First Baptist Church Pelham on Pelham Parkway
First Baptist Church Pelham sits on Pelham Parkway, also known as Highway 31, in Pelham, Alabama. The congregation describes itself as a Christ-centered, multigenerational faith family that exists to make disciples for global impact, and that single sentence shapes everything from the pulpit to the playground. Two identical Sunday morning services, an extensive program for children and students, a weekday counseling center inside the church building, and a missions calendar that lists around two dozen trips each year all flow from it.
The church affirms the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, the confessional statement of the Southern Baptist Convention, and its pulpit ministry centers on expository preaching through books of the Bible. A long-running series on the book of Genesis has been working through chapters 19 through 33 in the worship services, and a series on Acts preceded it. The Senior Pastor, Dr. Daven Watkins, is in his twelfth year at the church and brings more than two decades of pastoral experience from Alabama and Kentucky.
What the Church Believes
First Baptist Pelham summarizes Christian doctrine in twelve essential statements, beginning with "There is only one true and living God" and ending with "The Bible is the infallible Word of God without any mixture of error." Between those bookends, the list moves through creation, the sinfulness of humanity, the Trinity, the incarnation, the cross, the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, salvation by grace through faith, the mission of the church, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the return of Christ.
The full Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is reproduced on the church's teaching page, with all eighteen articles of the confession included. The article on the church was amended by action of the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention. The church teaches believer's baptism by immersion, observes the Lord's Supper as a memorial, and holds the Bible to be the "perfect treasure of divine instruction" and the "true center of Christian union." The confession also describes a New Testament church as "an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers" and limits the office of pastor, elder, or overseer to men.
Sunday Mornings in Pelham
Two Sunday morning services are held at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m., and the two are identical in music and preaching. A greeter team meets first-time families at the door, and someone at the welcome desk in the Gathering Area will walk guests to a Sunday School class or to a seat in the worship center. Worship style is described as a contemporary and blended sound intended to engage multiple generations, and people attend in everything from blue jeans to dress clothes.
Sunday School is offered at three adult hours each Sunday morning. A 5:00 p.m. hour is set aside for D-Groups, the church's small-group ministry. D-Groups meet on Sunday evenings, Wednesday evenings, and during the week in homes and on the church campus, with groups for men, women, and co-eds. Some run continually from semester to semester, while others are short-term, one-semester groups. Parking is straightforward: guests are asked to come up the hill to the top of the lot, where guest and senior adult spaces are reserved near the main entrance.
Preschool and Children: Loved and Grounded
The children's wing at First Baptist Pelham is led by Meredith Whiten, Director of Preschool and Children Ministry, who holds a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. The preschool ministry is branded with the word LOVED and the goal of teaching children "Learning God's Love From the Start." The elementary ministry carries the word GROUNDED and works on building a Strong Biblical Foundation so that children learn the big story of the Bible, who Jesus is, and what it means to follow Him, growing into a faith rooted in God's Word that is their own.
Programming runs from nursery through fifth grade on both Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings at 9:15 a nursery is offered for infants through 2-year-olds, Sunday School for 3K through 5K, and Kid's Church for first through fifth grades. At 10:45 the nursery continues, a Wigglin' Worship class is offered for 3K through 5K, and Sunday School is held for first through fifth grades. Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00 include a nursery, Mission Friends for 3K through 5K, and Bible Boot Camp for first through fifth grades. Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:45 add a nursery plus preschool and elementary C and C (Choir and C.R.E.W.).
Safety is built into the program. All volunteers are screened with a background check, the children's hallway is monitored by security personnel and cameras, and a two-tag security system is used for every child from birth through 5K. No child is dismissed to anyone under 18. A greeter team checks children in on the first visit and walks parents through the process.
Students: Grades 6 through 12
The student ministry, branded with the word EMPOWERED and the goal of students Owning Their Faith and Living It Out, is for students in grades 6 through 12. Most activities take place in the church's Annex, a building across the street from the main campus at 2882 Pelham Parkway, with a shuttle running students from the Annex to the worship center for the 10:45 service.
