Second Baptist Church was founded in 1927 when 121 people met at the old Taylor School in downtown Houston.[1] A year later, it acquired its first permanent facility when it moved to the former St. Paul's Methodist Church on Milam and McGowen streets in downtown.[2]
In 1946, the church sponsored foundation of the Second Baptist School as a self-supporting agency. The school occupies a 42-acre (170,000 m2) campus in the Memorial area and is open to students without regard to religion or economic background.[3]
In 1957, Second Baptist moved west to the current main location, now the Woodway Campus, on Woodway Drive and Voss Road.[1] The church hoped to reach families in the already fast-growing western portion of Houston.[2] The Woodway Campus boasts the largest all-pipe Rodgers organ ever built, with 192 stops and 10,412 total pipes, qualifying the instrument as one of the largest pipe organs in the world. In 2008, the extensive damage from the Hurricane Ike required the church's 5,500 seats Worship Center to be repaired. [4]
In 1979, the church launched a weekly broadcast of worship services on local television. In 1982, a local radio program began, as well as national TV broadcasting known as The Winning Walk.[5] Since then this has expanded into international television, radio and internet distribution of the church's message.[6]
In 1999, Second Baptist opened its West Campus with a 4,500-seat worship center and separate buildings for educational programs, weddings, funerals, and other events.[7] It includes a 215,000-square-foot (20,000 m2) classroom facility as well as other meeting spaces.[8] In 2004, Forest Cove Baptist Church joined Second Baptist and was renamed the North Campus, and satellite campuses in Pearland and Cypress were established in 2006, along with the addition of the 1463 campus in Fulshear in 2015.[8] Together, Second Baptist Church consists of six physical campuses. [9]
The church grew from an average weekend attendance of 500 in 1978 to over 22,723 in 2009. [10] In addition to worship facilities it "has fitness centers, bookstores, information desks, a café, a K-12 school and free automotive repair service for single mothers."[11]
On Easter day in 2012, the church began Spanish-language services.[12]
In 2016, Second Baptist Church in cooperation with Community of Faith Church, developed and launched Loving Kids, a ministry in which three Houston elementary schools were adopted "to help support children by way of mentors, tutors and teacher assistants."[13]
It has a membership of over 80,000 as of October 7, 2019[update].[8]
According to a church census released in 2023, it claimed a weekly attendance of 17,998 people. [14]
In May 2024, Dr. Ed Young stepped down after 46 years as Senior Pastor, and his son, Ben Young, was installed as the new Senior Pastor.[15]
