Sherwood Baptist Church

Sherwood Baptist Church is a Baptist church located in Albany, Georgia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Sherwood Baptist Church
31.60648°N 84.19940°W / 31.60648; -84.19940
Location	2201 Whispering Pines Road Albany, Georgia
Country	USA
Denomination	Southern Baptist
Membership	Southern Baptist Convention
Weekly attendance	1,500
Website	Official website
History
Founded	1955
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)	Paul Gotthardt

History

Pastors

Albert Cardwell: 1956-1963 ???

Law Mobley: 1964-1967

Curtis Burge: 1968-???

W. A. “Billy Smith: 1979-1988

Michael Catt: 1989-2021

Paul Gotthardt: 2021-present

Sherwood has a rich legacy of faith and vision. Since the first building campaign, the church has focused on reaching future generations for Christ, so that “a people yet to be created may praise the Lord” (Psalm 102:18). By His grace, God has transformed Sherwood from a neighborhood church to a regional church, reaching people each week from at least five surrounding counties. The Lord has truly enabled Sherwood to reach the world from Albany, Georgia.

1950s

• In 1955, after recognizing the need for a church in Northwest Albany, a group of men and women met together and established the First Baptist Church Mission. The group began meeting in the US Army Reserve Building for Sunday School.
• A year later, Mr. J. T. Haley gifted 6.3 acres of land on Whispering Pines Road in the Sherwood Acres Subdivision. By February of that year, 309 charter members had enrolled, and the Mallary Baptist Association received the group in October. Thus, Sherwood Baptist Church was born.
• Sherwood built a 750-seat educational building in 1958.

1960s

• In 1961, Sherwood sponsored her own mission, forming Radium Springs Baptist Church in East Albany.

1970s

• The “Together We Build” campaign in 1973 provided a 1,000-seat sanctuary, including a bell tower, library, bridal and music suites, pipe organ, adult Sunday School department, and all furnishings and equipment. The building program cost $1,386,745 and was completed by February of 1976.

1980s

• After several years of radio broadcasting, Sherwood aired its first video broadcast on cable Channel 8 in 1982.
• The following year, the church completed a building program with the dedication of the Family Life Center – a $1.2 million sports, recreation, and educational facility. Due to the generous outpouring of support by Sherwood’s membership, the congregation burned the note for the project in 1984.
• In 1985, the church announced the opening of Sherwood Baptist Christian School, offering education for grades K-3 through 8^th. Over $100,000 was raised in one month for the $400,000 property.
• The Georgia Baptist Convention recognized Sherwood as one of the top Georgia churches, and the church was named the top contributor to the Cooperative Program from the Mallary Association in 1986. The Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist convention honored Sherwood as one of the top twenty churches in the state in baptisms. Since that time, Sherwood has consistently been in the top one percent of Georgia Baptist churches in baptisms and giving to the Cooperative Program.

