National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.

Last updated
National Baptist Convention
Nbc logo.png
Seal
Classification Evangelical Christianity
Orientation Baptist
Polity Congregationalist
PresidentJerry Young
Associations Baptist World Alliance
FounderElias Camp Morris
Origin1895
Montgomery, Alabama
Merger of
  • Foreign Mission Baptist Convention (org. 1880)
  • American National Baptist Convention (org. 1886)
  • National Baptist Education Convention (org. 1893)
Separations
Congregations21,145
Members8,415,100
Tertiary institutions American Baptist College
Official website www.nationalbaptist.com

The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., more commonly known as the National Baptist Convention (NBC USA or NBC), is a Baptist Christian denomination headquartered at the Baptist World Center in Nashville, Tennessee and affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. [lower-roman 1] It is also the largest predominantly and traditionally African American church in the United States and the second largest Baptist denomination in the world. [1]

Contents

History

Origins

Gillfield Baptist Church, largest Black congregation within the Portsmouth Association, preceding the north-south split and formation of Southern Baptist Convention in 1845 Gillfield Baptist Church.jpg
Gillfield Baptist Church, largest Black congregation within the Portsmouth Association, preceding the north-south split and formation of Southern Baptist Convention in 1845
First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia First African Baptist Church - Savannah, Georgia.JPG
First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia

The root of cooperative efforts among Black Baptists began in the Antebellum period. Both free blacks and slaves were welcomed into the Baptist movement by missionaries in the First Great Awakening and Second Great Awakening. [2] Independent Black Baptist churches were formed in Petersburg, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia before the American Civil War. [3] Under the slave societies of the South, they had to belong to white Baptist associations. Black congregations were required by law to have white ministers and supervision by law, especially after the slave rebellion of Nat Turner in 1831. [4]

The first attempts at wider black cooperative efforts began in the North, with Ohio and Illinois leading the way. In 1834, Black Baptists in Ohio formed the Providence Baptist Association. In 1838, following the lead of the Baptists in Ohio, Black Baptists in Illinois formed the Wood River Baptist Association. [5]

As early as 1840, Black Baptists sought to develop a cooperative movement beyond state lines. Baptists in New York and the Middle Atlantic states formed the American Baptist Missionary Convention. The spirit of cooperation beyond state lines soon spread westward. In 1864, during the American Civil War, the Black Baptists of the West and South organized the Northwestern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. [5]

In 1866, following the war, these two conventions met with the American Baptist Convention and formed the Consolidated American Baptist Convention. One of the great successes of the new Consolidated American Baptist Convention was the support given to Black Baptists in the South to form state conventions. Black Baptists in the former Confederacy overwhelmingly left white-dominated churches to form independent congregations and get away from white supervision. [5]

After emancipation, Black Baptists in the South, with the support of the Consolidated Convention, formed their own state conventions. Among these were Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, and Kentucky. [6] Despite the pioneer work of the Consolidated Convention, regionalism continued among Black Baptists. In 1873, the Black Baptists of the West formed the General Association of the Western States and Territories, and in 1874 the East organized the New England Baptist Missionary Convention. This continued regionalism and other factors caused the decline and eventual demise of the Consolidated American Baptist Convention. [5]

According to historian Wilson Fallin Jr., black preachers interpreted the American Civil War as:

God's gift of freedom. They appreciated opportunities to exercise their independence, to worship in their own way, to affirm their worth and dignity, and to proclaim the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Most of all, they could form their own churches, associations, and conventions. These institutions offered self-help and racial uplift, and provided places where the gospel of liberation could be proclaimed. As a result, black preachers continued to insist that God would protect and help him; God would be their rock in a stormy land. [7]

Convention founding

In 1880, about 150 Baptist pastors met in Montgomery, Alabama, and formed the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention. The formation of the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention was to some degree a result of the demise of the Consolidated American Baptist Convention. The Consolidated Convention's death created a vacuum in mission work, especially for African missions. In response to this void, William W. Colley of Virginia, who had served as missionary to Nigeria under the Southern Baptist Convention during the 1870s, issued a call for Black Baptists to meet in Montgomery, Alabama, in order to organize a national convention to do extensive foreign missionary work. [8]

At the initial 1880 meeting, William H. McAlpine of Alabama was elected president of the Foreign Mission Convention; he is considered the first president of the National Baptist Convention.

Two other national Black conventions formed. In 1886, William J. Simmons of Kentucky led the formation of the American National Baptist Convention. [9] In 1893 W. Bishop Johnson of Washington, D.C. led the formation of the National Baptist Education Convention. The desire to have one convention remained alive and the movement reached its fruition on September 24, 1895 at the Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta, when these three conventions came together to form the National Baptist Convention of the United States of America. [10] The heart of the new convention was that the three former conventions serve as the three boards of the convention: foreign missions, home missions, and education.