Sunday mornings include grade- and gender-based Sunday School classes at 9:15 in the Annex and the regular worship service at 10:45. Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00 are reserved for Student D-Groups, where students develop leadership and discipleship. Wednesdays from 6:15 to 7:45 are Midweek, with fellowship, student-led worship, and a message from Student Pastor Josh Barrentine or another ministry staff member. Annual events include a fall retreat, Disciple Now weekend, Beach Camp at Panama City Beach, a church-wide mission trip, summer Bible studies in homes, and Lake Days.
Adult Small Groups and Sunday School
The church's small-group ministry operates on two tracks. The first is Sunday School, with classes meeting at 8:00, 9:15, and 10:45 each Sunday, organized by age, gender, or interest, and taught with a range of curriculum and teaching styles. The second track is D-Groups, the discipleship-group ministry, with semester-based and ongoing groups meeting on Sunday nights, Wednesday nights, and during the week in homes. The church defines a disciple as a "life-long, believing, learner of Christ," and the D-Groups are designed to provide mentoring, accountability, and community within a smaller group of adults.
A Discovery Class is offered quarterly for new and prospective members, with members who have yet to attend also welcome. The class meets in the Annex at the conclusion of the second worship service, with childcare and a lunch of steak, potato, salad, and dessert provided for children through fifth grade. The gathering introduces attendees to the ministerial staff and walks through the church's history, beliefs, and structure.
Senior Adults
Dr. Bob Weber joined the staff as Senior Adult Pastor in September 2025, and the senior adult ministry defines its task as a lifelong ministry for older members. A monthly covered-dish lunch is held on the second Tuesday of each month, where members share ministry needs and develop strategies to meet them, with occasional prepared meals at a nominal cost. A separate Cheergivers group ministers to homebound and shut-in members of the congregation.
Each year the senior adults join a mission trip to New Orleans, a partnership of more than twenty years with Mission Lab at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The group has worked in local ministries, nursing homes, and on a construction project in the city. Day trips and two- to four-day trips for conferences and special events round out the calendar. Wednesday evenings include the church-wide dinner at 4:45 followed by a Bible study led by Dr. Weber at 6:15, and seniors attend the regular Sunday School and worship services at 8:00, 9:15, and 10:45.
Worship Ministry
Worship Pastor Brett Fuller has led the church's music ministry since 2017 and brings more than two decades of experience from churches in Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music and Church Music from Samford University and a Master's in Music with a concentration in Worship Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The worship ministry uses a multi-generational approach, with vocal and instrumental groups spanning every age.
The Adult Worship Choir and Praise Team rehearse on Wednesday nights from 6:15 to 7:45 in the Music Suite on the ground floor of the Worship Center building, with childcare provided. No audition is required for the choir, which sings every Sunday at both the 9:15 and 10:45 services, and the praise team is an auditioned subset of the active choir. Graded children's choirs rehearse as part of the Wednesday night C and C program, with elementary children in grades 1 through 5 meeting in the Children's Church room on the third floor of the Children's Building and preschoolers on the second floor of the children's wing. A worship band leads the weekly services and rehearses on Wednesday nights beginning at 7:45 in the Worship Center, with spots for advanced high school students and adults with prior experience.
Wednesday Nights: Dinner and Discipleship
Wednesday nights are built around a church-wide dinner served from 4:45 to 5:45 in the Annex. The dinner is $7 for adults, $5 for children in fifth grade and under, with a household cap of $24, and reservations are taken each week. The dinner is self-supporting, meaning food is purchased and prepared based on the number of reservations; if a family reserves but does not attend, the cost of the reservation is still due.
Programs follow dinner at 6:15. The nursery for infants through 2-year-olds, Preschool C and C for ages 3 through 5, Children's C and C for grades 1 through 5, RIOT for students in grades 6 through 12, the Adult Choir Rehearsal, the Senior Adult Bible Study, and Adult D-Groups all run simultaneously. The night ends with the worship band rehearsal at 7:45.
