Loving people
‍one at a time

People smiling and chatting outside of Southeast Christian Church.

Our
leaders

While God and the Bible are the ultimate authority for Southeast Christian Church, we operate under an elder-led leadership structure. Senior Pastor Kyle Idleman, along with other members of the church leadership team, guides and supports the staff in their daily mission of helping members and attendees grow in their faith.

Our Elders
Kyle Idleman
Kyle Idleman
Senior Pastor
Tim Hester
Tim Hester
Executive Pastor of Development
Steve Carter
Steve Carter
Executive Pastor of Ministry Support
Carl Kuhl
Carl Kuhl
Executive Pastor of Ministries
Matt Reagan
Matt Reagan
Associate Pastor
Man praying with closed eyes and hands clasped, in a contemplative moment.
what we believe

What is
the Gospel?

God

God is the only sovereign, wise, and good Creator of all things, who reigns as King over all creation for His own glory.
ROMANS 11:33-36

Man

Human beings were made in God’s image to love and worship Him forever. But ever since Adam first rebelled against God, we have all been lost in sin, under God’s judgment, and unable to save ourselves.ROMANS 3:23

Christ

Out of undeserved love and grace, God sent His only Son to save us from sin and reconcile us to Himself through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.John 3:16

Response

God offers us His gift of salvation by grace, which we receive through faith in Jesus. He makes us new, calls us to leave sin behind, and invites us to join His work in the world.EPHESIANS 2:8-10

what we believe

Statement
of faith

We believe in one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • We believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible.
  • We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Word, the one and only Savior; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, both fully human and fully divine; Who lived a sinless life; Who suffered and was crucified as an atonement for sin; Who rose again bodily from the dead on the third day; Who ascended into Heaven; and Who will return in victory to rule forever.
  • We believe in the Holy Spirit: who convicts of sin; Who indwells every Christian; Who helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us in prayer; and Who empowers us to a fruitful Christian life.
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We believe in the Gospel—the Good News of salvation.

  • That man, created by God, willfully sinned against God and is consequently lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ.
  • That salvation—the forgiveness of sins—is only by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.
  • That one receives salvation by putting faith in Christ, repenting of sin, and confessing Christ, and that the Bible commands every believer in Christ to be baptized by immersion.
  • That those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ are sent into the world to proclaim the Gospel and to love and serve the world just as Jesus Himself did.
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We believe in the Bible—God’s Word.

  • We believe God inspired the original writings of the Scripture and those original writings were consequently without error.
  • We believe that the Bible is the final authority for all matters of faith, truth, morality, and Christian living.
  • We believe the Bible teaches that God is the Creator and Sustainer of human life; that God creates each person in His image; and that life is therefore sacred, from conception to natural death. We believe that God creates each person as male or female; that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the "image of God" in humankind; and that each person's biological gender is an intrinsic, immutable aspect of his or her nature and identity.
  • We believe the Bible teaches that God established marriage in the beginning as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman; that He has reserved sexual intimacy as an expression of love and commitment between married couples; and that any intimate expression of sexuality outside of Biblical marriage is sin.
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We believe in the Church—God’s redeemed people.

  • We believe in the Church of Jesus Christ, founded on the Day of Pentecost, consisting of all Christians everywhere, and organized into local assemblies, called churches.
  • We believe the Bible teaches that every Christian should be an active member of a local church.
  • We believe that the Elders of the church are the overseers of its affairs and the shepherds of its members; that they are the final interpretive authority of the Bible's meaning and application for the church; and that they are responsible for the oversight, instruction, edification, discipline, and restoration of church members.
We believe the Bible instructs church members to:
  • Meet together regularly for fellowship, worship, teaching, and the Lord's Supper.
  • Use our natural abilities and spiritual gifts to serve one another.
  • Love one another, bear with one another, accept one another, and forgive one another.
  • Seek unity, agreement, and peace with one another.
  • Bear one another's burdens and pray for one another.
  • Spur one another to love and good deeds.
  • Submit to the authority of the elders of the church.
  • Support the church financially.
  • Pursue personal holiness and obedience to God's Word.
  • Strive together to fulfill the Great Commission.
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Two people warmly embracing, creating a moment of heartfelt connection.
what we believe

Our mantras

Behavior flows from identity. As a church, we want to know with confidence who we are, because when we know who we are, we will know what to do. We want these five mantras—which come from themes Jesus used throughout the Gospels—to encourage, motivate, and direct us in the years to come.

