Eastmont Baptist Church sits along Atlanta Highway in east Montgomery, just a short drive east of downtown, where a fifteen-acre campus of more than 100,000 square feet of ministry space has replaced the small downtown gathering that gave the church its start. Today the building serves as a hub for a Southern Baptist congregation shaped by a century and a half of history, a steady stream of weekly programming, and a long-standing commitment to the city and the River Region beyond it. Members describe Eastmont as a community of Christ followers partnering together to glorify God by proclaiming Jesus as Savior and pursuing Jesus as Lord.
From Washington Street to Atlanta Highway
In December 1860, twenty-eight men and women formed The Second Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, with a shared vision to reach the city with the gospel. For more than a century the congregation worshiped downtown, but as Montgomery grew eastward the leaders looked for a way to reach new neighborhoods. In 1965 the church purchased six acres on the Atlanta Highway, and in December 1967 the first worship service was held on the new site. As the campus expanded, so did the ministries, with new facilities, children's programs, youth work, bus ministries, and Vacation Bible School drawing families from across east Montgomery.
In 1973 the church leaders changed the name to Eastmont Baptist Church to better reflect the surrounding community. From the original small white house on Washington Street, the congregation has grown into a fifteen-acre campus that includes a Worship Center, fellowship halls, classrooms, and a Christian kindergarten, all anchored by the cross of Christ that the church says has long been a beacon from the hill in east Montgomery.
Sunday Mornings on the Hill
Sunday at Eastmont follows a simple rhythm. LifeGroups meet at 9:00 AM and run until 10:00 AM, with classes organized by age and stage of life so that every person and every couple can find a group. Most of the hour is spent in Bible study and discussion. Visitors are paired with greeters who wear name badges at every main entrance and who will gladly help locate the right classroom.
Worship begins at 10:15 AM and concludes by 11:30 AM. The service opens with music led by the Worship Pastor and a team of instrumentalists and vocalists, blending familiar hymns with newer songs. After the music, the Senior Pastor, or another teaching pastor, walks through a passage of Scripture. Messages are usually taught as parts of a series and are followed by a time of response, when individuals may seek prayer or pastoral counsel while the congregation continues to sing.
Visitors driving in for the first time will find guest parking spots in the upper level of the lot nearest the Worship Center entrance. Parents with children are encouraged to use the back lot, where signs point the way to the Eastmont Kids entrance and a banner marks the door. As the church puts it, "come as you are. You are welcome!"
Children on Sundays and Wednesdays
Eastmont Kids exists to partner with parents in helping children and preschoolers come to know who Jesus is and to build a Biblical worldview. On Sunday mornings, children gather in classes arranged by age and grade, using Lifeway's Gospel Project curriculum so that kids see the Bible as one big story that points to Jesus. All teachers are background-checked. Preschool classes are offered during both the LifeGroup hour and the worship service, so parents can drop off their children from birth through K-4 and head into the Worship Center.
On Wednesday nights, preschoolers attend Mission Friends, where they learn about missionary families serving across the United States and around the world, and about ways to pray and support that work. Kindergarteners through sixth graders gather for Bible Skills, Drills, and Thrills, a curriculum filled with games and activities designed to help kids grow in their understanding of Scripture and in Scripture memorization. Eastmont participates in church, association, and regional Bible Drill competitions.
Children's Ministry also organizes trips and events throughout the year, with a stated purpose of reaching the community and discipling children. The Children's Pastor oversees the ministry, supported by a Children's Ministry Assistant.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Wednesday evenings at Eastmont begin with food. A Family Supper is served in the Fellowship Hall from 5:00 PM to 5:50 PM. Adults eat for $5, and children eat free. Everyone is welcome to join the meal, whether or not they are part of the classes that follow.
At 6:00 PM, discipleship classes for all ages meet in different areas of the building, while the Sanctuary Choir rehearses in the Worship Center and the orchestra gathers in the sanctuary. The schedule of adult classes shifts with the seasons, so the church invites anyone interested to call the church office to find out what is currently being offered.
