PHILADELPHIA OVERVIEW
For Americans, everything started in Philadelphia. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed to
establish American independence for the first time. Just 11 years later, the Constitution was written and
signed to determine the laws that would govern the country. The city served as the first capital of the United
States for nearly a decade and set the precedent for government, religion and
culture in the country.
Today, those roots still run deep. The people of Philadelphia have a great sense of pride in both their city’s
past accomplishments and its future potential to influence the movement of the rest of the nation. And
they’re correct.
Philly is the second largest city on the East coast and the fifth largest in the country. Nearly 46 million people
live within a 200-mile radius of the city that sits almost directly in the center of the Northeast region. The
potential for influence is strong in Philadelphia, which is why the city needs church planters to put down
their own roots and set to work loving the people and the city back to Christ.
“Any church planter coming here should first and foremost have a deep love for the city and the people of
Philadelphia,” says Barry Whitworth, acting Send North America: Philadelphia city coordinator. “You need
that heart to make a lasting impact.”
Today, there are only 188 Southern Baptist churches in the city trying to reach nearly 6.6 million people in
the Philadelphia metro area. This leaves one SBC church for every 33,669 persons, a ratio that must decrease
to reach a city whose evangelical population is less than 7 percent.
Through Send North America: Philadelphia, Southern Baptists are working to mobilize church planters and
engage partner churches to penetrate lostness in the city through church planting and evangelism. Those
already at work in the city see great hope on the horizon for the start of new churches to influence the future of the city and its people.
“There is such an opportunity for harvest that exists in Philadelphia,” Whitworth explains. “Church planters here have the opportunity to get to know the religious roots
and culture of the city while at the same time work to move the people away from typical religion and into real relationships with Jesus Christ.”
Church planters wishing to get involved in what God is doing in Philadelphia can start the process by partnering with Send North America: Philadelphia to bring Christ
back to the city. Visit namb.net and click “Send Me” to get started.
FAST FACTS
Population in Philadelphia
6.33 million people live in
the metro Philadelphia area.
SBC Church-Population Ratio
There is one Southern Baptist
Convention church for every 33,669
metro Philadelphia residents.
Ethnic Diversity
(63.9 percent Anglo, 20.0 percent
African American, 10.1 percent Hispanic, 5.8
percent Asian/Pacific Islander)
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, SBC Annual Church Profile, 2010 U.S. Religion Census: Religious Congregation & Membership Study
Statistics are for the Send North America: Philadelphia focus area. Compiled by the NAMB Center for Missional Research.