1990s

• “The Decade of Destiny” was introduced to carry the church into the 21^st century. This plan included a Christian Life Ministry Team, ministry to widows, training for decisions counselors, an Intercessory Prayer Ministry, and a Long-Range Planning Committee.
• Sherwood built a prayer chapel in April of 1991, and within eight months, 605 prayer warriors were using the facility and had completed 3,473 hours of prayer.
• The Alpha Pregnancy Center opened in 1991.
• Church Growth Today recognized Sherwood as one of the 200 fastest growing churches in North America in worship attendance. This commendation placed Sherwood in the top one percent of more than 400,000 churches that reported a gain of one hundred or more people.
• Dual Sunday School classes began in 1992 because of the continued growth.
• Sherwood’s cable Channel 51 became an affiliate of Family Net in November off 1992, bringing increased programming and heightened audience appeal.
• Sherwood Baptist Christian School became Sherwood Christian Academy and offered classes through the twelfth grade. With the purchase of the Riverview Academy property in 1994, the middle and high schools moved to Old Pretoria Road where the facilities included a cafeteria, library, auditorium, gymnasium, and sports stadium.
• During the Flood of 1994, Sherwood’s Family Life Center became a shelter where 250 evacuees were housed, clothed, and fed. The church coordinated over 5,400 workers from twenty-one states who cleaned up over 50 flooded homes. This ministry continued through September of 1995.
• The Flood also built a bridge between Sherwood Mt. Zion Baptist Church, as our pastor linked arms with Pastor Daniel Simmons to defy racial barriers and move forward in unity.
• AWANA and Upward basketball began in 1994 as ministry opportunities for children and their families.
• After calling the membership to forty days of prayer, the pastor, staff, and deacons unanimously recommended a Master Growth Plan in 1998 that included a 2,250-seat Worship Center and 300-seat Chapel to provide space for “Future Generations.” Sherwood celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony in May of the following year.
• In 1999, the Lehman Strauss House opened across the street from the church. The home has housed guest speakers and musicians from across the country, as well as pastors needing a place of relaxation and refreshment.

2000s

• In 2000, Sherwood held Easter services in the partially completed facilities. Over 2,700 people attended and heard Jay Strack preach on Sunday morning.
• Sherwood honored Ron and Claudia Henderson, staff music evangelists, for their twenty-five years of ministry.
• The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Extension Center opened on Sherwood’s campus to offer graduate classes for students in Albany and surrounding Communities.
• With the culmination of the “Future Generations” building campaign, the Sherwood family moved into the new worship center in 2001.
• In 2002, the Worship Ministry produced its first original recording, 519.
• Sherwood Pictures produced their first major motion picture, Flywheel, in 2003. Since its humble beginnings, Sherwood Pictures has released three more box office hits—Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous—and continues to impact the world through film. The films are in over a dozen languages and have been seen in 75 countries around the world.
• Sherwood opened the Vance Havner House as a home for missionary families who are stateside on furlough.
• The Bridge Builders Conference with Pastor Michael Catt and Dr. Warren Wiersbe offered leadership training for pastors.
• ReFRESH® began as a conference at Sherwood for God’s people seeking revival. In the first year, fifty people were baptized following the conference. Since that time, ReFRESH® has expanded to host conferences in Pigeon Forge, TN; Branson, MO; Las Vegas, NV; Boston, MA; Girdwood, AK; Lancaster, PA; and Richmond, VA, for the International Mission Board’s stateside staff. Sherwood has since handed over the ReFRESH conference, name, and brand to the North American Mission Board as they continue to host the conference and invest in pastors and church leaders.
• A giving campaign – “Generations” – was introduced to pay down the debt and build a Sports Park on Old Pretoria Road. By October 2005, the church family reached one million dollars in gifts to the campaign.
• The Worship Ministry released its second album, Fall Like Rain.
• In 2005, Sherwood renamed the Family Life Center with the opening of the Recreational Outreach Center (ROC); sports involvement increased by 95%. The church purchased an additional forty acres of land on Old Pretoria Road and enlarged the vision of the Sports Park.
• Sherwood hosted the first Freedom Festival on the SCA campus in July, and nearly 3,000 people from the community enjoyed food, games, and fireworks.
• In 2009, the Pastor and Vision Planning Team shared what God was doing because of the members’ faithfulness and the impact of Sherwood Pictures. Sherwood was able to pay off the debt 11 years ahead of schedule, saving millions of dollars in interest.
• Sherwood began investing in church planting in San Francisco and Baltimore, completed the Sports Park (baseball/softball complex, soccer fields, a 110-foot cross, fully equipped pavilion, paved parking areas, and more), built a $1.3 million field house for joint use by SCA and the Sports and Recreation Ministry, purchased two new road buses, invested in local ministry at the Lord’s Pantry and the Anchorage, expanded the Alpha Center, renovated the Fellowship Hall, and upgraded the Worship Center.

