A Birmingham Congregation Built Around the Word
At 2200 Briarwood Way, just off I-459 at Acton Road in Birmingham, Briarwood Presbyterian Church is known for blended worship, four worship communities across English, Spanish, Japanese and Korean, and a ministry network of more than 120 ministries. Briarwood meets in a Worship Center and uses a Fellowship Hall, nursery areas, classrooms and the Mountain View Building for worship, teaching, care and community life.
Briarwood's mission is to glorify God and equip Christians to worship God and to reach Birmingham to reach the world for Christ. That purpose shapes its emphasis on faithful preaching, authentic worship, discipleship in personal relationships, leadership development, intercessory prayer and service. The church's ministry strategy works outward from Birmingham to Alabama, the United States and the wider world through evangelism, church planting, church revitalization, missions and deeds of love, mercy and justice.
The congregation is part of the Presbyterian Church in America. Its local church is governed by elected teaching and ruling elders, with deacons serving alongside elders and lay leaders. Briarwood describes this Presbyterian structure, along with its Reformed doctrine, as a way to remain scriptural in both church government and belief.
Sunday Worship at 8:00, 11:00, and 6:00
English worship is held at 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., followed by a 6:00 p.m. service. All three take place in the Worship Center. Sunday School for all ages begins at 9:30 a.m., placing Bible study and class-based fellowship between the two morning services. Greeters at church entrances and the Information Desk in the Worship Center foyer help guests locate Sunday School classes and other rooms.
Guest parking is practical to find. Parking for first and second time guests is near the front of the Worship Center and marked with blue signs. Families with young children can use spaces near the Fellowship Hall entrance for easier access to the Nursery area. Parking for those with special needs is near the administration offices. The Acton Road entrance is across from a McDonald's, and the church is reached from exit 17 on I-459.
The morning and evening services can be watched through Briarwood's livestream. Live viewing is also offered through Facebook Live, Apple TV, Roku and the BriarwoodPCA app. Services can be viewed afterward through the church's livestream, Facebook, YouTube, Roku, Vimeo and the app, allowing visitors to become familiar with Briarwood's worship before joining in person.
Hymns, Contemporary Choruses, and Expository Preaching
Briarwood's worship blends time-honored hymns with contemporary choruses. The goal is God-centered worship that exalts God as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, builds up the church, and clearly carries the message of salvation through Christ alone. The church describes its musical approach as a well-balanced gathering of the church's historic musical and liturgical inheritance with newer movements.
Preaching is central to both morning and evening worship. Briarwood's pastors present in-depth, relevant studies in the books of the Bible with practical application for daily life. The pattern is summarized as Word-centered worship that does not idolize the past, does not allow popular culture to dictate the congregation's approach, and seeks to establish a standard for the future.
The 6:00 p.m. service is called Sunday Evening Fellowship Hour and has a relaxed atmosphere. It includes renewed preaching, hymns, spiritual songs of praise and contemporary music, with an emphasis on encouragement and the shared message of salvation by grace through Jesus Christ. Briarwood also carries weekday Bible expositions on the InPerspective radio program, and sermon audio is available without charge through the Briarwood pulpit archive.
Four Gatherings on a Sunday
Briarwood's Sunday reaches beyond the three English services at the main campus. Hispanic, Japanese and Korean congregations gather for worship and teaching at their own times and places, creating a multilingual church family within the broader Briarwood ministry.
Briarwood Español
Briarwood Español worships at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays at 5521 Double Oak Lane in Birmingham. The congregation exists to equip disciples of Christ to reach Birmingham's Hispanic community. Children and teens receive Bible education during worship, with teen classes twice a month, and adults gather for Sunday School after the service. The congregation's regular rhythm also includes prayer on Fridays at 7:00 p.m., a ladies' gathering on the second Saturday of each month, a Tuesday online meeting for ladies, and a men's meeting on the last Saturday of the month. Pastor Luis Leon leads this ministry.
Japanese Worship
The Japanese congregation has worshiped in Birmingham since 1993 and is part of the Presbyterian Church in America. Pastor Kotaro Hamamatsu leads worship from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in G101 of the Mountain View Building, with nursery care available. A church luncheon follows at 1:30 p.m. on almost every Sunday, and a fellowship and discipleship Bible study is held from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. on the first, second, third and fifth Sundays. The congregation's broader week includes a free Monday English class, seeker Bible studies, Wednesday studies at UAB and Briarwood, and a Friday class for children. Its stated hope is to offer a peaceful church home where people can study the Bible, experience love and forgiveness, and grow regardless of whether they already have a Christian faith.