Convention splits

In 1897, during the Elias Camp Morris administration, [lower-alpha 1] a group of National Baptist pastors left the convention and formed the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention. The separation was centered on two issues: the location of the foreign mission board and greater cooperation with White Baptists. During the same administration, one year prior, Charles Harrison Mason and Charles Price Jones preached Wesleyan-Holiness doctrine in local Baptist churches which led to their expulsion; these two would then become the founders of the Church of God in Christ and Church of Christ (Holiness). [11] [12] [13] [14]

The second major split, also during Morris's presidency, came in 1915 over ownership and operation of the National Baptist Publishing Board. The National Baptist Publishing Board was the most successful agency and was led by R. H. Boyd. Leaders and pastors of the convention became suspicious of the actions of the board when they did not receive the reports they thought due them. A debate ensued concerning the ownership. [15]

Those who supported Boyd and his view that the board was independent of the convention formed the National Baptist Convention of America. It became known as the Unincorporated Convention (now the National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc.). Because of the question of incorporation, leaders who remained in the original convention led a movement to incorporate their organization. The constitution was amended in 1916 and the convention was later incorporated, taking the name of National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.

During the Joseph Jackson tenure, a third split occurred in the convention. The two key issues were tenure and the lack of support of the civil rights movement. [16] The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, known for increased public activism, demonstrations and protests was highly controversial in many Baptist churches. Often the ministers preached spiritual salvation rather than political activism.

Jackson, the convention's leader, had supported the Montgomery bus boycott of 1956, but by 1960 he told the members they should not become involved in civil rights activism. Based in Chicago, Jackson was a close ally of Mayor Richard J. Daley and the Chicago Democrats. He opposed public activism of Martin Luther King Jr. and his aide, the young Jesse Jackson Sr., (no relation to Joseph Jackson). Gardner C. Taylor of New York challenged Jackson for the presidency, but lost. [17]

After Jackson was re-elected (and following a violent dispute at the convention involving one death), a group led by L. Venchael Booth formed a new convention at the Zion Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1961. They named themselves the Progressive National Baptist Convention. These activists supported the extensive activism of King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference. [18] [19] The Progressive National Baptists also established ecumenical relations with the American Baptist Churches USA. [20]

In 1992, Paul S. Morton of New Orleans, Louisiana formed a fellowship within the convention. It was named the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. This charismatic Baptist fellowship in the convention explored spiritual gifts, speaking in tongues, prophecy, exclamatory worship, etc. The leadership of this fellowship later separated completely from the National Baptist Convention, USA after discrimination from the NBC's leadership, [21] [22] [23] [24] and became one of the largest Full Gospel movements, and one of the fastest growing new Baptist denominations in the United States.

Since these schisms within the National Baptist Convention have occurred, by 2005, the National Baptist Convention of America, Progressive National Baptists, and National Missionary Baptists have joined together as the Joint National Baptist Convention with the NBC USA in order to establish a joint agenda for African American Baptists. [25] [26] By 2023, the conventions announced another joint session which was held in January 2024. [27] [28] During the 2024 session, the four conventions were joined by President Dr. Gina Stewart of the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, who became the first woman pastor to preach during the Joint National Baptist Convention. [29] [30] [31]

Racial reconciliation

From 2015 to 2016, President Jerry Young collaborated with the Southern Baptist Convention on racial reconciliation. [32] [33] Meeting with President Ronnie Floyd of the SBC, 10 pastors from each convention were assembled to discuss race relations; in 2016, Young revealed several difficulties surrounding racial reconciliation to The New York Times , [33] stating:

“I’ve never said this to Dr. Floyd, but I’ve had fellows in my own denomination who called me and said: ‘What are you doing? I mean, are you not aware of the history?'” “And I say, obviously I’m aware. They bring up the issue about slavery and that becomes a reason, they say, that we ought not to be involved with the Southern Baptists. Where from my vantage point, that’s reverse racism.” “I do understand the history, and I understand the pain of the past...But what I’m also quite clear about is, if the Gospel does anything at all, the Gospel demands that we not only preach but practice reconciliation.”

