Earlier this year, the American Bible Society named Birmingham the nation’s most “Bible-minded” city, with the largest number of people who say they have read the Bible at least once in the past week and strongly believe in its accuracy. As Mark Pettus, an associate pastor at the Church of the Highlands, puts it, “You walk into coffee shops like Starbucks in the morning, and you’re going to see a group of people with the Bible open.”
Ahead of Easter Sunday, TIME sent photographer Matt Eich to visit some of the people who helped Birmingham earn that designation. His pictures show congregants at a megachurch, the generation gap at one of the city’s historic houses of worship, and the intimate moments of family prayer.
LISTEN: A sermon at The Church of the Highlands
A giant cross by highway I-65 marks the site of Gardendale First Baptist Church in Gardendale, Ala. on March 21, 2015.Matt Eich for TIMEPietro “P.J.” Garrett, 17, and his family pray at breakfast before heading to services at 16th Street Baptist Church.Matt Eich for TIMEPete Garrett's hat and bible rest on the kitchen counter of his home in Trussvile, Ala.Matt Eich for TIMEPete Garrett prepares to leave for services at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. on March 22, 2015.Matt Eich for TIMEP.J. Garrett holds an umbrella for his mother, Dr. Cynthia Garrett, as they arrive at 16th Street Baptist Church.Matt Eich for TIMELeft: The old sign from 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Right: A deacon gives instructions to two young greeters at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. on March 22, 2015.
The church, an icon of the Civil Rights movement, is struggling to keep up attendance. Pastor Arthur Price says he tries to relate the deadly 1963 bombing at the church by white supremacists and the current mission. “Because of the tragedy, triumph took place—the ‘64 passage of the Civil Rights Act and the ‘65 passage of the Voting Rights Act, which galvanized a generation and motivated a movement so change would be continuous throughout the ages," he says. "I believe the early pioneers of the Civil Rights movement continued to move forward because they didn’t want that innocent blood to be taken in vain.”
Matt Eich for TIMELeft: A stack of hymnals at 16th Street Baptist Church. Right: A woman wears cross earrings during a serviceMatt Eich for TIMELeft: Flowers at the cornerstone of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Right: A cross marks a parking spot outside the churchMatt Eich for TIMEServices at Church of the Highlands, a mega-church, in Birmingham, Ala. on March 22, 2015.
In a region with plenty of large houses of worship, Church of the Highlands -- one of the fastest-growing churches in America -- may be the largest. Sunday worship service at Grants Mill—headquarters for a dozen campuses—averages over 3,500 people, mostly couples in their 30s with young kids. That number is up from 600 in 2001, and there are some 31,000 weekly worshippers across the 12 sites. Matt Eich for TIMEWorshippers at Church of the Highlands.Matt Eich for TIMEThe view of services from the sound booth at Church of the Highlands.Matt Eich for TIMEA family waits outside of the auditorium at Church of the Highlands.Matt Eich for TIME(L-R) Michael McClure Jr., Michael McClure Sr. and his granddaughter Brooklyn, and Darius McClure laugh during a family dinner at the home of Rev. Michael McClure Sr., in Birmingham, Ala. on March 22, 2015. Matt Eich for TIMEBoth of McClure's sons have followed in his footsteps and are pastors at churches of their own.Matt Eich for TIMEAngelique McClure hangs out with her nieces and nephews in the living room during a family dinner at her father's home.Matt Eich for TIMEThe stained glass glows at night from inside the First Memorial Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. on March 21, 2015.Matt Eich for TIME
