Barb Sixsmith

First Baptist Atlanta is a vibrant family of believers in Jesus Christ. We are the spiritual home to thousands of people in metro Atlanta and the source of spiritual encouragement to millions of others around the world. Founded in 1848 in the heart of downtown Atlanta, our church has been a light for Christ through the darkest times in our city’s history and through the most challenging times our nation has faced. For 172 years, God has sustained our church as each generation has acknowledged our dependence upon God and has sought to honor the truth of His Word, the Bible. In 1971, the church elected Dr. Charles Stanley as senior pastor. In 1982, Dr. Stanley founded In Touch Ministries to broaden the reach of his pulpit ministry through media and to satisfy the growing demand for his messages across the country. Dr. Stanley can now be heard in every nation on earth. Among our membership are people from 98 countries of origin, making us one of the most ethnically diverse congregations in America. We like to think that our congregation resembles the picture of heaven described in Revelation 5:9, where God’s throne is surrounded by those whom Christ had redeemed “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” In the morning services on December 10, 2017, Dr. Stanley proposed to the church a Pastoral Succession Plan, naming the church’s associate pastor, Dr. Anthony George, as the future pastor of the church. The congregation adopted the plan by a unanimous affirmative vote. On September 13, 2020, Dr. Charles Stanley announced his retirement to the congregation during the morning live stream, concluding his service as Senior Pastor and transitioning to Pastor Emeritus. Dr. Stanley’s retirement resulted in the installment of Dr. Anthony George as our new Senior Pastor. We trust and pray that God will bring to pass Dr. Stanley’s encouraging words and that there will indeed be many great days ahead for First Baptist Atlanta.