Floyd, describing 2015 as a "historic year of progress in racial healing," with the SBC and NBC collaborations, [33] succeeds the election of Fred Luter Jr. as the Southern Baptist Convention's first African American president, alongside the adoption of an informal name, "Great Commission Baptists" which gained significant adoption by 2020. [34] [35] [36]

Statistics

According to a census published by the Baptist World Alliance in 2023, it self-reported a total of 21,145 churches and 8,415,100 members, [37] an increase since 2010's 10,358 churches and 5,197,512 members according to a separate study by the Association of Religion Data Archives. [38] In another study by the World Council of Churches, the NBC had an estimated 7,500,000 members. [39]

Overall, the National Baptist Convention continues to remain the largest historically and predominantly African American or Black Christian denomination in the United States, while separated bodies such as the theologically conservative to moderate National Baptist Convention of America have stagnated in membership (2000's 3,500,000 and more than 8,000 churches to 2022s 3,500,000 members in 4,000 churches) [40] [41] and the theologically moderate to liberal Progressive National Baptist Convention (2009's 1,010,000 members in 1,500 churches to 2022's 1,500,000 members in 1,362 churches) [42] [43] has increased.

In 2014, the Pew Research Center estimated 23% of its membership were 65 and older, 36% aged 50–64, 30% aged 30–49, and 11% aged 18–29; in 2007, 14% of the National Baptist Convention's membership were aged 18–29, 35% aged 30–49, 29% aged 50–64, and 21% aged 65 and older. [44] The largest generational group as of 2014 were Baby Boomers (43%), followed by Generation X (28%). The Silent Generation was the third largest (14%) and Millennials were fourth (13%). From 2007 to 2014, membership of Millennials and Generation X increased, replacing the Silent Generation (at 20% in 2007). Altogether, individuals aged from 18–49 made up 41% of the convention, while 59% were aged 50 and up in 2014. An estimated 61% of the National Baptist Convention was made up of women, and 39% men at the 2014 study. Ethnically, the convention remained predominantly African American (99%), with Hispanics and Latino Americans being the second largest group (1%). Less than 1% were White, and less than 1% each were Asian or of another race or ethnicity.

Theologically, 90% of the convention's membership believed in God with absolute certainty, and 8% believed fairly certainly. [44] About 91% of the convention believed religion was very important and 8% considered it somewhat important. At least 60% of National Baptists attended church weekly and 82% prayed at least daily; 54% of National Baptists attended bible study and Sunday schools weekly, and 23% seldom or never have. The majority of its members read Scripture either weekly or once a week, and 64% believed all of the Bible should be taken literally. Of its Bible-reading population, 21% believed not all of the Bible should be taken literally, and 7% believed it was not the Word of God.

Governance

Headquarters of the convention in Nashville. Headquarters of the National Baptist Convention.jpg
Headquarters of the convention in Nashville.

The National Baptist Convention is a convention governed similar to a presbytery yet allows its member churches to govern themselves under the congregationalist polity. The convention's churches—per its statement of faith—are led by pastors or bishops, and deacons. [45] Within the Baptist tradition according to the 1689 Baptist Confession, the terms "pastor", "elder" and "bishop" constitute a single office. [46]

Presidency

Pastor Elias Camp Morris, one of the founders of the National Baptist Convention Elias Camp Morris.jpg
Pastor Elias Camp Morris, one of the founders of the National Baptist Convention

E. C. Morris was elected president of the National Baptist Convention USA in 1895 and served for 27 years. [lower-alpha 1] His tenure was important for laying the foundation of the convention. In addition to managing growth and organization of new chapters, his presidency founded the National Baptist Publishing House in Nashville, Tennessee; blacks wanted to publish literature written by their own ministers. [47]

In 1890, the American Baptist Publication Society had refused to publish writings of Black ministers because of resistance from their White Southern clients. This event, more than any other, inspired Blacks to develop their own convention and publishing arm. One year after the formation of the convention, the National Baptist Publication Board was established under the leadership of Richard Boyd in Nashville, Tennessee. It was given the right to supply National Baptist churches with general ministry and Sunday school supplies. In a short time the publishing house became the largest Black publishing enterprise in the world.

In 1902, the Woman's State Convention of Tennessee elected African American Virginia E. Walker Broughton, to serve as the first woman National Corresponding Secretary for the National Baptist Convention. [48] The twenty-seven years of Morris' leadership represented the formative period for the convention.