LifeGroups for Every Walk of Life
The LifeGroups directory at Eastmont reads like a snapshot of the congregation itself, with classes for college students and young adults, adult men and women, senior adult ladies, senior adult men, mixed senior adult groups, women of the Word, and a complete preschool through twelfth-grade wing. Each class is led by couples or individuals whose names appear on the directory, from a College and Young Adults group led by Pastor Gene Kim to a Senior Adult Ladies class led by Barbara Harris and Patricia Strickland, and a 7th and 8th Grade Boys class in the Youth Hall led by Jerry Newell and Heath Corwin.
Visitors who arrive without knowing where to go are pointed in the right direction by a greeter. For families with young children, registration is required on the first visit so the staff can establish a safe and caring environment, and pre-registration is available online.
TIMEOUT and the Student Ministry
The Student Ministry describes its purpose this way: students are to know God deeply and grow in His Word in order to go into the world and show His love. On Sunday mornings, students gather in LifeGroups arranged by gender and grade level, each led by men and women who love the Lord and want to see students grow in their faith. The groups spend the year planning fun activities alongside the Bible study.
Wednesday evenings belong to TIMEOUT. Students meet upstairs for an hour of worship led by a student praise band, a weekly message from the Student Pastor, games, prayer, and Scripture. TIMEOUT is described as a great opportunity for friends and guests to experience the culture and community of the student ministry.
The Student Ministry calendar is full of annual trips and events that the ministry believes shape students for a lifetime. Students have played in the snow in the Smoky Mountains, served communities in Indianapolis, ridden roller coasters at Universal Studios in Orlando, and served food to the homeless in Montgomery. Each year the student ministry also runs a Pecan Sale to benefit the student mission trip, with pecans offered in flavors like praline, honey glazed, cinnamon, milk chocolate, and Sweet Bama Burn.
College Ministry and Homegroups
The College and Career Ministry gathers students and young adults who want to grow closer to Christ and put Jesus at the center of the big decisions that come in these years. On Sunday mornings the group meets for Bible study, with breakfast and coffee provided. On Sunday evenings, the ministry moves off campus for Homegroups, often at the home of Pastor Gene Kim and his wife Melissa, where church members provide the meal and the group enjoys a more relaxed setting for fellowship and study.
Men's Ministry and Carpenters for Christ
Men at Eastmont have several weekly touchpoints. Sunday morning LifeGroup classes meet at the church, and a Tuesday morning prayer group gathers at a local restaurant or coffee shop. Once a year the church hosts Serve Day, partnering with ministries and entities in the surrounding community for projects that often involve construction, painting, and yard work.
Each summer, a team of Eastmont men partners with another church family through Carpenters for Christ to build a permanent structure on their property. In recent years the team has served in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and other nearby states. Other gatherings, such as wing nights at a local restaurant and men's softball, round out the year's opportunities for men to develop relationships and serve the Lord together.
Women's Ministry
Women's Ministry at Eastmont focuses on five areas: discipleship, fellowship, worship, service, and evangelism. On Sunday mornings several LifeGroup classes for women meet at the church, and additional women's Bible study and prayer groups gather on Sunday evenings and Thursday mornings.
Annual events include Tablescapes, a gathering where women host tables decorated with their own fine tableware around a chosen theme, share a meal, and hear from a featured speaker. Other outings, day trips, and lunches give women of different generations a chance to connect across the year.
Music for Every Voice
The Music Ministry at Eastmont is built around the conviction that musical talent is a gift from God to be nurtured for His glory. Sunday worship gatherings include a variety of musical expressions, both familiar and new, presented by instrumentalists and vocalists who are committed both to the arts and to Christ.
The Sanctuary Choir rehearses on Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 7:00 and leads worship from the choir loft on Sunday mornings, with no audition required. A Vocal Team is selected from the choir to assist the Worship Pastor in leading congregational singing. The Orchestra is an auditioned ensemble that rehearses from 6:15 to 7:15 on Wednesday nights and accompanies congregational singing on Sundays, with opportunities for instrumentalists with at least two years of experience.
