OUR HISTORY

Since 1884, Second Baptist Church has anchored itself in downtown Little Rock and has sought a transforming impact on Little Rock, Central Arkansas, and the world.

Many of the greatest moments in our history have come when we have taken risks. That continues to shape our church and how we do things today.

SCANNING THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MORE THAN A CENTURY

In 1884, eleven people established Second Baptist Church. All they had was a vision--no money, no pastor, no building. But Second Baptist has always done things a little differently. For instance, while a church building was constructed, the congregation met in a Jewish synagogue, which raised a few eyebrows back then (and might still today).

In 1889, Second Baptist established a Sunday night program of fellowship and Bible study for young people, a bold step in an era children weren’t supposed to stray downtown at night. It was the first Baptist ministry to young people in the state and was the forerunner of Training Union, a Sunday night staple in Baptist churches for decades.

In 1917, in the midst of World War I, the church began a ministry to soldiers that featured Saturday night parties along the lines of what later began USO events. This was extremely controversial in the day, because soldiers were considered unsavory figures, and the parties often had dancing taking place. Church leaders received anonymous phone calls and threatening letters. After one Saturday night party, the church building was mysteriously destroyed by fire. Investigators later found clear evidence of arson.

During the 1940s and 1950s, the church continued to offer bold and innovative ministries: a Hope House for prisoners, a Christian center for gifted and talented young people in music and art, the first accredited kindergarten in Arkansas, the first full scale daycare operated by a church in Arkansas, and a day camp at Lake Nixon on the outskirts of town.

In 1957, one of the key moments in history of Second Baptist Church took place. During the school integration crisis at Little Rock Central, our church took a stand for integration of not just public schools but churches as well. Second Baptist openly welcomed African-Americans to visit and join the church. As a result, the church lost many members.

During the 1960’s and 1970’s, partially as a result of integration, the population center moved away from the downtown area. Despite this population shift, Second Baptist Church, on several occasions, renewed its commitment to downtown and firmly planted itself with several new construction projects.

Also in the 1970’s, Second Baptist matched its progressive stance on race with a progressive stance towards women, ordaining its first woman deacons before many Baptist churches were even debating the concept. Second Baptist continues to strongly support the ordination of women to all ministry roles today.

In 1982, Second Baptist Church established an award in memory of former U.S. Congressman Brooks Hays. Hays, a long time member of Second Baptist, was one of the first in a long distinguished line of progressive southern statesmen and was a key figure in the Little Rock Central High School crisis. To honor his memory, Second Baptist established an award that would recognize individuals whose lives were examples of outstanding Christian citizenship. The first award was presented to Judge Oren Harris. Other award recipients include Senators Dale Bumpers and David Pryor, Dr. Denton Lotz (longtime executive director of the Baptist World Alliance), Keith Jackson (local sports personality and community activist), and Millard Fuller (the founder of Habitat for Humanity).

In the 1990’s, Second Baptist was the first Baptist church in Arkansas to join a ministry to AIDS patients. We also expanded our ministry to senior citizens and special needs populations in the downtown area.

In 2005, our church opened its doors to refugees from Hurricane Katrina. More than thirty people from the New Orleans area lived at Lake Nixon, our retreat center, until they were able to find permanent housing. One individual joined our church permanently and is still part of our community today.

In 2007, our church launched a new ministry initiative to combat the effects of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The challenges that the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa have created are huge. The epidemic is not only a biological catastrophe but an economic and social one as well. By partnering with organizations in Johannesburg, South Africa, Second Baptist hopes to be a part of meeting the needs of people whose lives are being shaped by the epidemic.

In 2008, Second Baptist began partnering with Feed the Hungry, an organization whose mission is to help feed the homeless population in Little Rock. Every weekday morning, our church hosts a free breakfast gathering for up to 70 people.