2010s

• In 2010, Sherwood officially opened the Sports Park, renaming it “Legacy Park: A Ministry of Leading People to the Cross.”
• The following year, Sherwood launched a six-month capital campaign, “Bridging Generations: Preparing for Our next Step of Faith,” with a goal of $380,000. The money provided the means to construct and pave additional parking spaces around the library, hire a master planner to assist the pastor and the Vision Planning Team with long-range planning, and install additional lighting in the Worship Center mezzanines and balcony to adequately handle increased attendance in worship.
• The church received an unexpected gift in 2011 when Coca-Cola Bottling Consolidated granted her the Coke Plant on Pine Avenue in Albany as a facility for expansion of local outreach and missions opportunities.
• After calling the church to 21 days of prayer, Sherwood began the “Meet the Need: Vision 2020” campaign in January 2012, focusing on eight initiatives; 1) Adoption of the Dutch in Germany as a UUPG (Unreached, Unengaged People Group) through a partnership with the IMB; commissioned Timothy Birney as a missionary to this group and hosted multiple mission teams from Sherwood and SCA as a constant presence and witness to reach the Dutch; 2) Adoption of Cuba as a UPG (Unreached People Group) through partnership with the IMB, furthering ministry with a pastor and church in Cuba; 3) Church planting partnerships in Baltimore, San Francisco, Cleveland, and New Orleans; 4) Expansion of the ReFRESH® Conferences; 5) A pledge to give $1 million to missions and the IMB above planned giving by 2020 (Though it began in 2010, this goal was incorporated in the Meet the Need campaign in 2012.); 6) Continued expansion of local missions at the Coke Plant to reach the inner city (Since 2012, these facilities have been used to host men’s and women’s Bible studies, My Hope with Billy Graham, community food distribution, Operation Christmas Child packing parties, Flywheel Auto Inspections, and much more; 7) Total renovation and expansion at Sherwood Christian Academy in order to house all grades (K3-12) on one campus on Old Pretoria Road; 8) An aggressive church building project of removing old, outdated buildings and constructing new facilities for the next generation who will become a part of Sherwood over the next 50+ years (These facilities have been used for discipleship, evangelism, and many facets of ministry. Phase 1 was completed in August 2014, and Phase 2 was completed in Spring 2015.)
• Each year, Sherwood has continued to support new church plants through Meet the Need. As of February 2021, Sherwood has supported new churches in many major cities in North America (Seattle, Long Island City, Salt Lake City, Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, Cleveland, Baltimore, Burbank, Atlanta, Orlando, Milwaukee, Detroit, Boston, Las Vegas, Pittsburg, and Philadelphia), as well as in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Toronto and Montreal, Canada; and Israel.
• In 2014, Sherwood Worship released another album, Jesus, Hope of the World. Since then, they’ve released Your Kingdom Come (2018) and Make You Known (2021).
• In 2016, Sherwood members marked the church’s 60-year anniversary. Pastor Butch Knight from First Baptist Albany – the church who planted Sherwood – participated in the service.
• The Alpha Pregnancy Center celebrated 25 years of ministry in 2016. What started in a small house near the church campus in 1991, has now expanded to four facilities across Southwest Georgia. Each location has the oversight of a nurse manager and licensed physician. The centers provide medical services for pregnancy diagnosis and medical confirmation, and staff and volunteers offer evidenced-based education on pregnancy and sexual health related topics.
• Following a major tornado and a violent windstorm in early 2017 that left severe destruction and property loss in their wakes, Sherwood quickly partnered with Samaritan’s Purse and mobilized disaster relief throughout Albany and Southwest Georgia. The Coke Plant served as a hub for organizing countless volunteers who worked to clear debris, repair roofs and fences, feed workers and displaced families, distribute water and food to damaged areas, and collect donations from the community and around the country. Sherwood led the way in partnering with relief agencies, churches, and city/county officials to repair the damage and share the hope and love of Christ amid the devastation and heartache.
• In January 2018, the Coke Plant facility was renamed The Hope Center at the Coke Plant.
• Hurricane Michael slammed the Florida Gulf Coast in October of 2018, and its damaging effects were felt in Dougherty County and Southwest Georgia. Once again, Sherwood mobilized hundreds of volunteers to assist in recovery efforts and housed Samaritan’s Purse operations for this part of Georgia.
• As a result of the partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, the ministry donated a disaster relief vehicle to Sherwood in 2019, allowing for quick mobilization and service when disasters arise in the future. The Hope Center also hosts life skills courses for youth and adults in the community and serves as home base for many ministry outreach efforts throughout the year.
• Sherwood participated in the “Who’s Your One?” initiative with the North American Board in 2019, as church members focused on one person needing Christ and began praying for and sharing the gospel with that person.
• During a difficult season at SCA, God moved among students and staff in great power. Classes were replaced by prayer meetings and worship gatherings, and 82 people made decisions for Christ.
• The Elevate Student Worship band released an EP in 2019.
• Sherwood released a new app featuring sermons, worship, podcasts, sermon notes, prayer videos, and a host of other resources.

