First Baptist Church Benton — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Clay Cunningham (Senior Pastor since 2024)

Founded Established congregation

Denomination Southern Baptist (SBC)

Service Times Sunday mornings (check website for times)

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.fbcbenton.org

Pastor Credentials Clay Cunningham — Ouachita Baptist University undergrad, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary master's; Senior Pastor since 2024

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Trinitarian, gospel-centered.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Verify inerrancy stance (website SSL cert error).

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Verify men's ministry (website SSL cert error).

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Verify faith-alone soteriology (website SSL cert error).

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Verify complementarian practice (website SSL cert error).

Male lead pastor; Verify patriarchal / complementarian / egalitarian stance

Caution

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Clay Cunningham elevated from Next Generation Pastor (on staff since 2003) to Senior Pastor in 2024; ABSC/Ouachita Baptist Foundation board experience.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

OBU undergrad + SWBTS master's — conservative SBTS/SWBTS pipeline indicates expository emphasis.

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Verify Great Commission focus.

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Verify cultural alignment (website SSL cert error).

Caution

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Confirmed SBC via SBC Churches Directory and Arkansas Baptist State Convention; BF&M 2000 implied.

Strong

Assessment

Needs on-the-ground review. Added to directory for coverage.

#sbc#benton#arkansas

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source firstbenton.org
[2] Live source churches.sbc.net/church/benton-first-baptist-church/

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.