Korean Worship
Korean worship begins at 11:20 a.m. on Sundays at 2209 Rocky Ridge Road. The congregation is led by Pastor Sunghoon Shin and forms the third of Briarwood's language-specific Sunday worship communities.
Home Groups, Class Studies, and Congregational Communities
Small groups have been foundational to Briarwood's growth and outreach from its beginning. The ministry organizes groups around four values: interactive Bible study, intercessory prayer, intimate fellowship and encouragement, and intentional ministry. Home groups meet regularly and connect with Sunday School communities, using shared study of Scripture, biblical fellowship, prayer and opportunities to reach others for Christ.
- Co-ed studies meet on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. during MidWeek.
- Men of the Covenant offers studies in the morning, at lunch and on one evening each week.
- Women's groups focus on knowing God and glorifying him at home, in church, in the community and in the world.
- Focus support groups offer rotating studies, grief counseling and individual counseling through Altadena House.
- Youth groups use topical Bible studies, discipleship, accountability and fellowship, while college students and singles are connected through their own ministry leaders.
Briarwood's Inquirers and Membership classes explore what it means to be a Christian, what the church is and what Briarwood is. They are offered six times a year, with two Sunday morning sessions during the 9:30 a.m. Sunday School hour and two Wednesday evening sessions from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Preschool childcare is provided, and attending the classes carries no obligation to join the church. Participants who complete the classes also have an open door into home-based groups and other small groups.
Nursery Care Through Senior Adult Communities
Children's ministry includes a nursery, children's worship, Sunday School classes, vacation Bible school and children's missions. A nursery director leads the nursery team, while a children's ministry director, children's Sunday School and VBS director, children's worship coordinator and children's missions coordinator oversee distinct parts of this work. Guests with young children can park close to the Fellowship Hall entrance and the Nursery area.
Junior high and senior high ministries provide age-specific discipleship and community. Briarwood also has dedicated leaders for college students and singles. The college ministry includes Bible study and relationships for students, while the singles ministry connects adults through groups and pastoral care. These ministries make room for people at different stages of life rather than placing all adults into a single program.
Adult ministry extends through Men of the Covenant, Women of the Covenant and Trailblazers for senior adults. A young couples pastor leads marriage and family discipleship, a family pastor oversees family ministry, and Special Connections has its own director and assistant director. The Music Ministry serves worship across the congregation, with a worship pastor leading a team that coordinates music and the artistic dimension of Briarwood's blended services.
Mercy, Counseling, and Urban Outreach
Briarwood's Mercy Ministry distributes funds, responds to needs within the church community and seeks to reach people through mercy programs. A dedicated Mercy Ministry pastor leads this work alongside the church's counseling, pastoral care and membership teams. Counseling is also offered through Focus support groups, including grief counseling and individual counseling. These ministries combine practical care with the church's commitment to prayer, spiritual care and the wellbeing of people in Birmingham.
The wider outreach ministry includes Campus Outreach, Christian Medical Ministry, Young Business Leaders, Women Business Leaders and Quest Recreation Outreach. Briarwood also offers Evangelism Training, with an emphasis on winsome communication of the Gospel, personal preparation and one to one relationships. A fully staffed ministry to urban neighbors reflects the church's stated desire to impact Birmingham beyond the congregation's own walls.
Outreach leaders include Mardon Day of Christian Medical Ministry of Alabama, Rob Genin of Young Business Leaders Ministries and Scott Hannah of Quest Recreation Outreach. Briarwood's approach combines support for established ministries with training that equips church members for intentional evangelism and service in everyday settings.
Mission From Birmingham to the World
Briarwood supports more than 225 missionaries through approximately 60 mission agencies. Its World Missions ministry keeps the congregation informed about spiritual needs around the world and encourages personal participation in missions. In the United States, Briarwood supports more than 130 missionaries and 50 Christian organizations. Local mobilization, national ministries, global missions, church revitalization and ethnic congregations give those partnerships different expressions.
The missions strategy is both local and international. Briarwood's stated goals include supporting church planting, training leaders, developing gospel ministers, helping congregations in need and extending its mission from Birmingham through Alabama and the nation to the wider world. The result is a missions community that includes financial partnership, leadership preparation, congregational involvement and service alongside urban neighbors.
Reformed Belief and Presbyterian Practice
Briarwood's doctrine is summarized in a set of specific affirmations:
- The Bible is the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts, making it infallible and authoritative in faith and practice.
- God exists eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- All people are sinners and cannot save themselves apart from God's mercy.
- Salvation is by God's sovereign grace, apart from human merit or foreseen faith.
- Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, atoned for those who trust him and is the only mediator between God and humanity.
- The Holy Spirit indwells God's people, giving them strength and wisdom to trust Christ and follow him.
- Jesus will return bodily and visibly to judge all people and receive his people.
