Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
Encyclopedia
The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) is an autonomous association of Baptist
churches in the states of North Carolina
. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina
, the convention is made up of 80 Baptist associations and around 4,200 churches as of 2010.
. One of its thirteen founders was Thomas Meredith, who also helped to draft its constitution.
In 1832, the convention established its newspaper, originally a monthly paper called the Interpreter edited by Meredith, but which in 1835 changed to a weekly paper entitled the Biblical Recorder
. It was later to be merged with the Southern Watchman, to become the Recorder and Watchman.
Also in 1832, the convention resolved to purchase a farm "for the establishment of a Baptist Literary Institution on the Manual Labor Principle". A committee, comprising J.G. Hall, W.R. Hinton, J. Purify, A.S. Wynn, and S. J. Jeffreys was formed to raise USD
2,000 for its purchase. This instutition was named Wake Forest Institute, which began operation on 1834-02-01, initially serving 25 students. In 1839, this was renamed to Wake Forest College.
The Convention acquired Buies Creek Academy in 1925. It still owned it when, in 1979 it became Campbell University
.
In 1975, after extensive and vigorous discussion, the BSCNC adopted the following resolution, that contributed to it having more women deacons than any other state in the South, apart from Virginia, by 2005:
Agencies included the North Carolina Baptist Foundation, which manages the funds of individuals and organizations, and the Biblical Recorder newspaper, which it purchased in 1930.
The Baptist State Convention also recognizes a historical relationship with the historic eduacational institutions based on its founding of Wake Forest University
, in 1834 and Meredith College
in 1898. These institutions do not receive funding from the Convention, nor are their boards and administration members elected by the Convention. They simply acknowledge a historical relationship with their founding body, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.
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 in the states of 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...
. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
, the convention is made up of 80 Baptist associations and around 4,200 churches as of 2010.
History
The Convention was founded on 1830-03-26 in GreenvilleGreenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
. One of its thirteen founders was Thomas Meredith, who also helped to draft its constitution.
In 1832, the convention established its newspaper, originally a monthly paper called the Interpreter edited by Meredith, but which in 1835 changed to a weekly paper entitled the Biblical Recorder
Biblical Recorder
The Biblical Recorder is a weekly newspaper published by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina .-Early history:The newspaper was founded in 1835 by Thomas Meredith, a prominent Southern Baptist leader in North Carolina....
. It was later to be merged with the Southern Watchman, to become the Recorder and Watchman.
Also in 1832, the convention resolved to purchase a farm "for the establishment of a Baptist Literary Institution on the Manual Labor Principle". A committee, comprising J.G. Hall, W.R. Hinton, J. Purify, A.S. Wynn, and S. J. Jeffreys was formed to raise USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2,000 for its purchase. This instutition was named Wake Forest Institute, which began operation on 1834-02-01, initially serving 25 students. In 1839, this was renamed to Wake Forest College.
The Convention acquired Buies Creek Academy in 1925. It still owned it when, in 1979 it became Campbell University
Campbell University
Campbell University is a coeducational, church-related university in rural North Carolina, USA. Its main campus is located in the community of Buies Creek; its law school moved from Buies Creek to a new campus in the state capital of Raleigh in 2009. Campbell has an approximately equal number of...
.
In 1975, after extensive and vigorous discussion, the BSCNC adopted the following resolution, that contributed to it having more women deacons than any other state in the South, apart from Virginia, by 2005:
Today
As of 2000, there were 3,717 Southern Baptist congregations in North Carolina, with 1,512,058 adherents.Agencies included the North Carolina Baptist Foundation, which manages the funds of individuals and organizations, and the Biblical Recorder newspaper, which it purchased in 1930.
Affiliated Educational Institutions
In 2007, the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Convention affirmed a proposal to create a new relationship between the Convention and the five affiliated schools. Messengers approved the proposal at the 2007 annual meeting and gave final approval in 2008, thus allowing the schools to elect all their trustees annually. Direct financial support from the Convention is being phased out incrementally over a four-year period.- Campbell UniversityCampbell UniversityCampbell University is a coeducational, church-related university in rural North Carolina, USA. Its main campus is located in the community of Buies Creek; its law school moved from Buies Creek to a new campus in the state capital of Raleigh in 2009. Campbell has an approximately equal number of...
- Chowan UniversityChowan University- Other Notable Former Students :* Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, confessed architect of the September 11 attacks.- External links :* *...
- Gardner-Webb UniversityGardner-Webb UniversityGardner–Webb University is a private university located west of Charlotte in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, USA. The school has a total of 14 academic departments offering 45 major fields of study. Among the most popular of the school's 39 undergraduate majors are those in business , education ,...
- Mars Hill CollegeMars Hill CollegeMars Hill College is a private, coed, liberal-arts college affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The college is located in the small town of Mars Hill, North Carolina, due north of Asheville, western North Carolina's largest city...
- Wingate UniversityWingate UniversityWingate University was founded by Baptists in 1896 as Wingate School, an independent, co-educational institution and became a four-year college in 1977. In 1996, Wingate College became Wingate University....
The Baptist State Convention also recognizes a historical relationship with the historic eduacational institutions based on its founding of Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, in 1834 and Meredith College
Meredith College
Meredith College is a liberal arts women's college located in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the 2010-2011 academic year, there were approximately 2,300 students enrolled, including about 350 graduate students, making Meredith the largest women's college in the southeastern United States...
in 1898. These institutions do not receive funding from the Convention, nor are their boards and administration members elected by the Convention. They simply acknowledge a historical relationship with their founding body, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.
Affiliated Organizations
- Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina
- North Carolina Baptist Foundation
- North Carolina Baptist Hospital
Affiliated Retreat Centers
- Caraway Conference Center and Camp
- Hollifield Leadership Center
- North Carolina Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell
- Truett Camp