A Baptist Church in the Heart of Lexington's Ninth District
Southern Heights Baptist Church sits at 3408 Clays Mill Road in Lexington, Kentucky, and the members there like to say they are part of the neighborhood in a deliberate way. Their motto on the front of the building is simple: "We are men, women, children, but most of all we are family." The church is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention, which in turn is connected to the Southern Baptist Convention, and it openly aligns itself with the Baptist Faith and Message. The church's stated mission is to "preach Jesus, first and foremost" and to make the love of God and the Gospel of the Lord more visible in Lexington, beginning with the ninth district that surrounds the building on Clays Mill Road.
What Southern Heights Believes
The church publishes a clear statement of core beliefs. Members affirm one God the Father, sovereign over all that He has made and rich in grace, mercy, and love. They affirm that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners, rose again on the third day, and now sits at the right hand of the Father as the only mediator between God and humanity. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to complete His redemptive mission. The Holy Spirit is described as the divine, eternal Spirit of God who convicts and draws sinners, indwells believers, seals them until the day of redemption, and conforms them to the image of Christ.
The Bible is held to be God's Word, written by men and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, infallible and without error, the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks, and completely sufficient for faith and life. Salvation, in the church's own words, is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It is the free gift of God to all who repent and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and it is eternally secure. The church holds to the priesthood in Baptist churches, called to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of all nations. The full constitutional documents, including the church's constitution and by-laws, are available for members to review.
A Sunday Built Around Three Gatherings
The Sunday rhythm at Southern Heights is unusually full for a single congregation. Sunday School opens the day at 9:30am and runs until 10:30am, with classes offered for all ages - children, students, adults, and a college and career class. The leadership describes Sunday School as essential to the life of the church because it is where "deeper fellowship and better support for one another can take place." Classes meet in the same building and follow a shared Scripture passage, so families can drive in together and head to different rooms before meeting again for worship.
Sunday Morning Worship begins at 10:45am and runs until noon. Members describe the service as the centerpiece of the church's life. Services include "relevant messages from God's Word, testimonies, prayer, scripture, video and vibrant choral and congregational music from across the generations." The service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person. A nursery is provided for young children during the worship hour.
The day closes with Sunday Evening Bible Study at 6:00pm, an adult-focused hour of teaching and discussion that mirrors the smaller-group feel of the Sunday morning classes. Together the three Sunday gatherings give the church roughly five hours of in-person teaching each weekend.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table and the Word
Midweek is structured around two parallel gatherings that begin at 6:00pm and end at 7:00pm. The adult-focused Wednesday Evening Prayer and Bible Study meets each week for prayer and teaching. At the same time, SHBC Students gathers for grades 6 through 12 with food, games, and a Bible study designed to help students grow in their faith and build lasting friendships. The students' night begins with a shared meal, then moves into games and a lesson, and the entire group is led by the Associate Pastor of Students and Families.
College & Career and the Young Adults of Lexington
Young adults have their own corner at Southern Heights. The College & Career Sunday School class meets at 9:30am each Sunday, and a Life Group for the same group meets each Sunday evening from 7:00 to 8:00pm at Pastor Shane's home. The Life Group describes itself as "a group of young Christ followers seeking to do life together and form connections," spending time in God's Word, praying for one another, and discussing the questions of early adulthood in a casual setting.
Worship and Music for Every Generation
Music is treated as a whole-life ministry at the church. The Sanctuary Choir, Worship Teams, youth and children's music (in seasonal rotations), and instrumental and vocal solos and ensembles are all part of the program, alongside special events such as revivals. The Minister of Music, Maria Lester, is a Lexington native with degrees from Georgetown College and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and more than twenty years of experience in central Kentucky churches, including ten years at Versailles Baptist. She also sings with the Lexington Singers and gives private voice lessons.
Children, Sunday School, and the Next Generation
Children's ministry at Southern Heights is built around the conviction that "kids have the capacity to walk intimately with God." Through Bible stories, songs, and crafts, the children's ministry aims to help kids find their way to Jesus, connect with others, and contribute to changing the world. Students in middle and high school meet as SHBC Students on Wednesday evenings and are invited into a brand-new season of ministry under the recently called Associate Pastor of Students and Families, Sebastion Koger. The church also runs YoungHearts' Kid Devo, a video teaching series that uses illustrations, games, and Bible stories to reach children beyond Sunday morning. Rehearsals for seasonal productions such as the student Christmas musical bring children, youth, and adults together across generations.