A Children's Choir meets for grades K-6 as part of the Wednesday night program, singing with the Sanctuary Choir for Christmas and Easter performances. A Student Choir for grades 7-12 sings at the same seasonal services. The Senior Adult Choir meets every other Tuesday at 9:00 AM in the choir room, singing at nursing homes, assisted living communities, and special events. The Handbell Choir meets on Sunday afternoons at 5:00 PM and welcomes ringers of all ages.
From Montgomery to South Asia
Eastmont teaches that every member is called to missions, whether through praying, giving, going, or telling. Locally the church partners with Goodwyn Middle School, First Choice Women's Medical Center, Hope Inspired Ministries, Friendship Mission, and Love Loud Montgomery, among others.
Nationally, students have served in Florida and Indiana, and young adults have served in Utah and Tennessee. Men partner with Carpenters for Christ every year to help construct churches in nearby states. Globally, Eastmont sends a team one to two times a year to partner with local churches internationally, with the nature of the trip shaped by the needs of the host church. The church also has a more extensive partnership with IMB missionaries in South Asia, one of whom was raised at Eastmont.
Backyard Blast is the church's off-campus Vacation Bible School. While campus renovations have been underway, the church has taken VBS into the yards and neighborhoods of Eastmont families, hosting Bible study, crafts, recreation, and snacks at locations across the community, including Dalraida, Redland, Pike Road, Fox Hollow, Stoneybrooke, and Sturbridge, before gathering everyone for a final celebration at the church's Bowling Green property.
Eastmont Christian Kindergarten
Eastmont Christian Kindergarten is a ministry of the church that offers preschool and kindergarten classes for the surrounding community. The school year begins mid-August and ends mid-May, following the Montgomery Public School holiday calendar. Class offerings include Baby and Me for two-year-olds on Mondays and Thursdays, three-day and five-day K3, K4, and K5, with monthly tuition ranging from $80 for Baby and Me to $240 for K5. Registration for the new school year opens to Eastmont members and school families first, with public registration following in February.
What Eastmont Believes
Eastmont's Statement of Faith is consistent with the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. The church affirms that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man, totally true and trustworthy, with Christ as the focus of divine revelation. The church confesses one living and true God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaches that man is the special creation of God, made in His image, that sin entered the human race through free choice, and that salvation involves the redemption of the whole man and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The church practices baptism by immersion as an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's death to sin and resurrection to new life, and observes the Lord's Supper as a symbolic act of obedience. A New Testament church is described as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel.
Eastmont has organized its life around seven values: Biblical Authority (the Word of God as the final authority on all matters of faith and practice), Authentic Worship (gathering weekly to praise and adore God), Fervent Prayer (direct communication with God), Selfless Service (viewing others as more important than ourselves), Meaningful Relationships (developing community across different backgrounds), Disciple Making (sharing the gospel and equipping believers to make more disciples), and Sacrificial Generosity (giving of time, treasures, and talents as an act of worship).
The Pastoral Team
Frank Bowling has served as Senior Pastor since December 2020. A Tennessee native, he holds an undergraduate degree from Middle Tennessee State University, a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry in Evangelism and Missions from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously served as senior pastor at a sister church in Tennessee for fourteen years and brings more than twenty years of ministerial experience.
Gene Kim has served at Eastmont since 2013 as College and Missions Pastor. He holds a B.A. in Religion from the College of William and Mary, a Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School, and is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Cleve Mallory joined the staff in 2016 as Pastor of Discipleship and Student Ministries. A Prattville native, he holds a B.A. in Speech Communication from Troy University and a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Ty Logan joined Eastmont in 2021 as Children's Pastor. He holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Georgia and a Master of Divinity in Educational Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Mickey Ballard became the Worship Pastor in 2023. A native of Hammond, Louisiana, he holds a BFA in Music from Louisiana Tech University, two master's degrees in music from the University of Mississippi, and a Master of Church Music from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Brian Clements joined the staff in 2023 as Director of Administration and Senior Adults. A retired Montgomery Fire Department lieutenant with twenty-four years of service, he has been a member at Eastmont since 1995 and brings a lifelong passion for ministry to senior adults.
Sunday morning services are livestreamed at 10:15 AM, and online giving is available through the church's giving portal. The Encourager newsletter keeps the congregation connected to life at Eastmont throughout the week.