2020s

• Albany became a national hotspot for COVID-19 activity in the spring of 2020. Sherwood quickly mobilized to meet needs for food distribution, medical supplies, and spiritual encouragement in the community. Volunteers fed hospital employees on the frontlines, sewed hundreds of masks for essential workers, and hosted distributions at the Hope Center for food, masks, and hand sanitizer.
• During the 2020 pandemic, Sherwood successfully moved to online church services exclusively for a time. Sherwood continued meeting online for large group worship gatherings, midweek experiences for students and children, and Connect Groups for all ages.
• In 2021, Sherwood celebrated its final service with Pastor Michael Catt on April 25, prior to his retirement after serving as Senior Pastor for over 31 years. Michael Catt passed away after a long battle with cancer on June 12, 2023.
• In June, the church heard Paul Gotthardt preach in view of a call to be the Senior Pastor on June 20. The church voted unanimously to call Paul and his family to serve as Sherwood’s sixth Senior Pastor. Paul and Brea, and their daughters Shana and Kaylee joined us on July 25 for their first official Sunday.
• Since 2021, Sherwood has hosted various sewing classes, life skills classes and Serve Days at the Hope Center. For example, on the November 2021 Serve Day, 113 volunteers wrote 138 prayer cards to city officials, distributed 13,000 pounds of food/dry goods and $25,000 in food/gift cards to local residents, prayed over 250 families in Holley Homes, visited 10 first-time guests, gathered 30 gallons of sweet potatoes, and planted cauliflower and strawberries!
• Sherwood hosts the This Is the Gospel resource to introduce people across the world to the gospel and walk them through what it looks like to know Christ and make Him known.

Media

Main article: Sherwood Pictures

Sherwood Baptist Church runs and owns Sherwood Pictures, a film-production company which has produced Flywheel (2003), Facing the Giants (2006), Fireproof (2008), and Courageous (2011). It was started in 2002 by Alex Kendrick with $20,000 in donations. On September 30, 2011, Sherwood Pictures released their film Courageous. Sherwood Pictures' sister studio, Kendrick Brothers Productions produced War Room (2015).

In 2008 an arsonist tried to burn down Sherwood Baptist Church, on the same day as the Los Angeles premiere of Fireproof.

In 2011, the leadership of Sherwood Baptist Church closed the ministry of Sherwood Pictures. However, the Kendrick Brothers, who were an active part of Sherwood Pictures, continue to be involved in the film industry.

Sherwood hosts the Christian Worldview Film Festival in Albany each year.

Pastors

Paul Gotthardt has been the Senior Pastor at Sherwood since 2021. You can find a full listing of Sherwood's staff here.