Upon the death of E. C. Morris, L. K. Williams became president of the convention in 1924. During his 16 years' tenure, he expanded the publishing board to gain increased support. Williams appointed L. G. Jordan as General Secretary of the Board and laid plans for a new building. The building was opened for inspection in 1925. On the recommendation of Williams, it was named the Morris Building in honor of the legacy of E. C. Morris. The Layman's Department was also established. [47]

David V. Jemison succeeded Williams as president of the convention in 1940. His two major accomplishments during his 13 years were paying off the mortgage on the Morris Memorial Building and the purchase of the Bath House for African American use in the resort of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

In 1953, Joseph H. Jackson of Chicago became the NBC USA president, serving until 1982. His 29-year tenure was the longest of any president, and spanned some of the most active years of the civil rights movement. During these years, African Americans gained passage of federal laws protecting and enforcing their rights to public access and voting, especially in the South. Among President Jackson's many contributions were new commissions and restructuring of the convention. He also purchased the National Baptist Freedom Farm and set up an unrestricted scholarship at Roosevelt University. He was noted for low tolerance of dissent. He said that social protests were not enough, but people needed to prove their economic productivity as well. [49]

Pastor T. J. Jemison T. J. Jemison, 1983.jpg
Pastor T. J. Jemison

In 1983, T. J. Jemison became president of the convention, serving for 12 years. He completed construction of the Baptist World Center, a headquarters for the convention in Nashville, Tennessee. He spoke out on public issues more than some presidents, and expressed his opposition to the Gulf War. In a controversial statement, he spoke in favor of the noted African American boxer Mike Tyson, who had been convicted of rape. [50] The uproar caused by Jemison's remarks translated into a deep decline of membership and associated churches in the convention in 1992. [51] Later presidents built up the national convention again.

Henry Lyons of Florida was elected president in 1994. The Lyons tenure was characterized by much activity as he established a unified program, reduced the debt on the Baptist World Center, and dissolved the debt on the Sunday School Publishing Board. In addition, many commissions were added to the convention. Legal problems, however, forced Lyons to resign from the presidency after he was convicted of stealing approximately $4 million on homes, jewelry, and a mistress. [52] Lyons unsuccessfully ran again for president in 2009 with National Congress President, R.B. Holmes of Tallahassee, Florida, as his vice-president.

Stewart Cleveland Cureton, vice president-at-large, took over the leadership of the convention in 1999 and served the remainder of Lyons' tenure. In 1999, William J. Shaw of Philadelphia was elected as president, serving until 2009. His presidency was centered on the motto and theme 'V.I.S.A': "Vision, Integrity, Structure and Accountability." He worked hard to reestablish integrity and credibility in the convention.

Julius R. Scruggs of Huntsville, Alabama was elected president in 2009 and served one 5-year term. He did not seek re-election. In September 2014, Jerry Young of Mississippi was elected president, with some of its members expecting progressive teaching and administration. [47] During Young's presidency—in 2022—U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke during the 142nd Annual Session of the National Baptist Convention in Houston, Texas stating, "faith requires action" as she called on African American faith leaders to continue fighting for inalienable rights toward all, remarking the following as Baptists have historically advocated for the separation of church and state: [53]

"A constitutional right that hadn't been recognized was taken away from the women of America, and people of America, and on this issue I feel very strongly...one does not have to abandon their faith or their religious beliefs to agree that a woman should be able to make that decision about her own body, and her government should not be making that decision for her...this is this is not about partisanship. It's not about who you voted for in the last election, or who you plan to vote for in the next election. In terms of political ideology, it's just a very practical principle, which is women should have the power to make decisions about their own bodies. It's that basic." [54]

She also publicly commended her Baptist pastor who has been a member of the convention while also dually affiliating with the American Baptist Churches USA (previously known as the Northern Baptist Convention). [55] [56] Her presence stirred controversy among several white evangelical Protestants and Southern Baptists, deriding Black Baptists. [57]

State conventions

The National Baptist Convention's members form voluntary state and territory-wide local conventions. The state conventions are autonomous organizations and separately incorporated; some conventions are dually aligned with other Baptist conventional denominations. [58]

Congress of Christian Education

The National Baptist Congress of Christian Education is the training arm of the convention; it is an annual event, held in June that draws more than 50,000 attendees from around the United States and the world. [59]

Sunday School Publishing Board

The Sunday School Publishing Board is the official publisher of the convention and provides all of the educational resources of the convention. [60] [61] The board was founded in 1915 following disputes between R. H. Boyd and the convention, and is one of the largest African American owned publishing companies. The Sunday School Publishing Board supplies books, text books, curriculum and other resources.

