Association of Regular Baptist Churches
Encyclopedia
The Association of Regular Baptist Churches is one of the smaller Canadian Baptist bodies. Formed in 1957, the association is fundamentalist and separatist in its doctrine. ARBC supports the Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College, and publishes The Gospel Witness. Currently (2003) the ARBC has 10 churches (mostly in Ontario) with approximately 1500 members. In addition to these ten churches that are considered "recognized" members of the association, about 10 more are considered "supporting" churches. One of its leading churches is Jarvis Street Baptist Church
of Toronto, Ontario, whose well-known pastor of 45 years, Thomas Todhunter Shields
(1873–1955), led fundamentalist forces in the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec during the fundamentalist
/modernist controversies in the first half of the 20th century. Forerunners of the ARBC include the Union of Regular Baptist Churches, which was formed in 1928 in Hamilton, Ontario
by 77 churches withdrawing from Ontario/Quebec Convention over the election of a liberal professor at McMaster University
. Another descendant of the Union of Regular Baptists is the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada
.
According to the ARBC, they are "a group of free, self-governing churches holding steadfastly to the great doctrines of Grace always held by Baptists, and acknowledging the sole authority of the Word of God and the headship of Christ."
The ARBC has been dissolved and is no longer in existence.
Jarvis Street Baptist Church
The Jarvis Street Baptist Church is a Baptist church located at the intersection of Gerrard Street and Jarvis Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario. One of the oldest churches in the city, its congregation was founded in 1818, and the present church constructed in 1875.-History:Early records indicate...
of Toronto, Ontario, whose well-known pastor of 45 years, Thomas Todhunter Shields
Thomas Todhunter Shields
Thomas Todhunter Shields was the aggressive leader of the fundamentalist religious movement in Canada. A self educated immigrant from England, Shields was the longtime pastor of the Jarvis Street Baptist Church in Toronto....
(1873–1955), led fundamentalist forces in the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec during the fundamentalist
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
/modernist controversies in the first half of the 20th century. Forerunners of the ARBC include the Union of Regular Baptist Churches, which was formed in 1928 in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
by 77 churches withdrawing from Ontario/Quebec Convention over the election of a liberal professor at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
. Another descendant of the Union of Regular Baptists is the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada
Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada
The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada, often known simply as The Fellowship is a conservative Baptist denomination in Canada. It was formed in 1953 as a result of a merger of the Union of Regular Baptist Churches of Ontario and Quebec and the Fellowship of Independent Baptist...
.
According to the ARBC, they are "a group of free, self-governing churches holding steadfastly to the great doctrines of Grace always held by Baptists, and acknowledging the sole authority of the Word of God and the headship of Christ."
Sources
- Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
- Four Centuries of Baptist Witness, by H. Leon McBeth
The ARBC has been dissolved and is no longer in existence.