A Confessionally Baptist Church in the Heart of Covington
First Baptist Church of Covington sits at 1139 Usher Street NW in Covington, Georgia, a short walk from the town square. The church is an evangelical, confessionally Baptist congregation whose mission is to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ, and it organizes everything around three verbs that Pastor Cody McNutt and the elders call the church's heartbeat: Rooted, Reaching, and Replicating.
Rooted in the Scripture, prayer, worship, and the church. Reaching through personal evangelism, biblical hospitality, community engagement, and church planting and global missions. Replicating through family and personal discipleship, small groups, and leadership development. Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings alike are designed to keep that rhythm going for everyone from newborns to senior adults.
Two Sunday Morning Services and a Robust Sunday School
Worship gathers at 8:30am and 11:00am on Sunday mornings, with Sunday School for all ages running from 9:45am to 10:45am in between. The congregation currently meets in the Fellowship Hall while a new worship center is under construction. A campus and parking map is available for visitors.
Sunday School is the church's primary discipleship vehicle. Hundreds of adults meet in small groups across the campus during the 9:45am hour, working through Scripture together, encouraging one another, and praying for one another. Classes are offered for every stage of life, and visitors who want help finding a class can ask the church office to be connected.
What a Sunday Service Looks Like
A typical service at First Baptist Covington blends several elements with a steady focus on the preached Word.
- Music. The aim of the music is to glorify God and to support, not replace, the congregation's voice. Services include a mix of contemporary and traditional songs led by the worship band, adult choir, and orchestra.
- Scripture reading and prayers. Each service includes a public reading from the Old or New Testament and a range of prayers: confession, praise, thanksgiving, and pastoral supplication. Prayer is not limited to the church's own needs.
- Expositional preaching. Sermons typically work through a book of the Bible verse by verse, last around 45 minutes, and are streamed on Facebook and YouTube.
- Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism by immersion is practiced as a believer's act of obedience and a prerequisite for church membership. The Lord's Supper is observed on the first Sunday of every month, and all baptized believers in good standing of an evangelical church are welcome to partake.
Anyone who is not yet a Christian is welcome to participate as far as their conscience allows. The service does not require affirmation of beliefs a guest does not hold, and sitting and observing is fine.
Attire, Childcare, and Practical Details
Attire ranges from business to casual, and guests can wear whatever they are comfortable in. Childcare is available during both Sunday services for children from birth through four years old. Children five and older are invited to remain in worship with their parents; the church has chosen this approach because the whole congregation is considered a worshiping family. All childcare volunteers are background-checked and trained.
Guests are encouraged to fill out a Guest Connection form so that the church can follow up, answer questions, and help with next steps.
Wednesday Nights: Intentional Discipleship for All Ages
Wednesday evenings are structured around the conviction that the Christian life is more than Sunday mornings. Programming for every age group begins at 6:00pm.
- Babies through 5th grade. Sprouts (babies through kindergarten) and Rooted Kids (1st through 5th grade) meet from 6:00pm to 7:15pm in the Children's Building. Sprouts lays a foundation of faith through songs, stories, and simple Scripture; Rooted Kids builds on that foundation with serious Bible study presented in fun, engaging ways.
- Students in grades 6 through 12. The Grounded Student Ministry meets from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in The Annex, the church's Student and Activities Center. A typical night starts with hang-out time and a group game, then moves into music, large-group teaching, and small-group discussion.
- Adults. A Bible study and prayer gathering runs from 6:00pm to 7:15pm in the Fellowship Hall. The format is simple: praying together and working through books of the Bible verse by verse in a conversational setting.
Children's Ministry: Sprouts and Rooted Kids
Children's ministry at First Baptist Covington is led by Family & Discipleship Pastor Kristopher Foster and Children's Ministry Director Jen Graham. It is built on three connected pieces.
The Sprouts ministry (babies through kindergarten) focuses on laying a firm foundation of faith. The Rooted Kids ministry (1st through 5th grade) builds on that foundation through serious study of God's Word in age-appropriate and engaging ways. The Family Ministry facet seeks to equip parents to be the primary disciple makers in their homes, drawing on Deuteronomy 6 and the conviction that faith is formed through everyday life.
Sunday morning offerings for children include childcare during both services and Sunday School at 9:45am for babies through 5th grade.
Students: The Grounded Student Ministry
The student ministry, led by Student Pastor Joseph Bradley, takes its name from Ephesians 3:17, a prayer that teenagers be rooted and grounded in Christ's love and filled with all the fullness of God. The goal is for students to become mature disciples whose faith takes root in their teen years.
Sunday School at 9:45am helps students learn how to study the Bible on their own, walking through the Old Testament with attention to context, big ideas, and patterns of Scripture. Wednesday nights focus on doctrine that leads to worship, examining the core beliefs of Christianity and how they shape daily life. Students can also serve on the praise team, tech team, or welcome team.
Beyond weekly gatherings, the ministry plans summer camps, retreats, DNOW weekends, and casual hang-outs around Covington.
Adults: Sunday School, Women's and Men's Ministry, Senior Adults
Adults at First Baptist Covington are primarily shepherded through the Sunday School hour. The adult Sunday School program is described as the church's greatest discipleship vehicle, with hundreds gathering in small groups across the campus every Sunday at 9:45am.
