Regular Baptist
Encyclopedia
Regular Baptists are a diverse group of Baptists in the United States
and Canada
. The presence of the modifier "Regular" in their names attests to the strong influence of the early Regular Baptists on the growth of Baptists in North America
. Two strains of Baptists emigrated from England
to America
— the General Baptist
s and the Particular Baptists. The near extinction of the General Baptists, coupled with the expansion of Particular Baptists, especially through the labors of the Philadelphia Baptist Association (org. 1707), probably gave rise to the Particulars becoming the Regular Baptists. Early in the 19th century, the two dominant groups of Baptists in the United States (Regular Baptists & Separate Baptist
s) effected a merger and dropped their party names in favor of the appellation United Baptist
s. In spite of this, the term Regular Baptist has persisted to this day.
)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The presence of the modifier "Regular" in their names attests to the strong influence of the early Regular Baptists on the growth of Baptists in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Two strains of Baptists emigrated from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
— the General Baptist
General Baptist
General Baptists is a generic term for Baptists who hold the view of a general atonement, as well as a specific name of groups of Baptists within the broader category.General Baptists are distinguished from Particular or Reformed Baptists.-History:...
s and the Particular Baptists. The near extinction of the General Baptists, coupled with the expansion of Particular Baptists, especially through the labors of the Philadelphia Baptist Association (org. 1707), probably gave rise to the Particulars becoming the Regular Baptists. Early in the 19th century, the two dominant groups of Baptists in the United States (Regular Baptists & Separate Baptist
Separate Baptist
The Separate Baptists were an 18th century group of Baptists in the United States, primarily in the South, that grew out of the Great Awakening....
s) effected a merger and dropped their party names in favor of the appellation United Baptist
United Baptist
United Baptist is name of several diverse Baptist groups of Protestant Christianity in the United States and Canada.-History:The name "United Baptist" appears to have arisen from two separate unions of Baptist groups: the union of Regular Baptists and Separate Baptists in Kentucky, Virginia, and...
s. In spite of this, the term Regular Baptist has persisted to this day.
List of Regular Baptists
(This grouping is not to be confused with Reformed Baptists who hold to the London Baptist Confession of Faith1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith was written by Particular Baptists, who held to a Calvinistic Soteriology in England to give a formal expression of their Christian faith from a Baptist perspective...
)
- General Association of Regular Baptist ChurchesGeneral Association of Regular Baptist ChurchesThe General Association of Regular Baptist Churches is one of several Baptist groups in North America retaining the name "Regular Baptist"....
— organized in 1932 by conservative and fundamentalist churches withdrawing from the Northern Baptist Convention (now American Baptist Churches in the USA). - Association of Regular Baptist ChurchesAssociation of Regular Baptist ChurchesThe 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 the ARBC has 10...
— organized in 1957; primarily composed of churches in Ontario, Canada; about 1500 members in 10 churches. - Primitive Baptists — a number of Primitive Baptist churches and associations, especially in the Midwest, use the name "Regular Baptist" instead of, or in addition to the name "Primitive Baptist".
- Old Regular BaptistOld Regular BaptistThe Old Regular Baptists are an American Christian denomination based primarily in the Appalachian region of the United States.-History:Most Regular Baptists merged with the Separate Baptists near the beginning of 19th century. The party names were dropped in favor of United Baptists...
s — a primarily Appalachian group of churches achieving separate status late in the 19th century. - Union BaptistsUnion BaptistsUnion Baptists trace their origin to the American Civil War, or war between the northern and southern United States. Baptist churches and associations, especially in border states, were rent asunder by this national conflict...
— a strand of Regular Baptists that owes its origin to the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Churches and associations, especially in border states, were rent asunder by this national conflict. Tensions over secession, war and reconstruction, as well as the fact that Primitive Baptists did not allow members to hold membership in secret societies, combined to incubate the Union Baptists. Many pro-Union Primitive Baptists joined Union Leagues, and were expelled from their churches and associations. The Mountain Union Association, formed in 1867, was the first "Union" Baptist association. Unlike other areas, this distinction, at least in name, has persisted, and some churches and associations consider themselves "Union Baptists". There seems to be no doctrinal distinction between Union Baptists and Regular Baptists. Three associations — Original Mountain Union, Primitive and Union — have about 3300 members in 36 churches. Mitchell River Union Baptist Association may still be in existence. - Regular Baptists — found in 5 local associations; much like the Old Regular Baptists, and located in the same region, but more open to changes in worship and lifestyle. Churches have allowed notated hymnals, Sunday Schools, revivals and even instrumental music. Three associations, mostly in North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth 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...
, are in correspondence — Little River, Little Valley and Mountain Union (708 members in 15 churches in 1999). Two others are in isolated areas and not connected to the first three — East Washington in ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
(1560 members in 10 churches in 1999) and Enterprise in OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and bordering areas (4288 members in 63 churches in 1999).- Regular, Old Regular, Primitive and Union Baptists maintain the rite of feet washingFeet washingFoot washing or washing of feet is a religious rite observed as an ordinance by several Christian denominations. The name, and even the spelling, of this practice is not consistently established, being variously known as foot washing, washing the saints' feet, pedilavium, and mandatum.For some...
, while the GARBC & ARBC do not.
- Regular, Old Regular, Primitive and Union Baptists maintain the rite of feet washing
- Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in CanadaFellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in CanadaThe 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...
— although the FEBCC is not generally considered Regular Baptist, some churches of this Fellowship still carry Regular Baptist as part of their name, especially in British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Three of four major bodies forming and entering the FEBCC from 1953 to 1965 were Regular Baptist. fatt
Sources
- Association Minutes
- Giving Glory to God in Appalachia, by Howard Dorgan
- Encyclopedia of Religion in the South, Samuel S. Hill, editor
- History of Regular Baptist and Their Ancestors and Accessors, by Rufus Perrigan
- Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin