Continental Baptist Churches
Encyclopedia
Continental Baptist Churches is an association of "Calvinistic
" Baptist churches holding New Covenant theology
, organized in June 1983. The roots of this movement are in the Baptist Reformation Review, founded by Norbert Ward at Nashville, Tennessee
in 1972, and the Sword and the Trowel, edited by Ron McKinney of Dallas, Texas
. Both of these papers espoused the doctrines of grace.
In 1979, the Sword and Trowel leaders began to sponsor an annual "Council on Baptist Theology." Through this form of exchange, it became clear that this "Dallas" group held different understandings, especially in the area of Covenant Theology
, from those espoused by northeastern Reformed Baptist
s led by Walter Chantry and Albert N. Martin. This led the "Dallas" ("Sword and Trowel") churches to form their own association - Continental Baptist Churches. This group began with about twenty churches.
Beliefs held by the churches of this body include the doctrines of grace, often referred to as the Five Points of Calvinism
, the gathered believers church, believers' baptism by immersion requisite to church membership and to participation at the Lord's table, and the autonomy of each local church. Continental Baptist Churches accept the First London Confession of Faith (1646 edition) as a general expression of their beliefs.
Continental Baptist churches generally disagree with other Baptists in the Reformed tradition concerning the function of the moral law and the ten commandments
in the Christian age, maintaining, for instance, the seventh-day Sabbath position that Christians have no obligation to observe the first day of the week as Christian Sabbath because of the fourth commandment.
The organizational structure includes an Executive Committee composed of a Council elected by the churches and the officers (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) elected by the association. A periodical called Kindred Minds is the official publication of Continental Baptist Churches. The association holds a Bible Conference and business meeting each year. In 1995, 9 churches were participating in the association. Membership is open to any Baptist church "on the North American continent which subscribes to the Constitution and Articles of Faith of the Association." These churches must be received by majority vote of the messengers at the annual meeting. Continental Baptist Churches also cooperates with the Sovereign Grace Baptist Association
of Churches.
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
" Baptist churches holding New Covenant theology
New Covenant Theology
New Covenant Theology is a Christian theological system which teaches that the Old Testament Laws have been fulfilled and abrogated or cancelled with Christ's death, and replaced with the Law of Christ of the New Covenant. It shares similarities and yet is distinct from Dispensationalism and...
, organized in June 1983. The roots of this movement are in the Baptist Reformation Review, founded by Norbert Ward at Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1972, and the Sword and the Trowel, edited by Ron McKinney of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. Both of these papers espoused the doctrines of grace.
In 1979, the Sword and Trowel leaders began to sponsor an annual "Council on Baptist Theology." Through this form of exchange, it became clear that this "Dallas" group held different understandings, especially in the area of Covenant Theology
Covenant Theology
Covenant theology is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible...
, from those espoused by northeastern Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptists are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology. They can trace their history through the early modern Particular Baptists of England. The first Reformed Baptist church was formed in the 1630s...
s led by Walter Chantry and Albert N. Martin. This led the "Dallas" ("Sword and Trowel") churches to form their own association - Continental Baptist Churches. This group began with about twenty churches.
Beliefs held by the churches of this body include the doctrines of grace, often referred to as the Five Points of Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
, the gathered believers church, believers' baptism by immersion requisite to church membership and to participation at the Lord's table, and the autonomy of each local church. Continental Baptist Churches accept the First London Confession of Faith (1646 edition) as a general expression of their beliefs.
Continental Baptist churches generally disagree with other Baptists in the Reformed tradition concerning the function of the moral law and the ten commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
in the Christian age, maintaining, for instance, the seventh-day Sabbath position that Christians have no obligation to observe the first day of the week as Christian Sabbath because of the fourth commandment.
The organizational structure includes an Executive Committee composed of a Council elected by the churches and the officers (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) elected by the association. A periodical called Kindred Minds is the official publication of Continental Baptist Churches. The association holds a Bible Conference and business meeting each year. In 1995, 9 churches were participating in the association. Membership is open to any Baptist church "on the North American continent which subscribes to the Constitution and Articles of Faith of the Association." These churches must be received by majority vote of the messengers at the annual meeting. Continental Baptist Churches also cooperates with the Sovereign Grace Baptist Association
Sovereign Grace Baptists
Sovereign Grace Baptists in the broadest sense are any "Calvinistic" Baptists that accept God's sovereign grace in salvation and predestination, including Primitive Baptists, Reformed Baptists, Continental Baptist Churches and Strict Baptists...
of Churches.
Sources
- Continental Baptist Churches: A Fellowship of Kindred Minds, by the Executive Committee of CBC
- Constitution of Continental Baptist Churches
- The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness, by H. Leon McBeth