Hope Counseling Center
The HOPE Center (Healing, Outreach, Peace, Enrichment) is a professional counseling practice that operates inside the church, serving children, adolescents, adults, and families. Dr. Linda M. Story, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, holds a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Christian University and a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also serves as an adjunct professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Abilene Christian University. Melanie S. Howard, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist, came to the HOPE Center in 2021 after fifteen years with Pathways Professional Counseling, a sister ministry of the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes.
Counseling is offered for issues including abuse, ADHD, anxiety, behavioral problems, co-dependency, communication, conflict resolution, depression, family issues, loss and grief, marital conflict, and stress management. The center is supported by client fees, most insurance is accepted, and the office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Upward Basketball and Upward Pickleball
Upward Basketball at First Baptist Pelham is a recreational league for K-5 through eighth grade, with a focus on sportsmanship and ministry to children and families. Elementary divisions do not keep league standings; intermediate divisions are transitional, preparing players for middle school; and middle school divisions play under Alabama High School rules. Each player has one weekly practice and one weekly game, and younger players are guaranteed equal playing time through a set substitution system. Games are held on Saturdays in December, January, and February at the FBC Pelham Annex.
Each season, the Upward Basketball families complete a service project. One recent project prepared more than 150 sack lunches for Brother Bryan Ministries, a Birmingham ministry whose goal is to help men return to their families, churches, and communities free from addiction with stable employment and housing and healthy relationships toward God and others. Upward Pickleball is offered for students in sixth through twelfth grade, with coed teams and tournament play in the final two weeks of an eight-week summer season.
Blaze Week
Blaze Week is the church's summer program for children who have completed 4K through fifth grade, an action-packed week of recreation, crafts, Bible study, music, and a creative arts track of the child's choice. Tracks include woodworking for grades 4 and 5, arts and crafts, vocal worship team for grades 3 through 5, stomp and dance, sign language, puppets, culinary arts, bucket drum, human video, beginning guitar for grades 4 and 5, pottery for grades 3 through 5, and a sports track. Each track has a limited number of spots, and the program is free for all who participate.
Missions: Give, Go, Pray
The missions strategy of First Baptist Pelham is summed up in three words: Give, Go, Pray. A missions calendar lists around two dozen opportunities each year, ranging from one-day local events to multi-week international trips. Recurring opportunities include Food for Our Journey, a local food outreach; Pelham Outreach; a Serve Tour in Birmingham; a senior adult trip to New Orleans with Mission Lab; a church-wide trip to Pensacola; a Mobile College Trip; a New York Women's Outreach; a Family Mission Trip; and a Love Life Prayer Walk. International trips in recent years have reached Satipo, Peru; La Ceiba, Copan, Choluteca, and Siguatepeque, Honduras; Tanzania; and Ireland.
A Mike and Mary Shaw Missions Scholarship helps underwrite the cost of trips for members, and a Give Calendar, Go Calendar, and Prayer Calendar walk the church through a year of supporting missions financially, going on trips, and praying for missionaries. The church is also a House of Refuge in partnership with Love Life, a ministry committed to fostering a culture of life. As a House of Refuge, First Baptist Pelham commits to support any woman facing an unplanned pregnancy by removing obstacles to carrying and caring for her child, mentoring, hosting baby showers, and connecting her with a local pregnancy care center.
Hispanic Congregation: Iglesia El Buen Pastor
First Baptist Pelham's Hispanic congregation, Iglesia El Buen Pastor, meets in Pelham and is connected to the church's broader ministry. The congregation has its own Facebook presence and gathers for Spanish-language worship, Bible study, and fellowship.
Getting Connected
For anyone exploring the church, the Discovery Class is the on-ramp to membership. The class is offered quarterly in the FBC Pelham Annex, beginning at the close of the second Sunday service, with lunch and childcare provided for children through fifth grade. The class introduces attendees to the pastoral staff, walks through the church's beliefs, and explains what it means to be a member.
The church office can be reached at (205) 664-0237 or info@fbcpelham.org. The physical address is 2867 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, Alabama, 35124, with the Annex across the street at 2882 Pelham Parkway. Sunday services are held at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m., and sermons are livestreamed on YouTube and archived on Vimeo. Giving is available online through Subsplash.