Loving the Ninth District
Southern Heights' outreach is named for the neighborhood around it: "Southern Heights Loves the Ninth." The church runs simple service projects designed to reach the people who help, serve, protect, teach, and lead the surrounding community. Recent projects have included providing lunch for local teachers, breakfast for the local fire department, and handing out water bottles at a local park. The leadership describes the work this way: "Above all, we hope to share the love of Christ and His glorious Gospel with those around us."
The Men's Brotherhood, established in 2019, takes the same practical approach. Brothers meet once a month for a hearty breakfast, devotion, and discussion of projects, then go to work on small construction projects around the homes of neighbors in Lexington. The Brotherhood does not charge for labor and will assist with purchase of materials when necessary. Past projects include building a wheelchair accessibility ramp for a neighbor and renovating a bathroom down the road. The group meets on the first Saturday of each month at 8:00am in the Fellowship Hall, with men and their sons welcome.
Beyond the neighborhood, the church is active in Kentucky Disaster Relief. Several members have been trained in disaster recovery through the Southern Baptist Convention and have traveled to eight states to assist with flood, fire, hurricane, and tornado cleanup. Their work includes chaplaincy, day care, laundry, showers, meals, mud-out, ash-out, chain sawing, and rebuild efforts. Southern Heights also supports Harlan County Christian School in Totz, Kentucky, an accredited K-8 school that receives no government funding and operates at a low tuition rate. The church provides financial assistance and hands-on help with the school's facility, which is debt-free.
Women With Hope and the Community Memorial Garden
Women With Hope is built on four pillars: discipleship, Bible study, outreach, and fellowship, drawn from Romans 12:12-13. The group's mission is to "assist women in growing their relationship with Christ" through Bible study, fellowship, hospitality, and service. The Women With Hope group has also launched the SHBC Community Memorial Garden, located at the front of the building along Clays Mill Road. The garden welcomes memorial stones, chimes, or perennial flowers added in memory of a loved one or a pet, and is intended as a place where anyone needing to grieve or remember can find hope in Jesus.
The Pastoral Team
Shane Maples serves as Lead Pastor. A native of the small town of Walland, Tennessee, he holds an undergraduate degree in church music from the University of the Cumberlands and has completed coursework toward a Master of Arts in Christian Studies from the same school. He has served in youth and young adult roles in rural Appalachian churches in Kentucky and Tennessee and has been in the senior pastor role since 2017. He began serving at Southern Heights in September 2023.
Sebastion Koger serves as Associate Pastor of Students and Families. A native of Monticello, Kentucky, he holds an Associate of Arts degree from Clear Creek Baptist Bible College and is completing his undergraduate studies. He has been involved in ministry since 2019 and entered pastoral ministry in 2023. He was called to Southern Heights in April 2025. He and his wife Grace have one daughter, Eden.
Maria Lester serves as Minister of Music, a role she has held since May 2019. A Lexington native, she holds degrees from Georgetown College and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Between Sundays: Podcast and Pastor's Blog
Between Sundays, the pastoral team keeps in touch with the congregation through two regular offerings. Pastors Shane and Sebastion host the "Between Sundays" podcast, which recaps the previous Sunday's sermon and offers a biblical perspective on current events. Pastor Shane also writes the Pastor's Blog, where his musings cover a range of subjects for the congregation to read and reflect on during the week.
RightNow Media and Family Discipleship
Southern Heights offers its members and visitors free access to RightNow Media, a video library the church calls "the Netflix of Video Bible Studies and Kids Shows." The library includes teaching from popular Bible study leaders, content for parenting, marriage, and discipleship, and more than one hundred children's shows. Accounts are free for members, their friends, and their families, and the church actively invites newcomers to sign up as a welcome gift.
Planning a Visit
Sunday morning is the easiest time to find the church. Sunday School begins at 9:30am, with classes for all ages from young families to a dedicated college and career group. Sunday Morning Worship begins at 10:45am and runs until noon, and the service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those who want to follow along from home. Sunday Evening Bible Study follows at 6:00pm for adults. Wednesday nights add Prayer and Bible Study for adults and the SHBC Students gathering for grades 6 through 12, both beginning at 6:00pm.
Visitors are told to come as they are. Some members dress up and others do not, and both are welcome. Parking is available in the lot right outside the building. The church office can be reached at (859) 223-5223 for any questions visitors might have before arriving.
Southern Heights is a member of the Central Kentucky Network of Baptists, a local association of Baptist and like-minded churches that partners together for fellowship, resourcing, ministry, and mission. The church is supported in its outreach and giving by its members through in-person giving and online donations.