First Baptist Church of Decatur sits at 308 Clairemont Avenue, a few steps from the square in downtown Decatur, Georgia. The congregation, founded in 1862, has gathered for more than 160 years on this stretch of Decatur and today offers two Sunday worship services, a full Sunday School program, and a faith-based preschool and day camp on its campus. The church describes itself as a "vibrant, progressive, welcoming and affirming community of faith" and is a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB).

Two Sunday Mornings: Fresh Start and Sanctuary

Most Sundays bring two worship services to FBCD's sanctuary building. At 8:45 a.m., the contemporary service called Fresh Start fills Carreker Hall. It is informal and creative, with a band leading the music and free coffee for everyone who walks in. The church says Fresh Start "attracts a younger crowd, couples, and young families." At 11:15 a.m., the Sanctuary service gathers upstairs in the main sanctuary for a more traditional hour of worship with a choir accompanied by the organ and piano. Many worshippers appreciate that service for its "blend of historic Baptist traditions, sacred music, and thoughtful preaching." In between, at 10:00 a.m., a full slate of Sunday School classes meets across the campus for every age.

Both services include a time of greeting one another, scripture reading, and a Bible-based sermon. Both are livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook, and the church sends a Sunday-morning email with the order of worship and links before each service. Recent sermons by the pastoral team are posted on the FBCD podcast (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher), on YouTube, and on the church's sermons page.

First-time guests will find the easiest parking in the outside lot to the right (north) of the sanctuary building, where there are dedicated parking spaces for newcomers. A covered parking deck to the south has upper- and lower-level entrances accessible from Commerce Drive and Clairemont Avenue. Visitors are pointed to the double doors in the large covered entryway on the parking-lot side of the building; Fresh Start is straight down the hall under a welcome banner, while the Sanctuary service is reached by elevator or stairs to the second floor. Inside the Sanctuary Building, an Usher or a Welcome Center volunteer is on hand to answer questions.

Children are cared for during both Sunday services. A nursery for children from birth through age two is open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room 106, and worship care is offered for three- to five-year-olds. Children in first grade and older are invited to remain in worship with their families, an intentional choice the church makes because "worship is one of the most important things we do."

Baptist Identity: Welcoming, Affirming, Open

The church's own statement begins with three simple words: "Welcomed! Valued! Loved!" Its longer self-description says members are "people from all walks of life who are learning to follow Jesus in everyday life, nurturing a culture of faith, hope, and love, and serving our community and the world." The Who We Are page makes the church's progressive Baptist commitments plain: it is a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, and the FAQ asks, "And if you're wondering if that means we're LGBTQ+ inclusive - absolutely."

FBCD's "Baptist Values" page articulates the four historic Baptist freedoms the congregation affirms. Religious freedom protects people of all faiths and of no faith in their beliefs. Church freedom means the local congregation decides its own structure and way of operating. Soul freedom places each person's relationship with God in their own hands. Bible freedom gives each person the right to interpret and study scripture using scholarly resources. Believer's baptism by immersion is the historic Baptist marker: "each person is immersed in water to symbolize 'death' and 'burial' to one's former way of life. Their 'rising' from the water is then a commitment to live a transformed life directed by the Holy Spirit." The church states its openness plainly: "you will find people of a variety of persuasions when it comes to politics and even religious beliefs. We don't try to control people's minds or activities. We leave that to you and God!"

From 1862 to Today

First Baptist Decatur was born in wartime. On Friday night, November 21, 1862, about half a dozen people incorporated as "the Baptist Church of Decatur," eight weeks after the Battle of Antietam and well before Sherman's troops reached the city. For the next nine years the small fellowship met once a month - or less - in homes, stores, the courthouse, and the Presbyterian and Methodist churches. By the tenth year they had grown to one hundred members and moved into their first building, called The Little Red Brick Church.

That building was largely funded by donations from wealthier Baptist churches in middle Georgia and Kentucky, wrung from them on lecture tours by Miss Mary Gay, a middle-aged Decatur "sister" whose florid memoir of wartime life was widely read and even mocked by Samuel Clemens for its prose style. By the early 1900s the church was strong enough to vote to hold weekly services, and the long arc of the congregation up to 2012 is preserved in the printed history A Workshop of God's Saints, by Karen Hill and William (Bill) Neal. A Heritage Room opens on Sunday mornings, and the Allen Memorial Library on campus holds additional resources for those who want to dig deeper into the church's story.

