a suggestion for a good Baptist church in and around Austin, please only serious folks (Round Rock: real estate, how much)

[carolinajack]

a good baptist church in austin to attend, any suggestions? serious ones only, if you dont like baptists then plz dont respond, its for serious inquiries

[texastrigirl]

I am not Baptist but a few of my friends are happy attending the larger Baptist churches in town, Hyde Park Baptist and Bannockburn. It just depends on the size church you are looking for. Have you also considered somewhere like Hill Country Bible. My cousin was raised a Baptist and went to Baptist college and is pretty happy there. Good luck!

[texastea]

carolinajack, what kind of Baptist? Or more specifically, what are you looking for in a church? There are several large, traditional Southern Baptist churches, or fundamentalist-type baptist churches or "emergent church" plants that are Southern Baptist without "Baptist" in the name....and like texastrigirl said, there are some good bible and/or community churches that have identical theology and practices as Southern Baptist (just different church politics--ie. elder rule or combination elder/congregational rule instead of straight congregational rule).

[carolinajack]

really? well i am looking for fundamental baptists or tradtional conservative southern baptist, or bible or community churches if they have the same ideologies( i didnt know about them)

[texastrigirl]

I forgot to mention Great Hills Baptist and Riverbend...both huge churches though. The nice thing now is that almost all of them have their statement of faith online and you can listen to video sermons or podcasts. Modern technology helped me immensely when I moved to the Seattle area and had to find a new church. Made it easier to narrow it down a few I knew would fit theologically anyway. I know a friend of mine whose kids attend Strickland Christian School goes to a smaller Baptist church caled Congress Ave Baptist and likes it. The upside is that you should plenty of options! Good luck!

[texastea]

Grace Church (on the hill at 360/183/Mopac interchange) and Hill Country Bible (on 620 near Lakeline) are both really good churches. The only fundamental baptist churches I know about are Central Baptist in Leander and the church in Cedar Park next to the YMCA (it used to be called Hilltop Baptist Temple). Texastrigirl listed some good Southern Baptist churches; I'd add Great Hills Baptist. If you have more specific things you're looking for you can DM me if you want to--maybe I can help you narrow it down some

[CATXTransplant]

I was going to Canyon Creek which is secretly Baptist (really, they tell you n new member orientation that they otok the Baptist out of their bane because there's a negative connotaion with some people). I liked it, but started falling asleep every week. I heard they have a new Pastor but we already switched to Hill Country Bible and LOVE it! You should check it out.

[doctorjef]

The most intellectual Baptist church in Austin is probably First Baptist downtown. However, there are two or three smaller congregations around that hold membership of the American Baptist Association (so-called "Northern Baptist") in addition to or instead of SBC affiliation. I'm not a Baptist, but I would respect the intellectual integrity, scholarship and social positions of the foregoing congregations, as opposed to some of Austin's more conservative, anti-intellectual and culturally reactionary Baptist churches. For the ABA congregations, you'll just have to check the yellow page listings or do a google search. It's possible, of course, that First Baptist is now ABA affiliated.

BTW, although you'll see a Delaware location on my post, I have lived more than 20 years total in Austin, so I've some knowledge of things there.

[doctorjef]

Sorry to double-post, but I realised my egregious omission of University Baptist Church on the drag, opposite UT. It's definitely the most socially progressive and ecumenically minded Baptist church in Austin. I do appreciate, however, that many Baptists might find them rather beyond the pale.

Please don't join Hyde Park Baptist, the church that ate the neighborhood. What was still a fairly small neighborhood church when I was at university gradually devoured blocks of Hyde Park real estate, knocking down houses in favour of building an enormous parking garage, sanctuary of mammoth proportions and numerous other buidlings. Having been away from Austin for a few years, God only knows how much more of the neighborhood that hubristic institution has devoured.

[cub77cub]

What part of Austin are you in?? Some of the churches are huge (Grace 360, etc.) and we prefer a smaller church where you can get to know people. We attend Hill Country Bible church in Round Rock. Great bible teaching church (someone else mentioned the HCBC on 620 and there is also one in Pflugerville and Hutto). Many people with Baptist background attend.

Originally Posted by carolinajack

a good baptist church in austin to attend, any suggestions? serious ones only, if you dont like baptists then plz dont respond, its for serious inquiries