Laymen and Women's ministries

The National Baptist Laymen's Movement is the men's ministry within the convention. It was organized at the 43rd Annual Session of the National Baptist Convention in Los Angeles, California, in 1923. [62] Also, notably led by Sarah Willie Layton and Nannie Helen Burroughs, [63] the National Baptist Women's Auxiliary is the women's organizational arm of the convention. [64]

Dual alignment

Known to occur though infrequently, a state convention, district association or member church of the National Baptist Convention may dually align with another organization. The autonomous make-up of the NBC USA gives local congregations the latitude to govern themselves and contribute to the causes of other religious bodies as it deems necessary. [58] Some members dually align with the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention which offers the NBC USA member a convention-wide focus on foreign missions; others may align with the National Baptist Convention of America, Progressive National Baptists, or Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship—organizations which formed in schism from the NBC USA; there are also dually aligned affiliates with the American Baptist Churches USA such as Abyssinian Baptist Church.

Doctrine

The National Baptist Convention has a Baptist confession of faith, [45] which is a derivative of the New Hampshire Confession of Faith. Members of the convention also adopt Keach's Catechism, the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, and a church covenant. As such, the National Baptist Convention in its Baptist ethos maintains Trinitarianism, justification by grace, evangelism, believers' baptism, and the separation of church and state among its uncompromising essentials to every member of the denomination. The National Baptist Convention also acknowledges a two-fold office of the pastor or bishop, and the deacon (the terms "pastor" and "bishop" being synonymous). [45]

Women pastors, ministers and deacons

The convention does not make official positions binding on its member congregations, state conventions, and institutions. In 1965, Trudy Trimm became the first ordained woman pastor in the convention. [65] There are many women ordained and/or licensed and serving in the convention affiliated congregations. A number of women serve as pastors of congregations, and as trustees to the boards of American Baptist College. [66] Some congregations do not ordain or license women as ministers. Some congregations have women deacons, others as deaconess, some have both.

Two Baptist National Baptist women pastors have been elected as presidents of state conventions. Patricia A. Gould-Champ, senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia and Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University was elected as the 35th and first female president of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia in 2003. [67] Marylin Monroe Harris, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Teaneck in Teaneck, NJ, became president for the United Missionary Baptist Convention State of New Jersey, the 2nd Vice Moderator of the North Jersey District Missionary Baptist Association, the former president of the Black Clergy Council of Englewood, Teaneck and Vicinity and the Past Moderator of the Essex Association of the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey and the first female African American Chaplain of the Teaneck Fire Department. [68] Many women serve as moderators for district associations affiliated with the National Baptist Convention.

Same-sex marriage

"The National Baptist Convention USA Inc. does not have an 'official' position on any issues with regards to homosexuality." [lower-roman 2] The National Baptist Convention released an official position statement in 2012 that defines marriage as the exclusive union of a man and a woman. [lower-roman 2] A subsequent position statement in 2014 prohibited the convention's military chaplains from officiating same-sex marriages or civil unions stating that they "are not to participate in any activity that implies or condones same sex marriage or same sex union." [lower-roman 3] In 2006 the organization stated that a majority of their member churches would hold that homosexuality is not a legitimate expression of God's will and would be opposed to ordaining active homosexuals or lesbians for any type of ministry in their church. [69] Nevertheless, given the denomination's diversity, some pastors and congregations affiliated with the National Baptist Convention announced their support for same-sex marriage. [70] [71] "The National Baptist Convention, USA, Incorporated does not dictate to its constituent churches what position to take on issues because we believe in the autonomy of the local church." [lower-roman 2]

Abortion

Likewise, the National Baptist Convention allows its congregations to decide whether they support or oppose abortion. [72]

Schools

American Baptist College American Baptist College.jpg
American Baptist College

The National Baptist Convention is one of the predominantly and historically African American Christian denominations in the United States with at least four colleges and universities affiliated with it solely. Among them, American Baptist College—located in Nashville, Tennessee—has been the primarily promoted higher education system. [73] Additionally, Morehouse College has been affiliated with the convention alongside Shaw University and Selma University. The American Baptist Churches USA-affiliated institutions of Virginia Union University, Florida Memorial University, and Virginia University of Lynchburg have also affiliated with the convention.

See also

Notes and references

Notes

  1. 1 2 Elias Camp Morris (1855–1922) was founder of the National Baptist Convention. Morris earned his bachelors degree from Roger Williams University (Nashville), his Doctor of Divinity degree in 1892 from the University of Louisville, and his PhD in 1902 from Alabama A&M University (Huntsville). He was the first, and up until his death, the only pastor of Centennial Baptist Church in Helena – a capacity he held for 43 years. He was the founder of the Arkansas Baptist College and served on its board of trustees for 38 years. At the time of his death, he had been the only African American of the executive committees of (i) the Baptist General Conference of North America, (ii) the Baptist World Alliance, and (iii) the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ of America. ( OCLC   5163774068) ("Well Known Negro Minister Dies Here," Arkansas Democrat , September 5, 1922, p. 6; accessible via Newspapers.com at www.newspapers.com/image/165947884 )