The Pastoral Team

David Jordan, Senior Pastor, is also a regular contributor to Baptist News Global and writes frequently about ministry and culture. He is married to Beth Jordan, who directs spiritual care at Emory Decatur Hospital. Shelley Woodruff, Pastor for Children and Families, joined the staff in 2019 as Pastor for Community Engagement and was raised in Tifton, Georgia; she holds degrees from Furman, Oxford, the McAfee School of Theology, and Columbia Theological Seminary. Terri Byrd, Pastor for Senior Adults, came to FBCD after serving as Executive Coordinator of the Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and holds degrees from Mercer and the Beeson Divinity School at Samford. Zach Mason, Pastor for Youth and Young Adults, joined the staff in June 2024 after earning his MDiv at the McAfee School of Theology; he previously worked in Nashville for a Christian after-school nonprofit and at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte. Sana Rohail, Ministry and Volunteer Coordinator, grew up in Lahore, completed her MDiv at Columbia Theological Seminary in 2026, and previously served as the church's Children's Ministry intern.

The music staff is anchored by Kathryn Hartgrove, Director of Worship Arts and an Associate Professor of Voice at Georgia State University who also directs FIO Italia. Organist Daniel Solberg has spent more than a decade as a freelance pianist, organist, and arranger in Atlanta; he produces the church's annual "Christmas on Clairemont" community concert and recordings for the Atlanta Boy Choir. Pianist Cheryl Hunter joined the staff on January 1, 2022, and is also an IT professional at Georgia Tech. Randall Hampton serves as Fresh Start Coordinator and as a member of the Sanctuary audio-visual team.

The diaconate is elected by the church community and represents the whole congregation. Deacons are ordained to serve alongside the pastoral staff for three-year terms.

Sunday School at Ten O'Clock

Sunday School is the centerpiece of community life at FBCD, and the church is candid that this progressive Baptist congregation "still practices a Sunday School model of community learning." Classes meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings, vary in size from a handful of people to more than thirty, and are led by pastors, deacons, or other lay leaders. The church encourages visitors to try several classes before settling in and offers a downloadable brochure that describes each group in detail.

Adult Classes

• Life Bible Study - People in the middle to later stages of life's journey gathering for in-depth biblical study and discussion.
• Welcome All - A caring, supportive group of senior women and men focused on Bible study, fellowship, and prayer, with a long tradition of service projects across the life of the church.
• Fellowship - Seniors discerning God's direction in this chapter of their lives, using the Formations study guides from Smyth & Helwys.
• Triple L - Senior adult women exploring the Bible through the Smyth & Helwys curriculum.
• Verdery - Seniors discerning God's will through Bible study, Christ community, and self-care, using Smyth & Helwys guides.
• The Living Room - A discussion-based class that uses member-suggested scripture, articles, podcasts, and videos. Ages range from the twenties to the sixties, and no advance preparation is required.
• Pilgrims - An intergenerational group in its sixth decade, committed to dialogue, study, and doing together. Studies vary and aim at "nurturing lives of contemplation, the pursuit of meaning, and the application of faith in the context of life in the world around us."
• Seeking the Kingdom - A corporately-led, diverse group focused on biblical and spiritual study, currently engaged in a long-running study of Ecclesiastes that began mid-2026 and runs through mid-November.

Children and Youth Classes

Children from PreK through fifth grade gather on Sunday mornings for Bible study, crafts, music, and snacks. Youth in middle and high school meet on the third floor of the Sanctuary building for a Sunday School hour that the church describes as a space where students "courageously stare the hard questions in the face and discuss what it means to live out the Gospel in our schools, city, nation, and world."

Children and Families

The Children's Ministry at FBCD is built on the conviction that "children are the Church of right now" and that parents are the most important people in their child's life of faith. Shelley Woodruff leads the ministry, with Jewel Cannon serving as a key contact. Children are led (and lead) by vetted and trained volunteers through age-appropriate Bible lessons, crafts, music, and games during the Sunday School hour. Each fall the church holds a Blessing of the Backpacks during worship and a Back-to-School party in the Activities Center. Christmas brings a children's Christmas pageant, and an annual Vacation Bible School rotation rounds out the year.