Women's ministry gathers for special events throughout the year and multiple weekly Bible studies, including curriculum from Precept. Men's ministry meets periodically for focused Bible studies and special events. Both are organized around getting adults around Scripture and around each other.
Senior adults have a busy rhythm of their own. A Widow to Widow Luncheon happens the first Tuesday of every month from 11:30am to 1:00pm, with a rotating slate of speakers, singers, and topics. Game Day is held on the second and fourth Tuesdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm in the Annex Building, with shared food and games. The ministry also plans trips throughout the year for fellowship.
Music: Voices First
Music is shaped by the conviction that the congregation's voice is the primary instrument of worship. Whether a Sunday includes the worship band with guitars, keys, drums, and bass, the adult choir, a kids choir, or the orchestra, the goal is to support congregational singing of Gospel-rich, theologically grounded hymns and contemporary songs.
Choral Director Rob Brown and Pianist Michael Davis lead the musical life of the church. Worship Pastor Drew Garner oversees the worship band and overall worship planning.
Beliefs and the Gospel
First Baptist Covington describes itself as a confessional, congregational, and Baptist church. Its Statement of Faith follows historic Baptist convictions, summarized across seventeen articles that include the authority and inerrancy of Scripture; the one true God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the person and work of Jesus Christ; the full deity of the Holy Spirit; the creation of humanity in God's image and the entrance of sin into the world; salvation by grace through faith in Christ, encompassing regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification; the perseverance of the saints; the church as an autonomous local body of baptized believers; believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper; the family as a foundational institution; and the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.
Marriage is understood as the union of one man and one woman for life. A specific Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality outlines the church's position and applies it to employees and volunteers.
Two ordinances are observed: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. A Church Covenant binds members to one another in areas like unity, prayer, the nurture of children, hospitality, and cheerful, regular, and sacrificial giving.
Missions: Local, National, and International
Missions flow directly from the church's mission to make disciples of all nations. First Baptist Covington partners with local organizations in Covington and Newton County, including Connection Point Counseling, the Newton Pregnancy Resource Center, and the Newton Community Learning Center. National church planting partners and international missions organizations extend the church's reach further, and the church works with a network of missionaries supported through its missions budget.
First Baptist Academy
First Baptist Academy is a ministry of First Baptist Covington that provides a Christ-centered, biblically directed education. The school challenges students to know the Lord Jesus Christ and to develop the vision and practice of excellence in academics, character, leadership, and service to others. It serves students from early learning through upper grades and is administered as part of the church's overall ministry.
Growing Together: A New Worship Center
Because the current facilities limit how the church can gather and grow, First Baptist Covington is in the middle of a capital campaign called Growing Together. Architectural plans by HH Architects call for a new sanctuary seating up to 1,000 people, with space for the choir, musicians, and vocalists. A new lobby will connect the worship center, education, and children's buildings, improving circulation and fellowship space. The campaign also aims to make the campus more accessible and easier to navigate for first-time guests and families with children.
The project is framed by the church's sense of opportunity in Newton County, where the largest population segment is projected to be ages 25-34 and where 73% of people within ten miles of the church have no involvement in any religious congregation.
Leadership: Pastors, Elders, and Staff
Dr. Cody McNutt serves as Senior Pastor. The pastoral team includes Aaron Boeving as Executive Pastor, Drew Garner as Worship Pastor, Kristopher Foster as Family & Discipleship Pastor, and Joseph Bradley as Student Pastor.
A team of elders shares spiritual oversight with the pastors. In addition to the four pastors named above, the elders include Ruel Parker, David Crowder, Blake Graham, Dennis Fordham, Ryan Busenitz, Rob Brown, Wayne Morgan, and Matt Sokolik. Rob Brown also serves as Choral Director.
Supporting the ministry are David Biglow (Tech Director), Michael Davis (Pianist), Jen Graham (Children's Ministry Director), Hayley Downs (Ministry Coordinator), Cristine Hutcheson (Media Assistant), Daniel Cliburn (Facilities Manager), Rita Wasson (Ministry Assistant), and Linda Anglin (Assistant to the Senior Pastor).
Becoming a Member
Anyone interested in joining First Baptist Covington is encouraged to begin by attending Sunday worship and plugging into a Sunday School class. Periodically the church offers a Discover FBC class that walks through the church's commitments, beliefs, leadership, and ministries without obligation. Those who wish to move forward fill out a membership introduction form and meet with a pastor for an interview. After a recommendation from the elders, candidates for membership are brought before the congregation during members' meetings and affirmed together.
Giving and Streaming
Gifts can be made online through the church's giving platform by credit or debit card, e-check (ACH), or stock and securities transfer coordinated with Pastor Aaron Boeving. Cash and checks are accepted during Sunday morning worship and can be mailed to the church office.
Sunday morning worship services and Wednesday evening Bible studies are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. A sermon archive is available for catch-up listening.
Visiting First Baptist Covington
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00am to 5:00pm and is closed on Fridays. The phone number is 770-786-9031, and the address is 1139 Usher St NW, Covington, GA 30014. Mailing correspondence can be sent to PO Box 268, Covington, GA 30015. During the current construction phase, Sunday morning worship meets in the Fellowship Hall, with a campus and parking map available for download.
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