Southern Baptist Convention

The Southern Baptist Convention was organized on May 10, 1845, in Augusta, Georgia. Cooperating Baptist churches are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Virgin Islands. The members of the churches work together through 1,136 district associations and 42 state conventions or fellowships. The Southern Baptist Convention has an Executive Committee and 12 national entities - four boards, six seminaries, one commission, and one auxiliary organization.
The purpose of the Southern Baptist Convention is "to provide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and any other objects such as Christian education, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God" (Constitution, Article II).
The Convention exists in order to help the churches lead people to God through Jesus Christ.
From the beginning, there has been a mission desire to share the Gospel with the peoples of the world. The Cooperative Program is the basic channel of mission support. In addition, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions support Southern Baptists' world mission programs.
As of June 2017, there were 3,582 missionaries serving in foreign countries and 5,262 missionaries serving in North America.