FAQ

Where are the BHHS offices located?

Society offices are located in Tucker, Georgia (metro Atlanta).

What is the BHHS’s mission statement?

“Helping Baptists discover, conserve, assess, and share their history.”

Who owns the BHHS?

The Society is an independent Baptist history organization that adopts its own bylaws; elects its own board of directors/officers, and staff; determines its own programs; and approves its own budgets.

How is the BHHS structured?

The Society has a Board of Directors consisting of three officers (the president, vice president, and secretary) and the executive director. The three officers are elected annually and can serve up to two terms each; the executive director, once hired, serves at the will of the Board and Society membership.

Where does the BHHS get its funding?

The society receives more than 50 percent of its income from voluntary contributions from Baptist individuals, churches, colleges/universities, state organizations, and other organizations. Remaining income is derived from annual conference fees, membership dues, book publishing, product sales, endowment and interest earnings, and other sources.

When did the BHHS originate?

The BHHS is a continuation of the Southern Baptist Historical Society. Formed in 1938, the SBHS held that name until 2001 when the society changed it to BHHS and formally broadened its scope to Baptist life in general. In 2003, the society officially registered the name Southern Baptist Historical Society® with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The BHHS renewed that registration in 2008.

What types of resources, services and emphases does the BHHS provide and support?

The Society holds an annual conference for its members; leads regional and local workshops and seminars; publishes an academic journal (Baptist History & Heritage), publishes books, booklets, and pamphlets; provides extensive digital resources through it website and partner websites (such as the Baptists and American Civil War project and Wall of Separation site); and issues select annual awards.

Who comprises the BHHS’s membership?

The BHHS membership of about 600 consists of Baptists and others throughout the United States: American Baptists, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Baptists, National Baptists, Primitive Baptists, Progressive National Baptists, Seventh Day Baptists, Southern Baptists, and many others. Several dozen Baptists in approximately fifteen other countries on several continents are also members. In addition, the BHHS maintains a database of over 1200 members and friends of the Society who receive regular news updates via Constant Contact.