Be the Branch

“I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5 NIV

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Catch the Wind

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8 NIV

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Wreck the Roof

“When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.”

Luke 5:19 NIV

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Grip the Plow

“…No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:62 NIV

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Empty the Jar

“As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”

Luke 7:38 NIV

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Celebrating baptisms

Baptism serves as a beautiful symbol of the burial of the old self and the resurrection of new life in Christ. Learn more about baptism and the new life Jesus offers.

Learn More
Two people embracing in a warm hug after a baptism, in front of a colorful, illuminated background, while others watch and applaud joyfully in the background.

Our story

The story of Southeast Christian Church began in 1962 in Louisville, Kentucky and today includes multiple campuses spread throughout the region. We are united as one family sharing one vision—to reach as many people as possible with the love of Jesus.

July 1, 1962
Southeast Christian Church begins meeting at an elementary school, with 53 charter members from South Louisville Christian Church.
Southeast Christian Church begins meeting at an elementary school.
June 12, 1966
Bob Russell preaches his first message at Southeast.
Bob Russell preaches his first message at Southeast.
January 22, 1967
Dedication of Sanctuary at 2601 Hikes Lane
November 1981
Southeast launches a radio ministry, sharing the Gospel on local airwaves for 40 years.
April 12, 1987
The congregation walks to Southeast’s new building at 2840 Hikes Lane.
The congregation walks to Southeast’s new building.
May 1989
Dave Stone joins the staff as Preaching Associate.
September 1995
The Southeast Outlook weekly newspaper launches, faithfully publishing for 26 years.
The Southeast Outlook weekly newspaper launches, faithfully publishing for 26 years.
1995
Southeast hosts the first Global Missions Health Conference.
Southeast hosts the first Global Missions Health Conference.
December 24, 1998
First services held at 920 Blankenbaker Parkway.
October 2002
Kyle Idleman joins the Southeast staff as a Preaching Associate.
January 7–8, 2006
Bob Russell announces he has turned over leadership of the church to Dave Stone.
Bob Russell announces he has turned over leadership of the church to Dave Stone.
June 24–25, 2006
Bob Russell preaches his final weekend service as Senior Minister, marking his retirement after 40 years of service to Southeast.
April 2009
Southeast’s Indiana Campus in Jeffersonville holds its first service, signaling future campuses to come.
Southeast’s Indiana Campus in Jeffersonville holds its first service.
March 2011
Dave Stone announces that the Blankenbaker Campus is debt free as of January 2011.
Dave Stone announces that the Blankenbaker Campus is debt free.
February 2012
Southeast TV launches, broadcasting for 10 years.
2016
Southeast sends out its 100th missionary.
Children gathering around a Southeast missionary.
September 2017
Southeast helps launch its 50th church plant, The Gathering in Harlem, New York.
March 10–11, 2019
Dave Stone preaches his final weekend service as Senior Pastor, handing over leadership to Kyle Idleman.
Dave Stone preaches his final weekend service as Senior Pastor, handing over leadership to Kyle Idleman.
June 1–2, 2019
SE Online launches.
Spring 2020
Through local and international mission partners, missionaries, and church plants, Southeast helps provide $1.7 million in COVID relief to 24 countries.
November 2021
SE Crown Recovery Campus launches/ARC involvement begins.
SE Crown Recovery Campus launches/ARC involvement begins.