- Every aspect of life is to be lived for God's glory under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
The church's values include the Word of God as truth, the Gospel of grace, authentic worship, faithful preaching and teaching, leadership development, intentional evangelism, dynamic discipleship, congregational communities, intercessory prayer and service in the world. Its ministry pattern is summarized as UpReach for worship, OutReach for missions and evangelism, InReach for enfolding and assimilating people into the church, and DownReach for discipleship and maturation.
Briarwood also uses the acronym W.E.L.L. to describe the desired pattern of ministry: worshiping authentically, evangelizing intentionally, loving purposefully and learning consistently. Presbyterian elder leadership, deacons, elected lay leaders, home groups and teaching ministries all support that emphasis on biblical instruction, prayer and accountable community.
Schools, Arts, Library, and Bookstore
Briarwood's ministry family includes Briarwood Christian School, Birmingham Theological Seminary and Briarwood Ballet. The school and seminary connect the church to education, while the ballet provides a structured artistic ministry with an executive director, artistic director and school principal. The Church Library supports reading and theological study with a collection available to the congregation.
The Briarwood Christian Bookstore carries theology, biography, counseling, Christian living and fiction, along with a children's section, many Bibles, gift items and work by artists and artisans in Birmingham. The physical store is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; Saturday is a closed day. An online store makes the same ministry available beyond the church campus.
Worship music is another substantial part of Briarwood's artistic life. The Music Ministry supports congregational singing with historic hymns, spiritual songs and contemporary choruses, while the church's worship philosophy connects musical excellence to the glory of God, the edification of Christ's body and the clarity of the gospel.
Weddings, Facility Use, and Giving
Briarwood's Scheduling Office handles weddings and other events at the church. Worship Center requests and non-Worship Center requests are organized separately, with the Fellowship Hall divided into rooms A through F. Audio and visual support, kitchen services, nursery accommodations and setup diagrams can be included in facility arrangements. The range of spaces allows Briarwood to host worship, classes, meetings and community events within the same church campus.
Giving can be made during Sunday worship, at the Accounting Office during regular weekday business hours, by mail, through bank draft online, by credit or debit card, or with appreciated stocks and securities. The General Fund supports worship, community outreach, operations, the spiritual needs of members and the work of being salt and light in the world. Other giving categories include the annual Faith Promise for world missions, Mercy Ministry, building and capital needs, and memorial or honorarium gifts.
Briarwood's financial approach reflects the same division of purposes found in its wider ministry. The General Fund sustains the life of the congregation, Faith Promise extends that life toward world missions, Mercy Ministry directs funds toward compassionate response, and capital giving supports future buildings and one-time needs. Online giving provides bank-to-bank and credit or debit card options for each of these purposes.
The Pastors and Ministry Leaders
Scott Redd is Briarwood's pastor. He leads a pastoral team that includes Shepherding Team Pastor Benny Youngblood, Pastoral Care Pastor Jim Alexander, Senior Adults Pastor Wright Draper, Shepherding Pastor Dave Lewis, Membership Pastor Bob McGregor, Counseling Pastor Greg Norfleet, Mercy Ministry Pastor Chris Thompson and Young Couples Pastor Aaron Webb. Youngblood, who has served at Briarwood since 2006, oversees shepherding, congregational communities, membership, pastoral care, counseling, mercy, Christian education and family ministries.
Ministries Team Pastor Benny Parks joined the Briarwood staff in 1984. He oversees children, youth, college, singles, women, music and worship, discipleship and evangelism. The ministry team includes children's and youth directors, nursery and worship leaders, the college and singles pastors, the family pastor, the young couples pastor, the Women's Ministry director and the children's Sunday School and VBS director. These roles give Briarwood's many age-specific communities identifiable pastoral and ministry leadership.
Bryan Wintersteen has served as Global Missions Pastor since joining the staff in 2015, after thirteen years with Church Resource Ministries, including work in 54 countries. Max Bunn leads local missions and mobilization, Rob Looper oversees national ministries and church revitalization, and Courtney McGregor directs ESL and friendship partnerships. Pastors Kotaro Hamamatsu, Luis Leon and Sunghoon Shin lead the Japanese, Hispanic and Korean congregations. Together, these leaders connect the church's Word-centered worship and discipleship ministries to its care, education, cultural and missionary work.
Briarwood's identity comes together in the relationship between Scripture, worship and service. Its schedule moves from the early Sunday gathering through classes for every age, an evening of relaxed fellowship and specialized ministries across Birmingham and beyond. Its people are taught to live in covenant relationships with God, one another and the world, and its mission remains simple to state: equip Christians to worship God and to reach Birmingham to reach the world for Christ.