Progressive National Baptist Convention
Encyclopedia
The Progressive National Baptist Convention, Incorporated (PNBC) is a convention of African-American Baptists emphasizing civil rights
and social justice
.
The convention was formed at Cincinnati, Ohio
in 1961, in a separation from the older National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
(NBCUSA). After the 1954 Supreme Court
ruling concerning desegregation
of public schools, the NBCUSA followed a policy of official detachment from the Civil Rights Movement
. The desire of some members for the Convention's full support of the movement was a focus of discontent. Other disagreements concerned the election of officers and the length of the Convention president's term. The old Convention was unwilling to enforce the tenure of officers, and it did not fully support the program and methods of Martin Luther King, Jr.
and others in the Civil Rights Movement. The proposal to limit tenure was also related to civil rights issues, as King supported the removal of the president, Joseph H. Jackson
. King's support for and nomination of Gardner Taylor as president of the NBCUSA was defeated at the 1961 Convention, leading to the call for the formation of a new convention.
Thirty-three delegates from 14 states gathered at Zion Baptist Church in Cincinnati to discuss the issue. The vote to organize passed by one vote. L. Venchael Booth, pastor of Zion Baptist in Cincinnati, was the unheralded founder of the movement as documented by former Christianity Today Associate Editor, Edward Gilbreath.http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/march11/5.66.html The convention was originally formed as the "Progressive Baptist Convention" and word "National" was added to the name in 1962. The Convention has grown from the original founding numbers to member congregations throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.
PNBC has followed a path of political activism, supporting groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) and methods such as affirmative action
. Famous civil rights leaders who were members of the PNBC include Martin Luther King, Benjamin Mays
, Ralph David Abernathy
, Wyatt Tee Walker
, and Gardner C. Taylor
. The Convention bills the progressive concept as "fellowship, progress, and peace."
Sessions of the Convention are held annually in August and recently celebrated their 50th Annual Session in Washington, DC in August 2011. Headquarters are in Washington, D.C.
. The PBNC has partnered with the predominantly white American Baptist Churches in the USA since 1970. It is a member of the National Council of Churches
and the Baptist World Alliance
. In 1995, one study asserted the Convention had 741 affiliated churches, while another claimed they had over 2,500,000 members in 2000 churches. A number of the churches are dually aligned with the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
The PNBC ordains women
, a practice not universally followed by Baptist groups.
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
.
The convention was formed at Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
in 1961, in a separation from the older National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is the largest predominantly African-American Christian denomination in the United States and is the world's second largest Baptist denomination...
(NBCUSA). After the 1954 Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruling concerning desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
of public schools, the NBCUSA followed a policy of official detachment from the Civil Rights Movement
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
. The desire of some members for the Convention's full support of the movement was a focus of discontent. Other disagreements concerned the election of officers and the length of the Convention president's term. The old Convention was unwilling to enforce the tenure of officers, and it did not fully support the program and methods of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
and others in the Civil Rights Movement. The proposal to limit tenure was also related to civil rights issues, as King supported the removal of the president, Joseph H. Jackson
Joseph H. Jackson
Joseph Harrison Jackson was an American Pastor and the longest serving President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.During the height of the American Civil Rights Movement, Jackson's vocal stance for "civil rights through law and order" went in direct opposition to the methods of civil...
. King's support for and nomination of Gardner Taylor as president of the NBCUSA was defeated at the 1961 Convention, leading to the call for the formation of a new convention.
Thirty-three delegates from 14 states gathered at Zion Baptist Church in Cincinnati to discuss the issue. The vote to organize passed by one vote. L. Venchael Booth, pastor of Zion Baptist in Cincinnati, was the unheralded founder of the movement as documented by former Christianity Today Associate Editor, Edward Gilbreath.http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/march11/5.66.html The convention was originally formed as the "Progressive Baptist Convention" and word "National" was added to the name in 1962. The Convention has grown from the original founding numbers to member congregations throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.
PNBC has followed a path of political activism, supporting groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP) and methods such as affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
. Famous civil rights leaders who were members of the PNBC include Martin Luther King, Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Elijah Mays was an American minister, educator, scholar, social activist and the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia from 1940 to 1967. Mays was also a significant mentor to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr...
, Ralph David Abernathy
Ralph Abernathy
Ralph David Abernathy, Sr. was a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, a minister, and a close associate of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Following King's assassination, Dr. Abernathy took up the leadership of the SCLC Poor People's Campaign and...
, Wyatt Tee Walker
Wyatt Tee Walker
Wyatt Tee Walker is a United States black pastor, national civil rights leader, theologian, and cultural historian. He was a Chief of Staff for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and in 1958 became an early board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference . He helped found the Congress for...
, and Gardner C. Taylor
Gardner C. Taylor
Dr. Gardner Calvin Taylor is an American preacher, noted for his eloquence and deep understanding of Christian faith and theology and known as "the dean of American preaching".Taylor was a close friend and mentor to Martin Luther King Jr...
. The Convention bills the progressive concept as "fellowship, progress, and peace."
Sessions of the Convention are held annually in August and recently celebrated their 50th Annual Session in Washington, DC in August 2011. Headquarters are in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The PBNC has partnered with the predominantly white American Baptist Churches in the USA since 1970. 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 Baptist World Alliance
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...
. In 1995, one study asserted the Convention had 741 affiliated churches, while another claimed they had over 2,500,000 members in 2000 churches. A number of the churches are dually aligned with the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
The PNBC ordains women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
, a practice not universally followed by Baptist groups.
Sources
- William Booth, A Call to Greatness: The Story of the Founding of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, ISBN 1-55618-196-5
- Gilbreath, Edward, The Forgotten Founder, Christianity Today, Vol. 46, No. 3, 11 March 2002
- Albert W. Wardin, Jr., Baptists Around the World, ISBN 0-8054-1076-7
- Bill J. Leonard, editor, Dictionary of Baptists in America, ISBN 0-8308-1447-7
- Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, & Craig D. Atwood, Handbook of Denominations, ISBN 0-687-06983-1
- National Council of Churches, Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches