Strategic Focus Cities

The most dramatic shift in American life this century is urbanization.  Between 1940 and 1990, metro areas in the United States grew exponentially - some areas more than 500 percent.  Today, some 57 percent of us live in or near major cities.  This trend will continue.  By 2020, the top 20 cities in the U.S. will grow by 30 to 70 percent.

In recognition of the changing face of the cities, the North American Mission Board and its partners in 1998 began focusing their attention on some of the major metropolitan areas in North America. The purpose? To increase evangelism and church planting exponentially.

The Strategic Cities Initiatives Team partners with local Southern Baptist churches, associations, state conventions to develop and implement SFC. The first two cities, Chicago and Phoenix, implemented their strategic plans in 2000. They were followed by Las Vegas and Boston in 2001, Seattle and Philadelphia in 2002, Miami in 2003-2004, and New York City in 2004-2005. Cleveland, Ohio, the current Strategic Focus City, is being implemented in 2006- 2007.

Baltimore, Maryland, will become the newest Strategic Focus City, with strategy coordination being the focus for the remainder of 2006 into 2007.  The actual implementation is scheduled to launch in 2008 or 2009.  Following Baltimore, NAMB has named San Diego, California, as the next Strategic Focus City with 2007 being the planning year for the city.  Implementation will follow in 2008 and 2009.

Strategic Focus Initiatives Team staff