Alliance of Baptists
Encyclopedia
The Alliance of Baptists is a fellowship of Baptist
churches and individuals in the United States
. In its theology and social stances, the Alliance is characterized as a progressive
or liberal Christian
fellowship. The Alliance's collaborative non-hierarchical Leadership Team of four members works virtually and maintains an address in Atlanta, Georgia
.
as a result of the conservative resurgence/fundamentalist takeover controversy. Since 1995, many Alliance congregations and people have also aligned with several other free church traditions including the American Baptist Churches (USA), the United Church of Christ
, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
.
.
In contrast to the SBC and other conservative Baptists, the Alliance has emphasized women's ministry, encouraging women to seek ordination and senior pastorates, and encourages its congregations toward inclusiveness with respect to homosexuality
. The Alliance has also worked to uphold the separation of church and state through its membership and support of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
.
The Alliance has acknowledged its interdependence as Baptists with the whole people of God regardless of denominational designation. That spirit of ecumenism of the Alliance of Baptists can be seen in its willingness to fellowship with any other denomination without regard to its doctrinal character. The Alliance is in ecumenical partnership with groups such as the American Baptist Churches in the USA, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
and the African-American Progressive National Baptist Convention
, and in cooperation with the United Church of Christ
and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
. It is a member of the National Council of Churches
and the World Council of Churches
.
, and member churches maintain authority over their internal affairs. The Alliance allows churches to cooperate in foreign missions, endorsement for chaplaincy and pastoral counseling, and assistance in placement of ministers in available positions. The latter is carried out in a manner similar to the United Church of Christ and the Disciples.
The Alliance of Baptists is governed by a Board of Directors and three officers—President, Vice-President and Secretary—in between the Alliance's Annual Meetings. All actions of the Board of Directors are subject to review during the Annual Meeting. The 40-member Board of Directors and the officers are nominated by the Nominating Committee and elected at the Annual Meeting. Board members serve four year terms and can be reelected. The Board of Directors has an Executive Committee which oversees the work of the Alliance in between meetings of the Board. Membership in the Alliance is open to churches and individuals who support its Covenant and Mission and contribute financially to its ministries.
As of 2006, 127 congregations are affiliated with the Alliance with a preponderance of them in southern Atlantic
states such as Maryland
, Virginia
and North Carolina
. The Alliance is more sparsely found in the central South and Texas
. In those areas, congregations are found almost exclusively in metropolitan areas. There are 65,000 members served by 465 clergy.
Some Alliance churches may still have ties to the SBC and their respective state conventions, although in practically all cases those ties are nominal with little or no financial support or delegates sent to either national or state SBC causes or meetings due to theological and ideological incompatibilities. Some may also hold simultaneous membership in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
, a more moderate group.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
churches and individuals in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In its theology and social stances, the Alliance is characterized as a progressive
Progressive Christianity
Progressive Christianity is the name given to a movement within contemporary Christianity characterized by willingness to question tradition, acceptance of human diversity with a strong emphasis on social justice or care for the poor and the oppressed and environmental stewardship of the Earth...
or liberal Christian
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
fellowship. The Alliance's collaborative non-hierarchical Leadership Team of four members works virtually and maintains an address in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
History
The Alliance was formed in 1987 by individuals and congregations who were considering separating from the Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
as a result of the conservative resurgence/fundamentalist takeover controversy. Since 1995, many Alliance congregations and people have also aligned with several other free church traditions including the American Baptist Churches (USA), the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...
.
Theology and practices
The Covenant of the Alliance of Baptists lays out seven principles the churches are committed to: the freedom of individuals to interpret Scripture for themselves; the autonomy of the local church including its ability to ordain both men and women; cooperation with other Christians and the wider Church; servant leadership and inclusion for all people in mission and ministry; emphasizing theological education by the support of colleges and seminaries; proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and calling people to repentance, faith, reconciliation, social and economic justice; and the separation of church and stateSeparation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
.
In contrast to the SBC and other conservative Baptists, the Alliance has emphasized women's ministry, encouraging women to seek ordination and senior pastorates, and encourages its congregations toward inclusiveness with respect to homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. The Alliance has also worked to uphold the separation of church and state through its membership and support of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty is an education and advocacy association in the United States with a number of Baptist denominations. It states that it seeks to promote religious liberty for all and to uphold the principle of church-state separation...
.
The Alliance has acknowledged its interdependence as Baptists with the whole people of God regardless of denominational designation. That spirit of ecumenism of the Alliance of Baptists can be seen in its willingness to fellowship with any other denomination without regard to its doctrinal character. The Alliance is in ecumenical partnership with groups such as the American Baptist Churches in the USA, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a Christian fellowship of Baptist churches formed in 1991. Theologically moderate, the CBF withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention over philosophical and theological differences, such as the SBC prohibition of women serving as pastors. The Cooperative...
and the African-American Progressive National Baptist Convention
Progressive National Baptist Convention
The Progressive National Baptist Convention, Incorporated is a convention of African-American Baptists emphasizing civil rights and social justice....
, and in cooperation with the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...
. It is a member of the National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
and the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
.
Organization
The Alliance of Baptists is organized with a congregationalist polityCongregationalist polity
Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of church governance in which every local church congregation is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous"...
, and member churches maintain authority over their internal affairs. The Alliance allows churches to cooperate in foreign missions, endorsement for chaplaincy and pastoral counseling, and assistance in placement of ministers in available positions. The latter is carried out in a manner similar to the United Church of Christ and the Disciples.
The Alliance of Baptists is governed by a Board of Directors and three officers—President, Vice-President and Secretary—in between the Alliance's Annual Meetings. All actions of the Board of Directors are subject to review during the Annual Meeting. The 40-member Board of Directors and the officers are nominated by the Nominating Committee and elected at the Annual Meeting. Board members serve four year terms and can be reelected. The Board of Directors has an Executive Committee which oversees the work of the Alliance in between meetings of the Board. Membership in the Alliance is open to churches and individuals who support its Covenant and Mission and contribute financially to its ministries.
As of 2006, 127 congregations are affiliated with the Alliance with a preponderance of them in southern Atlantic
South Atlantic States
The South Atlantic United States form one of the nine Census Bureau Divisions within the United States that are recognized by the United States Census Bureau....
states such as Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The Alliance is more sparsely found in the central South and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. In those areas, congregations are found almost exclusively in metropolitan areas. There are 65,000 members served by 465 clergy.
Some Alliance churches may still have ties to the SBC and their respective state conventions, although in practically all cases those ties are nominal with little or no financial support or delegates sent to either national or state SBC causes or meetings due to theological and ideological incompatibilities. Some may also hold simultaneous membership in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a Christian fellowship of Baptist churches formed in 1991. Theologically moderate, the CBF withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention over philosophical and theological differences, such as the SBC prohibition of women serving as pastors. The Cooperative...
, a more moderate group.
Further reading
- Dictionary of Baptists in America, Bill J. Leonard, editor
- Handbook of Denominations, by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and Craig D. Atwood