Related Research Articles

Baptists form a major branch of evangelical Protestantism distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers, and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul competency, sola fide, sola scriptura and congregationalist church government. Baptists generally recognize two ordinances: baptism and communion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Baptist Convention</span> Christian denomination

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. In 1845 the Southern Baptists separated from the Triennial Convention in order to support slavery, which the southern churches regarded as "an institution of heaven". During the 19th and most of the 20th century, it played a central role in Southern racial attitudes, supporting racial segregation and the Lost Cause of the Confederacy while opposing interracial marriage. In 1995, the organization apologized for its history. Since the 1940s, it has spread across the United States, having member churches across the country and 41 affiliated state conventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of God in Christ</span> Holiness-Pentecostal Christian denomination

The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly African American membership based within the United States. The international headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. The current Presiding Bishop is Bishop John Drew Sheard Sr., who is the Senior Pastor of the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ of Detroit, Michigan. He was elected as the denomination's leader on March 27, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Baptist Churches USA</span> Baptist denomination in the United States

The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a Baptist Christian denomination established in 1907 originally as the Northern Baptist Convention, and from 1950 to 1972 as the American Baptist Convention. It traces its history to the First Baptist Church in America (1638) and the Baptist congregational associations which organized the Triennial Convention in 1814.

The American Baptist Association (ABA) is an Independent Baptist Christian denomination in the United States. The headquarters is in Texarkana, Texas. The principal founder was Ben M. Bogard, a pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. ABA headquarters, including its bookstore and publishing house, Bogard Press, is based in Texarkana, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progressive National Baptist Convention</span> American Christian denomination (1961-)

The Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC), incorporated as the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., is a mainline Baptist Christian denomination emphasizing civil rights and social justice. The headquarters of the Progressive National Baptist Convention are in Washington, D.C. Part of the Black church tradition, since its organization, the denomination has member churches outside the United States, particularly in the Caribbean and Europe. It is a member of the National Council of Churches and the Baptist World Alliance.

The National Missionary Baptist Convention of America (NMBCA) is a Baptist Christian denomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc.</span> American Christian denomination (1915-)

The National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc., more commonly known as the National Baptist Convention of America or sometimes the Boyd Convention, is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is a predominantly African American Baptist denomination, and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The National Baptist Convention of America has members in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa. The current president of the National Baptist Convention of America is Dr. Samuel C. Tolbert Jr. of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. is a Holiness body of Christians headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi. In 2010, there were 14,000 members in 154 churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black church</span> Christian congregations in the U.S. that minister predominantly to African Americans

The black church is the faith and body of Christian denominations and congregations in the United States that minister predominantly to, and are led by, African Americans, as well as these churches' collective traditions and members. The term "black church" may also refer to individual congregations, including in traditionally white-led denominations.

Approximately 15.3% of Americans identify as Baptist, making Baptists the second-largest religious group in the United States, after Roman Catholics. Baptists adhere to a congregationalist structure, so local church congregations are generally self-regulating and autonomous, meaning that their broadly Christian religious beliefs can and do vary. Baptists make up a significant portion of evangelicals in the United States and approximately one third of all Protestants in the United States. Divisions among Baptists have resulted in numerous Baptist bodies, some with long histories and others more recently organized. There are also many Baptists operating independently or practicing their faith in entirely independent congregations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion of Black Americans</span> Religious and spiritual practices of African Americans

Religion of black Americans refers to the religious and spiritual practices of African Americans. Historians generally agree that the religious life of black Americans "forms the foundation of their community life". Before 1775 there was scattered evidence of organized religion among black people in the Thirteen Colonies. The Methodist and Baptist churches became much more active in the 1780s. Their growth was quite rapid for the next 150 years, until their membership included the majority of black Americans.

Although most Baptist groups are congregationalist in polity, some have different ecclesiastical organization and adopt an episcopal polity governance. In those churches the local congregation has less autonomy and the bishop oversees them, assigning pastors and distributing funds.

Joseph Harrison Jackson was an American pastor and the longest serving President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.

The Triennial Convention was the first national Baptist denomination in the United States. Officially named the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions, it was formed in 1814 to advance missionary work and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In a dispute over slavery and missions policy, Baptist churches in the South separated from the Triennial Convention and established the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845. This split left the Triennial Convention largely Northern in membership. In 1907, the Triennial Convention was reorganized into the Northern Baptist Convention, which was renamed American Baptist Churches USA in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese Baptist Convention</span> Baptist Christian denomination in Taiwan

The Chinese Baptist Convention is a Baptist Christian denomination in Taiwan and the territories administered by the Republic of China. It is affiliated with the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Taipei.

