Hunter Street Baptist Church

Hunter Street Baptist Church (established 1907) is a Southern Baptist megachurch located in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham.

As of 2012, the church has a membership of approximately 7,100, making it one of the largest churches in the state.

Dr. Buddy Gray is the senior pastor, having served since 1986. Gray previously served as the church's youth pastor from 1978-1980 while he was a student at Samford University. Hunter Street is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, and is a member of the Birmingham Baptist Association.

The church was established in 1907. It was originally located in the western section of Birmingham, some twenty miles (32 km) from its current location. The original meeting location was in the Compton Hill community, now called Fairview. The church originally met in various temporary locations, including a school and several private homes. The first permanent house of worship for this congregation was built in 1908 at the intersection of Hayes Avenue and Hunter Street (now Eufaula Avenue and 24th Street). They remained in this location until December 1928, when they moved to a larger facility at the corner of 17th Street and 4th Court West, approximately 1/3-mile from the previous location. This new building included a sanctuary that seated over 700, as well as numerous Sunday School classrooms. Numerical growth occurred in the church throughout the next several decades, making Hunter Street one of the largest Baptist churches in Birmingham, if not all of Alabama. A chapel and additional educational space was constructed across the street from the newer location in 1952, and in 1958, a new 1800-seat sanctuary was dedicated. This sanctuary was constructed adjoining the 1952 building. During the 1960s, the church broadcast its Sunday morning worship service live, first on radio on WAQY 1220, then beginning in 1967 on WBMG-TV (now WIAT). This broadcast ministry continued through 1972. A Family Life Center, with a gymnasium and game room, was constructed in 1974.

Membership and attendance at Hunter Street began to decline in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This was due to several factors, including the growth of Birmingham suburbs such as Vestavia Hills, Homewood and Forestdale, as well as the change in the socio-economic makeup of the neighborhood surrounding Hunter Street. This decline in attendance continued into the 1980s. Average weekly attendance, which had peaked at around 1500, had fallen to around 225. By 1985, the majority of those people attending Hunter Street were retired persons in their seventies and eighties. In 1987, the church voted to sell its facilities to Sardis Baptist Church, a predominantly African American congregation, and relocate to the rapidly growing suburb of Hoover. Hunter Street met for the last time at its 4th Court location in September 1987.

...
Wikipedia