The church was founded in 1927. In 1946 the church sponsored foundation of the Second Baptist School as a self-supporting agency. The school occupies a campus in the Memorial area and is open to students without regard to race, religion, or economic background. In 1957, Second Baptist moved west to the current main location at 6400 Woodway Drive in Houston. The Woodway church boasts the largest all-pipe Rodgers organ ever built, with 192 stops and 10,412 total pipes, qualifying the instrument as one of the largest pipe organs in the world. Although it was silenced for approximately one year due to severe water damage inflicted by Hurricane Ike in 2008, the organ is now played weekly in the church's traditional worship services, as well as for concerts and special events throughout the year. In 1979 the church launched a weekly broadcast of worship services on local television. In 1982 a local radio program began, as well as national TV broadcasting. Since then this has expanded into international television, radio and internet distribution of the church's message. The church participates in the Faith Comes By Hearing Audio Bible listening program. In 2010, Second Baptist Church brought on the best selling Christian book author, Gary Thomas, as a writer in residence. Thomas also serves on Second's teaching team. On Easter day in 2012 the church began Spanish-language services, hiring Alfonso Gilbert to lead in worship.
Expansion
In 1999 Second Baptist opened the West Campus. The West Campus has a 4,500-seat worship center with separate buildings for educational programs, weddings, funerals, and other events. It includes a classroom facility and a 600-seat black box theater. In 2004 Forest Cove Baptist Church joined Second Baptist and was renamed the North Campus, and satellite campuses in Pearland and northwest Houston were established in 2006. Under the leadership of Ed Young the church grew from an average weekend attendance of 500 in 1978 to over 24,000 today. The church has been described by its pastor as "a town within a city", with an annual budget of $55 million. In addition to worship facilities it has fitness centers, bookstores, information desks, a café, a K-12 school and free automotive repair service for single mothers. In February 2006 the Second Baptist Church pledged $84 million to expand its three sites in the Houston area and to add others by using movie theaters across the United States.