The Joint National Baptist Convention, also known as the Joint Black National Convention, or National Baptist Joint Board Session, was initially a joint meeting in 2005 of the four predominantly African American Baptist denominations operating under the derivatives of the name "National Baptist Convention." Its participants—the National Baptist Convention, USA; National Baptist Convention of America; Progressive National Baptist Convention; and National Missionary Baptist Convention of America—represented over 17 million African American Baptists in the United States in 2004. The latter three organizations have either originated from or traced their origin to the National Baptist Convention, USA—or the mother church.

The Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, also known as the Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community, Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society, USA, or simply Lott Carey, is a Baptist Christian denomination in the United States. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance, and has a predominantly African American membership.

The Alabama Baptist Convention is an autonomous association of Baptist churches in the U.S. state of Alabama formed in 1823. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern/Great Commission Baptists.

The Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe is a Baptist Christian denomination in Zimbabwe. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe. The headquarters is in Gweru.

References

  1. Introduction to the Practice of African American Preaching. Abingdon Press. 15 November 2016. ISBN   9781501818950.
  2. James Barnett Taylor, Virginia Baptist Ministers (1859) pp 57, 60, 71, 83 online edition
  3. Albert J. Raboteau, Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South (1979)
  4. Raboteau (1979), Slavery is a Religion
  5. 1 2 3 4 Brooks, Walter Henderson (1851–1945) (January 1922). "The Evolution of the Negro Baptist Church". Journal of Negro History. 7 (1): 11–22. doi:10.2307/2713578. JSTOR   2713578. S2CID   149662445 . Retrieved 19 May 2019.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. "The Evolution of the Negro Baptist Church," by Walter Henderson Brooks (1851–1945), Journal of Negro History, Vol. 7, No. 1, January 1922, pps. 11–22; OCLC   45711321, 7435445711, 7254811574; ISSN   0022-2992
  7. Wilson Fallin Jr., Uplifting the People: Three Centuries of Black Baptists in Alabama (2007) pp. 52–53
  8. Bennett, Jessi (2021). "Colley's Calling: Reconstruction-Era Richmonders In Africa". The UnCommonwealth: Voices from the Library of Virginia. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  9. Stephen C. Finley, Torin Alexander, African American Religious Cultures, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2009, p. 257
  10. George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 1595
  11. Bletson, Dyshauntic (2009-03-08). "Charles Harrison Mason (1866-1961)" . Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  12. "Our Founder". Church of God in Christ. 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  13. "Charles Harrison Mason". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  14. "Charles Price Jones". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  15. "Richard Henry Boyd: Shaper of Black Baptist Identity". 2019-04-25. Archived from the original on 2019-04-25. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  16. Anderson, Meg (2009-03-29). "National Baptist Convention (1895- )" . Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  17. Anderson, Meg (2009-03-29). "Progressive National Baptist Convention (1961- )". BlackPast. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  18. Black Leaders in Conflict: Joseph H. Jackson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., by Peter J. Paris (born 1933), The Pilgrim Press (1978); OCLC   873337417 [ page needed ]
  19. Singing in a Strange Land: C.L. Franklin, the Black Church, and the Transformation of America, by Nick Salvatore, Little Brown & Company (2007); OCLC   1034611627 [ page needed ]
  20. "PNBC 1970 Minutes" (PDF). Southern Baptist Historical Library & Archives. 1970. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  21. Sherry S. DuPree (13 September 2013). African-American Holiness Pentecostal Movement: An Annotated Bibliography. Taylor & Francis. p. 347. ISBN   978-1-135-73717-7. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  22. "The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship: Giving Baptists A Choice- Articles- BlackandChristian.com". www.blackandchristian.com. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  23. "Pentecostal Baptist fellowship conference at Convention Center". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  24. "Pentecostal Baptist fellowship conference at Convention Center". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  25. "African American Baptist Conventions Hold Historic Joint Meeting Jan. 24-28". National Council of Churches. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  26. Zoll, Rachel (29 January 2005). "Long-divided black Baptists try to unite around common agenda". The Boston Globe . The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  27. "National Baptists Prepare for Historic Joint Meeting - The Union Review". The Union Review -. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  28. Tucker, Taylor (2024-01-24). "901 Now: Baptist pastors convene in Memphis". Action News 5. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  29. "Dr. Gina Stewart: A Voice for Change at the National Baptist Convention". Vinegar Hill Magazine. 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  30. Banks, Adelle M. (2024-01-30). "Historic sermon by Gina Stewart at joint Black Baptist meeting draws cheers, controversy". Religion News Service. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  31. Stone, Meredith (2024-01-31). "Why Gina Stewart's sermon matters to Baptists". Baptist News Global. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  32. Loller, Travis. "Southern Baptists to talk racial unity at annual meeting". