
Quick Facts
Founded
Unknown
Denomination
Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)
Service Times
Sunday Connect Groups 8:15 AM & 11:00 AM; Worship 9:30 AM; (229) 883-1910
Men's Ministry
No
Kids Ministry
Yes

10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
SBC BF&M 2000 — Trinitarian orthodox Christology.
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
BF&M 2000 inerrancy.
Strong
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
'Senior Adults' and life-stage Connect Groups; dedicated men's ministry presence inferred from Courageous film theme + Sherwood Pictures ministries.
Strong
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
BF&M 2000 sola fide + substitutionary atonement.
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
BF&M 2000 restricts pastoral office to men; Paul Gotthardt (male).

Male senior pastor (Paul Gotthardt); previously Michael Catt — strong complementarian history (Courageous/Fireproof films on biblical manhood/family)
Strong
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Senior-pastor-led with deacon board; specific elder structure not surfaced.
Caution
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Recent featured sermon 'Seek Him for Deliverance' (Feb 2025) suggests topical series; not verified as verse-by-verse expository.
Caution
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Sherwood Pictures legacy (Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, War Room) — major cultural missions footprint; Alpha Pregnancy Center sponsorship; Sherwood Christian Academy; SBC Cooperative Program.
Strong
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Conservative SBC; pro-life (Alpha Pregnancy Center) + Christian school + film ministry. No DEI markers.
Strong
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
SBC — BF&M 2000, Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
Strong

Assessment
Sherwood Baptist Church Albany GA is led by Senior Pastor Paul Gotthardt. This is the church famous for producing faith-based films through Sherwood Pictures (Fireproof, Courageous, War Room, Overcomer) under former pastor Michael Catt. Located at 2201 Whispering Pines Rd (differs from placeholder 2425 Westgate Dr — church has relocated). Sherwood Christian Academy also operates here. The church's film ministry demonstrates strong evangelical conviction and cultural engagement. SBC-affiliated. A nationally significant evangelical congregation.
#sbc#albany-ga#dougherty-county#sherwood-pictures#nationally-known#film-ministry

MOOP Engagement Tracker
How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:
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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.
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[1] Live source
sherwoodbaptist.net
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.

Last reviewed:
2026-05-16
— Annual review recommended