Though the city of Peachtree

City is now 42 years old, it was only nine years old when the First Baptist

Church of Peachtree City first convened.

Meeting at first in homes,

it continued to grow until it was constituted into a full-fledged church

in 1973. It enjoys a membership of 2,000 and grows at the rate of 10 per

cent a year.

Originally sponsored by the

First Baptist Church of Fayetteville, the Peachtree City church in turn

sponsored the North Fayette Baptist Church and have participated in sponsoring

the Greentree Church in Tyrone and the Rolling Hills Church, south of

Fayetteville. Currently it is sharing a Spanish minister with a church

in Palmetto.

The church offers dozens of

programs available for children, youth, adults and seniors. Some are conducted

during the day and some in the evening.

One of the newer opportunities

offered is classes for fitness, Sundays at 4:30 p.m., and classes on fostering

better relationships, at the same time.

"Moms for Moms" is

a support group to organize play groups, child/parent activities and Bible

studies. It promotes parent education and helps to strengthen home life

and marriage. It is each Tuesday from 9:15 - 11 a.m.

The international language

ministry teaches English as a second language and the Japanese ministry

offers English conversation classes Thursday mornings. A Japanese worship

service is each Sunday morning from 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. with a Japanese

language Bible study afterward from 11 a.m. to noon.

The seniors participate in

a JOY Luncheon each first Tuesday.

Not content to participate

in local ministries, members have traveled to Canada, Russia, Venezuela,

Indonesia and helped out in inner St. Louis.

Helping to hold all this together

is the Rev. Dr. Steve Bingham, pastor.

He was born in St. Louis and

reared in Tennessee.

He first felt pulled into the

ministry at 14 and has been preaching since the age of 17.

Graduating from the Union University

in religion and philosophy, he has served churches in Kentucky, Tennessee

and Florida and came to Peachtree City in August 1999.

Bingham has been married to

Jennie for the past 28 years, and they are the parents of Brad, 22, a

student at Union University, and a daughter, Stephanie, 19, also at Union.

"I see our church as a

partner in support of the other churches in the area," he said, "and

through participation in events and programs, we hope this church can

enable a spirit of understanding that we are a people who make mistakes

and that it's OK to start over. Every decision we make in our church and

in our lives affects those in the future," he added.

"I have been incredibly

blessed to work with a fine staff," said Bingham. "They are

so unified, thoughtful and supportive. I really appreciate their caring,

thoughtfulness and creativity."

The church has six full time

pastors and two part time pastors.

Sunday early worship service

is at 8:30 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 9:30 and the regular worship

service at 11. There's a Sunday evening worship service at 6 and Wednesday

prayer meeting is at 6:30 p.m.

The church is at 208 Willowbend

Road in Peachtree City and can be reached at 770-487-8133.