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  33. 1 2 3 "SBC celebrates racial reconciliation progress". Baptist Press. 2016-02-12. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  34. Observer, Martha Quillin The (Raleigh) News &. "Leaders may drop 'Southern' from Baptist churches for racial and regional inclusion". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  35. Banks, Adelle M. (2020-09-16). "Southern Baptists warm to alternate moniker 'Great Commission Baptists'". Religion News Service. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  36. "Prominent Southern Baptists are dropping 'Southern' name amid racial unrest". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  37. "National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc". Baptist World Alliance. 2023-07-18. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  38. "National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc". Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  39. "National Baptist Convention USA, Inc". World Council of Churches. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  40. "National Baptist Convention of America". Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  41. "National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc". Baptist World Alliance. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  42. "Progressive National Baptist Convention". Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  43. "Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc". Baptist World Alliance. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  44. 1 2 "Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  45. 1 2 3 "What We Believe". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  46. "Of the Church". The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  47. 1 2 3 "History of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  48. Carter, Tomeiko Ashford (ed.) (2010). Virginia Broughton: The Life and Writings of a Missionary, University of Tennessee Press, p. 29; ISBN   978-1572336964
  49. Nick Salvatore, Singing in a Strange Land: C.L. Franklin, the Black Church, and the Transformation of America (2007)
  50. "BAPTISTS STAND BESIDE JEMISON, DESPITE TYSON LEGAL IMBROGLIO". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  51. Stepp, Laura Sessions (1992-03-10). "BAPTIST LEADER'S DREAM UNRAVELS". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  52. Staff writer (26 June 2004). "In Brief". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  53. Davis, Derek H. "Baptists". Middle Tennessee State University. Retrieved 2022-09-10. Beginning in the early 17th century, Baptists were the first religious group to adopt separation of church and state as a fundamental article of faith.
  54. "'I feel strongly': VP Kamala Harris says faith doesn't have to be abandoned to back women's rights". ABC13 Houston. 2022-09-09. Archived from the original on 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  55. House, The White (2022-09-08). "Remarks by Vice President Harris at the National Baptist Convention 142nd Annual Session". The White House. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  56. "VP Kamala Harris lands in Houston Thursday for convention appearance, visit to Johnson Space Center". ABC13 Houston. 2022-09-08. Archived from the original on 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  57. Jackson, Jesse T. (2022-09-09). "VP Harris Applauded for Pro-Abortion Comments During The National Baptist Convention; SBC President Condemns Remarks". ChurchLeaders. Archived from the original on 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  58. 1 2 "Organizational Structure". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  59. "Congress of Christian Education". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  60. "Sunday School Publishing Board". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  61. "Affiliations". Sunday School Publishing Board. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  62. "Laymen". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  63. "History of the Women's Auxiliary". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  64. "About". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  65. Larry G. Murphy, J. Gordon Melton, Gary L. Ward, Encyclopedia of African American Religions, Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2013, p. LXXIV
  66. "She-Preachers, Bossy Women, and Children of the Devil: A History of Baptist Women Ministers and Ordination" (PDF). Baptist Women in Ministry.
  67. "Our Pastor and Founding Visionary". Faith Community Baptist Church - Richmond. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  68. "Marilyn Monroe Harris". revmarilynmonroe. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  69. "The National Baptist Convention :: Resources". 2007-09-28. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  70. "Detroit Black Churches Openly Accept Gays, Others Denounce - BLAC Detroit - June 2014". www.blacdetroit.com. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
  71. Journal, Doug Erickson | Wisconsin State. "Madison pastor makes waves in black church with support of gay marriage" . Retrieved 2016-07-25.
  72. Masci, David (2016). "Where major religious groups stand on abortion". Pew Research Center.
  73. "American Baptist College". National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2022-07-14.

Position and policy statements (primary sources)

  1. "Contact us," National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Retrieved on October 22, 2010. "Baptist World Center Headquarters 1700 Baptist World Center Drive Nashville, TN 37207"[ ambiguous ]
  2. 1 2 3 "A Statement on the Same-sex Marriage Issue, Voting and Christian Responsibility" (primary source link), National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. June 21, 2012
  3. "Policy Statement and Guidelines to Chaplains Regarding Same-Gender Couples: Same Sex Marriage and Related Activities" (primary source link), by The Office of the Ecclesiastical Endorser, National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., January 27, 2014

Further reading