NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Shadow Hills Baptist Church, Las Vegas, Nev., led all Southern Baptist churches in Christian Growth Study Plan course credits for 1996-97, with 1,108.
Church leaders in course credits and diplomas, along with leading associations and states, were announced by the Baptist Sunday School Board Dec. 4.
The Christian Growth Study Plan (formerly Church Study Course) includes courses in 13 subject areas and 130 diplomas in English and 30 in Spanish. Courses and diplomas are developed by the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, Woman’s Missionary Union and Sunday School Board.
Other top churches included First Baptist Church, Albany, Ga., 674; Greenforest Community Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga., 570; First Baptist Church, Wellington, Texas, 569; and Highland Baptist Church, Columbus, Ga., 458.
Three of the top five churches in course credits also were leaders in diplomas earned. First Baptist, Wellington, Texas, led all churches with 565 diplomas; Greenforest, Decatur, Ga., ranked second with 297 diplomas; and First Baptist, Albany, Ga., was third with 290. Rounding out the top five were New Faith Missionary Baptist Church, Houston, with 287 and Summerville (S.C.) Baptist Church, with 275.
Among associations, Union Baptist Association of Houston led the way with 954 diplomas. Others in the top five were Panfork Baptist Association of Texas, 577; St. Louis Metro Baptist Association, 562; Atlanta Baptist Association, 400; and Birmingham Baptist Association of Alabama, 398.
The Florida Baptist Convention was first in course credits earned in the state with 20,131, followed by Georgia, 17,048; Texas, 15,062; Alabama, 12,366; and North Carolina, 10,558.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas ranked number one in diplomas earned with 6,180, followed by Florida, 4,506; Georgia, 4,126; North Carolina, 3,355; and Alabama, 3,102.
As of Dec. 1, a total of 448,862 persons were participating in the Christian Growth Study Plan, an increase of more than 120,000 since January 1997. A total of 23,885 Southern Baptist churches participate in the plan.
