a traditional, Baptist statement of faith. The church believes that Jesus Christ is the very Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, and that He is the only mediator between God and humanity. The church teaches that Christ died for the sins of His people, rose bodily from the grave on the third day, and that those who are born again are kept eternally secure in Him. Salvation, in the church's view, is by grace through faith: a soul must be born again, and the Bible presents baptism by immersion as the outward declaration of that inward change. The church also teaches that believers are called to a life of separation from sinful practices and that the local church exists to preach and teach the gospel of salvation.
Alongside the doctrinal list, the church walks new believers through a four-point gospel outline on its Good News page: the universality of sin, the penalty of death that follows from it, the payment made by Christ on the cross, and the free gift of eternal life promised to all who call upon the Lord. The page includes a sample prayer for anyone who wants to receive Christ for the first time, and a form so the church can follow up and help the new believer grow.
Children, Teens, and the Bus Ministry
Canaan Baptist takes the next generation seriously. Clean, screened nurseries care for newborns through age three during every service, with a separate comfortable room for nursing mothers. Children ages three through sixth grade meet in graded Sunday school classes with ten to fifteen students each, allowing teachers to invest in individual students. Each Wednesday at 7:00 pm, King's Kids pulls the same age group together for Bible memorization, awards, game time, and music participation.
The Bus Ministry is a distinctive part of how the church reaches families in the area. A bus will stop in front of a child's home or apartment, and a trained worker escorts each rider to and from the vehicle. The ride includes singing, games, and adult supervision, with a licensed CDL driver and an adult bus captain on board. Adults who need a ride are welcome to ride as well. Anyone interested in using the bus can call the church office at (770) 786-8885 to arrange a pickup.
The teen ministry aims to help high school students cultivate a close walk with God during the years when they are establishing who they will become. Programming balances fun with Bible teaching, with the goal of strengthening each teen's relationships with God, parents, authorities, and peers.
Small Groups and the Church's DNA
Sunday school gives way during the week to small groups. The church defines a small group as four to eight people who meet to study the Bible, pray together, and care for one another. Groups form around different shapes of life: married couples, singles, women's groups, young adults, and empty nesters. Each class studies a variety of topics through the year that address the needs of its life stage, and members can change groups as their seasons change.
The church has articulated a fourfold mission it calls its DNA: Worship God, Love Others, Serve God, and Invite Others. Each of the four is anchored to a specific passage of Scripture: the first and greatest commandment in Matthew 22, the second great commandment, Ephesians 4:12 for the activation of spiritual gifts, and Matthew 28:19-20 for the call to make disciples. Adult ministry, senior ministry, and the Canaan Women's Fellowship all find their place within this framework. The ladies fellowship plans activities and ministries throughout the year to serve the church family and the wider community, while the men's ministry is shaped by the church's conviction that God calls men to step up in the church and in their homes.
Canaan Baptist Academy
Canaan Baptist Academy opened in the fall of 2018 as a ministry of the church. The school describes its purpose as producing leaders who know personally and serve their Creator and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. From preschool through high school, the academy operates with four stated pillars: Goal (the development of Christlike character), Priority (academic excellence through a traditional, basics-focused approach), Emphasis (the development of the whole student, including the fine arts), and Catalyst (a developing conservatory approach to music instruction that includes private lessons, small groups, master classes, and orchestra).
The academy uses the Abeka video curriculum supplemented with teacher-directed reviews, tutoring, and traditionally taught classes. The faculty includes administrators and teachers for preschool, elementary, and high school grades. Enrollment requires families to be faithful members of Canaan Baptist Church, with the exception of K4, which is open to students outside the church. Tuition is paid through a dedicated CBA Payment Portal, separate from the church's general giving platform.
The Music Academy
The Canaan Baptist Music Academy grew out of the pastor's desire to reach the community through musical excellence. Lessons are offered in piano, violin, cello, and brass, with beginner through advanced levels available for all ages. Music theory is taught at no charge to any enrolled student. Private lessons are individually arranged and include a weekly group lesson, while group class schedules are set at the beginning of each semester. Recitals are held at the end of each semester, with required participation for students who are asked to perform.
The academy runs fall, spring, and summer semesters. Private lessons are priced at $30 for thirty minutes, with semester tuition payable in full at registration, in five monthly installments, or per lesson. A $25 yearly administration fee is charged at registration. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for those who want to support the program. Anyone interested in lessons can call (770) 786-8885 and select extension 6, or fill out the interest form online.
Missions, Stewardship, and the Wider Church
Supporting missionaries is a major part of Canaan Baptist's ministry. The church supports missionaries around the world and welcomes visiting missionaries who share what God has called them to do. Missionaries who would like to be considered for partnership can submit a Missionary Application through the church's online portal.
The church teaches tithing as a matter of obedience. The give page explains that a tithe, meaning a tenth of income before taxes, is what the Bible asks of God's people, and lays out three ways to give: online through the secure giving site, by texting the dollar amount and the fund to (770) 249-4441, or in person by placing a gift in the offering plate during any service. Guests are not expected to give on their first visit; the church explains, "We don't invite you to Canaan for your offering."
Coming for a Visit
Visitors can plan their visit by filling out the form on the First Visit page, and many of the common questions are answered up front. Services feel like church, not a concert or a seminar, and the first visit is meant to be refreshing, friendly, and enjoyable for the whole family. Dress is a personal best rather than a formal code. The offering is for members, and no one is expected to put anything in the plate as a guest. Children can be dropped at the nursery for newborns through age three, in classes for ages three through sixth grade, and teens have their own ministry during the morning hour.
Services are streamed live on YouTube at 10:30 am and 5:00 pm on Sunday, and at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, with the stream beginning about five minutes before the service starts. Archived services remain available on the church's YouTube channel and on the Sermon Archive page, which holds recordings reaching back many years. Recent series include The Bible Story, a journey through the Old Testament prophets and other books, and Move Forward With God, a topical study. The archive includes sermons on marriage and family, parenting, the fruit of the Spirit, expository series through 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Nehemiah, Galatians, the Ten Commandments, and the seven churches of Revelation.
Getting to Canaan Baptist
From Interstate 20, take Exit 84 onto GA-162 (Salem Road) and travel south for approximately six and a half miles; Canaan Baptist will be on the right. The church sits less than a half mile from Liberty Middle School and South Salem Elementary School, halfway between Brown's Bridge Road and Highway 81. The phone number for the church office is (770) 786-8885. The church's social presence spans Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and a YouTube channel that hosts the livestream and the sermon archive.
Canaan Baptist is pastored by Billy Ingram, who accepted the call to ministry in his teen years and came to the pulpit of the church in 2014. He is joined on staff by Pastoral Assistants Dana Labit and Brendan Cherry, who together shepherd the day-to-day ministry of the congregation. The academy and music academy stand alongside the church as extensions of that same calling, giving the campus a presence in the community that runs from the nursery through high school graduation and from Sunday school through adult discipleship.