Worship care is offered during both Sunday services. The nursery welcomes children from birth to age two and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room 106. Children ages three to five have their own worship care, while first graders and older are welcomed in the sanctuary alongside their families. A monthly Parents Bible Study, led by Shelley Woodruff, meets during the Sunday School hour in the Parents' Lounge in the children's wing, using Meredith Miller's Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn't Have to Heal From as its launch text. A parent newsletter keeps families in touch between classes.

Youth ministry is led by Zach Mason and draws middle and high school students from schools across Decatur, including Decatur High School and Grady High School. The youth gather on Sunday mornings for Sunday School and on selected Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Activities Center for dinner, Bible study, an open gym, games, and study space. Friends are always welcome. Throughout the year the group heads out for outings - Atlanta Braves games, bowling parties, city-wide scavenger hunts, virtual game nights - and for service opportunities such as mulching projects with partners in DeKalb County. Volunteers and staff follow a written set of Youth Policies that can be read on the church's website; the policies cover volunteer protocols, two-deep rule compliance, and communication guidelines.

Young Adults, In-Betweeners, and Senior Adults

FBCD's young-adult ministry is explicit about its purpose: "the church is one of the only places left where young people can naturally meet each other, yet so often the church refuses to engage with topics that ignite the passions and concerns of young folks." The group meets on the last Sunday of every month for lunch near downtown Decatur and gathers monthly for fellowship - murder mystery parties, movie nights, monastery visits - and for an annual retreat (recently on Lake Hartwell). Zach Mason leads. The young adult community describes its outlook like this: "At FBCD, we have a theological worldview that allows us to mix the socio-political concerns of today with a Jesus that still cares about our souls."

For adults who don't quite consider themselves young adults but for whom "senior adult" doesn't yet fit, FBCD has launched an In-Betweeners gathering - lunches, dinners, and occasional day trips for adults in the busy middle stage of life. The group is coordinated with the help of congregants like Sarah Lewis.

The Senior Adult Ministry, led by Terri Byrd, brings together adults fifty and over through the church's Legacy ministry. Young at Heart (YAH) schedules outings, fellowship events, and service projects for adults fifty-five and older. The Senior Care Ministry Leadership Team visits the homebound and bereaved, sends cards of encouragement, and delivers Wednesday-night Family Dinner meals to those who need physical assistance. Travel is part of the rhythm: an annual Autumn Apple Trip to Blue Ridge takes in the fall color, a family-style lunch at Pat's Kountry Kitchen, and a stop at Mercier Orchards. Lunch & Learn, sponsored by Legacy Ministry and open to all FBCD adults, brings authors and other speakers to the church for a noon program ($10 includes lunch). Recent speakers have included national best-selling author Daniel Stone, on his book The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats.

Wednesday Nights Around the Table

Wednesday nights are a weekly rhythm of their own. A family-style dinner opens the evening at 5:00 p.m. ($9 per person), followed at 6:00 by a midweek Bible study and at 6:30 by Sanctuary Choir rehearsal. Recent menus have run from roasted pork loin with pineapple salsa, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, salad bar, and a yeast roll; to a taco bar with salad bar; to Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, green beans, and tossed salad. The Wednesday night Bible study is one of the church's main small-group touchpoints alongside Sunday School, and over the summer of 2026 the church showed weekly episodes of The Chosen Season 4 as part of a "Midsummer Night Stream" series.

First School and First Camp

First School is FBCD's full-day preschool and a long-standing ministry of the church, operating out of the same campus at 308 Clairemont Avenue. It is licensed by Bright from the Start (the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning) and serves children from three months through the PreK year (four-year-olds). Hours run 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Because First School is faith-based, daily prayers and chapel for the older children are built into each day. Spanish is included for three- and four-year-olds, and music is offered for all ages at no additional cost. All staff hold current CPR and First Aid certification, complete a minimum of ten hours of continuing education annually, carry current fingerprint background checks, and most hold an education degree or the Child Development Associate credential.

Optional extracurriculars are available for an additional fee: Creative Movement and Dance Ballet on Wednesdays, Atlanta Soccer Alphabet on Tuesdays, and Eco Art & Spanish on Fridays. Weekly tuition is structured by age and ranges from $290 (four-year-olds) to $330 (infants), plus a $100 application fee. Tours are scheduled on the first Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m. and are available by appointment; families can reach the school at 470-947-2980.

