Olive Baptist Church

Does Olive have a statement of faith?

Of course the Bible would be our ultimate belief statement, but Olive does affirm the 2000 edition of the Baptist Faith and Message. This is not a creed but is a generalized document which would be representative of what most Southern Baptists believe.

What does Olive believe about Scripture?

Olive holds a high view of Scripture. We believe, preach and teach unapologetically that the Bible is God's inspired, inerrant and infallible Word. We believe that it is without error and is complete.

What does Olive teach about giving?

We believe that the Bible teaches that all things come from God and He expects us to be good stewards of those resources. We also see a Scriptural pattern for the support of the local church by returning 10% of everything that God has given to us. We believe that the New Testament pattern is that all believers are given a mandate to support the local church with their tithe (10% of their income). Many believers support other para-church ministries and mission work but that work should always be supported by an offering above and beyond what is given to the local church.

How do I participate in giving to Olive?

If you are a member of Olive then you will receive in the mail each month giving envelopes for each week of the month. You can bring your offering and give during Sunday School or during any of our worship services. In addition if you are not able to make a service and turn in your tithe and offering then please feel free to come by the church office during the week and drop it off there. If you are not a member but feel that God is leading you to give, then offering envelopes have been placed in the pews for you to use. You may also give online.

What are the service times?

On Sunday morning we have two Sunday School (small group Bible studies) hours and two worship hours. The first Sunday School starts at 8:00 and our first worship service is at 9:30. The second Sunday School hour starts at 9:30 and our second worship service is at 11:00.

• Sunday evening service starts at 6:00pm.
• Wednesday night has a variety of activities with our fellowship meal starting at 5:00pm in the ROC (Recreation Outreach Center). At 6:00pm there is a prayer service in the Blue Room for adults and children's activities start at that hour as well. The youth (6th through 12th grade) begin their discipleship classes and worship time at 6:00pm as well. High School Rewired meets in Passmore Hall and Middle School Fusion meets in Rousseau Hall. There are a number of adult discipleship classes that begin at 6:00pm. A listing of these classes can be found on the Discipleship page.

Is there a fellowship meal on Wednesdays? How much is the cost?

The Wednesday fellowship meal is from 4:45 to 6:00 in the Recreation Outreach Center (ROC). The cost is $4.00 for adults, $2.00 for children, or the most any family will have to pay is $15.00. The menu can be found on our front page or in Sunday's Worship Guide (pdf).

I am new to the area – where is Olive located?

Olive is located at the corner of Olive Road and Davis Highway just North of Interstate-10 at exit 13.

Is Sunday School only for children?

We have classes for all age groups and we call them Connection Groups. Most classes are divided by birth year. Some specialize in interest: Discovery Women's and Men's classes, The Joy Class, Route 66 (which is a class that walks through all 66 books of the Bible), the Newlywed Class, Life Station (college, single parents, etc). We have two Sunday morning Bible study times, the first at 8:00 am and the second at 9:30 am.

Are there other classes beside those on Sunday mornings?

There are classes during the week in the daytime as well as on Wednesday nights. You can view the course schedule online at Discipleship Classes.

Olive is so large. How will I ever get to know anyone?

Where Olive becomes a small church is in the small groups and Sunday School Connection Groups. This is why it is essential for those who begin attending and those who become members to be involved on the small group level.

How long has Olive been a church?

Olive was started in 1894 when a group of 12 people came from Canoe Baptist Church in Canoe, Alabama, and started the church. The church was originally across Olive Road in a wooden structure but moved to the north side of the street in 1949. Over the years God has blessed Olive and allowed us to build many buildings and acquire approximately 55 acres of land at one of the busiest intersections in Pensacola.

Is Olive affiliated with any denomination?

Yes. Olive is part of the Southern Baptist denomination.

What is a Southern Baptist Church?

In 1845 a group of Baptist churches met in Augusta, Georgia, and agreed to begin cooperating together to do missions work around the world. From there the denomination began and grew. Today there are over 16 million Southern Baptists and some 42,000 churches. The denomination exists so that churches can cooperate together to do missions work on a local, state, national and international level. The main way that Southern Baptists work cooperatively is by giving money to the Cooperative Program (CP). The Cooperative Program funds the following:

• The six Southern Baptist seminaries for theological training of church leaders
• The North American Mission Board (NAMB) for mission work in the United States and Canada
• The International Mission Board (IMB) for mission work around the world
• The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) which is the public policy arm of the SBC and is dedicated to addressing social, moral, and ethical concerns with particular attention on their impact on American families and their faith.
• The Annuity Board which allows workers in Southern Baptist entities and churches to invest in a retirement program
• The Southern Baptist Foundation which was established to provide a wide range of investment and estate planning services for Southern Baptist Convention agencies, institutions and individuals. Its objective is to support the Convention in its goal of spreading the gospel.

Olive also cooperates with churches on a local level to do work in Escambia County through the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association and we cooperate with other Florida churches through the Florida Baptist Convention to do work in our state.

What is the Southern Baptist Convention?

Many people mistakenly call the denomination the Southern Baptist Convention, but this is actually the name of the annual meeting which is held each June. It is in this meeting that Southern Baptist churches send messengers to conduct the business of the denomination.

Is Olive an independent church or does the denomination tell them what to do?

No one, other than the Lord Jesus, tells a Southern Baptist church what to do. All Southern Baptist churches are independent but choose to work together or cooperate to train and send out workers to spread the Gospel around the world.

How is Olive organized?

Olive is Pastor led, deacon served, committee organized, and church approved.

1. The Pastor
   The Pastor leads the church. He sets the vision for the church and leads the staff in having a focused plan for direction of the ministry of the church. Certain financial and personnel decisions must be made in consultation with various committees, the deacons and with the approval of the church body.

2. The Deacons
   The deacons serve the church body in many ways. Their various roles include serving as a sounding board to the pastor, approving certain financial and personnel decisions, serving on both permanent and special committees, ministering to the widows of the church, serving on Wednesday nights in the kitchen, being on call for emergencies, and providing extra security during worship services.

3. The Committees
   There are two types of committees. Standing or permanent committees and special committees. Standing committees come along side the pastor and staff to help with the ministry of the church. There is advisory and approval functions of certain issues or processes within their scope.