Where are the BH&HS offices located? Society offices are located on the Mercer University campus in Atlanta, Georgia.

What is the BH&HS's mission statement? "Helping Baptists discover, conserve, assess, and share their history."

Who owns the BH&HS? The society is an independent Baptist history program that adopts its own bylaws; elects its own board of directors/officers, council of advisors, and staff; determines its own programs; and approves its own budgets.

How is the BH&HS structured? The society has a board of directors consisting of three officers (the president, vice president, and secretary), the executive director, and the associate executive director-treasurer.  The three officers are elected annually and can serve up to two terms each; the executive director and associate executive director-treasurer are elected or reelected every other year and can serve an unlimited number of terms.  Twelve persons serve on the BH&HS Council of Advisors, each elected to three-year terms.

Where does the BH&HS get its funding? The society receives more than 50 percent of its income from voluntary contributions from Baptist individuals, churches, colleges/universities, state conventions, and other organizations. Remaining income is derived from annual meeting fees, membership dues, book publishing, product sales, endowment and interest earnings, and other sources.

 

 

 

 

 

What relationship does the BH&HS have with the Southern Baptist Historical Society®? The BH&HS is a continuation of the SBHS. Formed in 1938, the SBHS held that name until 2001 when the society changed it to BH&HS. In 2003, the society officially registered the name Southern Baptist Historical Society® with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The BH&HS renewed that registration in 2008.

What kinds of resources does the BH&HS offer? The society provides a journal, a newsletter, two pamphlet series, a booklet series, books, and a how-to manual for churches.

What kinds of services and emphases does the BH&HS provide and support? The society holds an annual meeting for its members, leads workshops, coordinates its website (www.baptisthistory.org), provides complimentary certificates for churches celebrating major anniversaries, offers an annual Baptist Heritage Preaching Contest, and conducts a Baptist History Book Publishing Program.

How large is the BH&HS staff? The staff consists of two professional, full-time positions: an executive director and an associate executive director-treasurer.

Who comprises the BH&HS's membership? The BH&HS membership of about 800 consists of Baptists throughout the United States: American Baptists, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Baptists, Mainstream Baptists, National Baptists, Primitive Baptists, Seventh Day Baptists, Southern Baptists, and many others. Several dozen Baptists in other countries on several continents are also members.

Does the BH&HS operate a library and/or archives? No. The society focuses primarily on communicating and publishing Baptist history.

 

 

 

Does the BH&HS preserve/store associational and state convention annuals in its files? No. The society does not have space to keep such resources.

Does the BH&HS assist persons in doing research projects? No. The society does not have the resources or staff to help with research.