First Camp, directed by Jotholyn Mason, is the church's summer day camp operating out of the same campus.

Music, Arts, and the Library

Music is a deep thread in the life of FBCD. The Sanctuary choir is directed by Kathryn Hartgrove, who regularly brings her Georgia State voice students to sing in worship. Daniel Solberg anchors the Sanctuary service on the organ and produces the church's annual "Christmas on Clairemont" community concert, a free evening that benefits a different charitable cause each year. Cheryl Hunter accompanies on piano. Throughout the year, the church also offers a Music Education ministry with opportunities for instrumentalists and vocalists of all ages to grow in craft and faith.

The Allen Memorial Library, under librarian Marie Shepley, opens before and after Sunday services and during the week. It functions both as a quiet reading and study space and as a small archive, holding the resources that complement the church's Heritage Room. The Visual Arts Guild gathers members who work in visual media for fellowship and shared shows.

Conversations, Books, and Justice

The Conversations series brings authors and public thinkers into the church for evenings that pair a book or issue with an in-person guest. Recent programs have included a gathering around Marlon Jones's novel The Disappearers, in conversation with former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones. Events are typically free but require registration.

The Beloved Community Book Club meets on the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Church Parlor. The group is built for thoughtful conversation and learning, with members encouraged to read the books that call most strongly to them and gather on the scheduled discussion dates. Recent selections have included Raphael Warnock's The Crooked Places Made Straight, Alice Walker's We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For, and Martin Luther King Jr.'s The Trumpet of Conscience. Craig Adams coordinates the group. The church has hosted the Decatur Book Festival on its campus in past years and is a regular stop on the festival's footprint.

FBCD takes its public witness seriously. The Justice & Advocacy Prayer Night gathers in the FBCD Chapel on selected Thursday evenings for prayer about the community and the world - a time for those who wonder, "What can I do?" Pub Theology Nights, organized for adults who don't feel at home in church, meet at Wild Heaven Brewery in Avondale Estates, and parallel Ice Creamology evenings for upper-elementary students are held down the block at Cremalosa, so parents can drop their kids off for ice cream and a "big questions" conversation while they join the adults for pub theology.

Pastoral Care, Outreach, and Support

The pastoral team and the diaconate provide pastoral support to the congregation and the wider community. Two standing offerings are aimed at neighbors outside the church. The Grief Support Group, a six-week program for adults navigating grief and loss, meets on Wednesday mornings on campus. It is facilitated by Larry Connelly, an ordained minister and Board-Certified Chaplain with more than thirty-five years of hospital and hospice experience, and by Tommye Morris, a retired registered nurse who has facilitated grief groups for more than twenty years.

An AA Big Book Meeting meets in the recreation room of the activities building every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The meeting is open to anyone in the community.

The Assistance Ministry (often called "the A.M.") is the church's internal and external care network, helping with transportation, job assistance, meals, and related practical needs. The church also maintains strategic missions partnerships locally and internationally and partners with the Decatur-area Emergency Assistance Ministry (DEAM) on food insecurity in the area. In 2025 the church partnered with DEAM after a reduction in SNAP benefits threatened to affect hundreds of thousands of children in Georgia; FBCD helps DEAM accept financial contributions, food donations, and volunteer hours.

Getting Connected, Giving, and Staying in Touch

Visitors who want to know more about FBCD can sign up online to be contacted, or attend a periodic Newcomers' Brunch - a casual morning with pastors and staff and an open conversation about the life of the church. The Welcome Center on Sunday mornings is staffed by volunteer greeters who can answer questions about worship, classes, and ways to get involved.

The FBCD Weekly newsletter, sent on Tuesdays, is the main channel for news, announcements, and links to recent worship videos. The church maintains a podcast of sermons, Bible studies, and interviews (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher), and publishes videos on YouTube and Facebook. Giving is offered online through the church's secure portal and through PayPal, as well as through traditional automatic "bill pay" at most banks. The federal tax ID is 58-0566177.

The mailing and physical address is 308 Clairemont Avenue, Decatur, Georgia 30030. The church office can be reached at 404-373-1653 or at fbcd@fbcdecatur.com.