Faith on 42 Acres: A visit to the Hunter Street Baptist Church

By Emily Winsett

March 21, 2004

Computers in a balcony control booth project lyrics onto two large screens at Hunter Street Baptist Church outside Birmingham. Photo: Anne Lilburn

At the Hunter Street Baptist Church in Hoover, Ala., it's okay if you don't know all the words. Two large T.V. screens hanging on either side of the stage display the lyrics to the songs and hymns the choir sings. An outline of the scripture passages used in the pastor's sermon are likewise handed out so all can follow along.

"Usually people bring their bibles," said Buddy Gray, Hunter Street's senior pastor, as he explained the usage of the sermon outline to a small group of covering religion students. "But we do have lots of visitors, between four and five hundred, who aren't Christians." Gray added that rather than have visitors who might be unfamiliar with the bible searching for the passages being discussed, the outline lists them, making it "real easy for them to find it," he said.

Formed in 1907, Hunter Street Baptist Church sits on 42 acres of land used by over 7,000 church members, according to Gene Mason, Hunter Street's communication director. The three adult services each Sunday draw approximately 4,300 returning worshippers in addition to the four to five hundred visitors. The Church operates on a seven million dollar annual budget and, according to Mason, receives $185,000 each Sunday from the offerings.

But Hunter Street Baptist Church wasn't always so large.

When Gray, who has been a pastor at Hunter Street Baptist for 18 years, first began ministering to the church in 1986 the congregation had about 200 members and was located in downtown Birmingham, on Hunter Street. The directors of the church, according to Mason, realized that the church's congregation was primarily comprised of elderly white folk in an increasingly black community.

They decided to relocate the church to its current location on John Hawkins Parkway. As the surrounding area developed, the church membership grew. "The growth of the church is more or less due to the location," said Mason. Despite its growth, though, the church held on to its roots, keeping the old Hunter Street name as a reminder of its history. The old church building on Hunter Street was sold to a black congregation, and is now Sardis Baptist
Church.

How can one pastor provide spiritual and religious guidance to a congregation that represents approximately ten percent of the entire population of Hoover? The answer is quite simple: he can't, but he tries. Gray has breakfast and lunch several times a week with small groups of church members. He said the meetings give him, "that personal contact with almost everyone."

Pastor Gray emphasizes personal contact between church members as well. After the welcoming song, before the worship service begins, Gray, dressed simply in a bright yellow button-down shirt and dark blue pants, stands in front of the pink carpeted stage that holds a 30 piece band and a 200 member choir (see Deborah Pardo's article for more on the choir). Facing the church, he welcomes the members to service and asks them to do the same toward each other, adding that last week, "I shook 25 hands."

Within moments the congregation is on its feet and has spread from the pink padded pews into the plush pink aisles, shaking hands with old members and visitors alike. The murmur of people greeting each other echoes through the huge church. Later, when Gray ends the service, he once again emphasizes personal contact, asking members to speak to five people on their way out of church.

An additional 19 ministers help Gray provide guidance to the large congregation, each one serving a specific category of congregants, such as students, children, married couples and singles, to name a few. According to Pastor Gray, the church operates 300 bible study groups of 25 to 30 people. "That's where people get to know each other," he explained. "Every class is a support group."

To make the numbers more manageable, children and youth generally worship separately from adults. Not only do they have their own services, but they have their own bands, and their own bible study groups. Oh yeah, they have their own, well, let's call them wings.

Tiny tots worship in a colorful area with a yellow walkway reminiscent of Oz's brick road. Lively cartoon characters, created by Bruce Barry, the son of a Walt Disney animator, line the walls and are trademarked by the church which is in the process of naming each character and incorporating them in bible lessons.

First through sixth graders attend services and study the bible in an area known as "Kid Quest," an aquamarine submarine themed area also created by Barry.

Middle and high schoolers have a worship center which also acts as an after school center where they can play games like air hockey, research on the computers or have a snack at the café.

Hunter Street is currently in the midst of its "Year of Missions", trips where church members travel as far away from home as Thailand and as close as Mississippi. Their work on mission might include passing out Bibles, teaching ESL classes or running a sports camp.

While such a large church is active in spreading its beliefs across the globe, one question kept plaguing our group of students. Does Hunter Street get involved, publicly, in local, national or global political issues?

The church's executive pastor, Bill Decker, 42, provided covering religion student reporter Anne Lilburn with an answer. The church, he said, has five responsibilities. It provides membership, maturity, missions, magnification and ministry. The church refrains from any activity outside those five areas. Mason adds that the church wants people to come and pray on political issues rather than acting on them publicly. As a church, he said, "We address moral issues, not political ones."

As our trip South draws to a close, students scattered for last minute interviews with their respective denominations. Michele Vella and Jennifer Neeley visited with Catholic congregations, while Anne Lillburn set off to meet some of Birmingham's Buddhists. Lisa Merlini spent the morning with the 16th Street Baptist Church and Chris Karmiol went to a Hindu service in the afternoon.

Tomorrow we make our last group trip - we're coming home.