Separate Baptists in Christ
Encyclopedia
The Separate Baptists in Christ are a denomination of Separate Baptists found mostly in United States
.
or Campbellites (also known as the Christian Churches). The South Kentucky Association of Separate Baptist choose not to stay in any union.
and Mt. Olive (TN, 1892). The old Kentucky Association is now called South Kentucky Association of Separate Baptists in Christ (org. 1785). A division of the Christian Unity Baptist Association
(org. 1935) united in fellowship with the Separate Baptists in 1975. Two associations have also been recently organized, the West Virginia Association and the Northeast Florida Association, each constituted with one church, but the Northeast Florida Association dissolved. The churches and associations labored in 1912 to organize a general association, called the General Association of Separate Baptists. A general association had previously been organized in 1877, but it dissolved. Separate Baptist Missions, Inc. was formed in 1967. They also support Sunday Schools and youth camps. All local associations of Separate Baptists had participated in the General Association, but Ambraw withdrew in 1991 and Northern Indiana in 1992, each now independent associations. This division was precipitated by the General Association's adoption of an article which rejected premillennialism: "ARTICLE 12. We believe that, at Christ's coming in the clouds of Heaven, all Christians will be gathered with Him in the clouds and that time shall be no more, thus leaving no time for a literal one thousand year reign."
, the Lord's Supper and feet washing
. Separate Baptists hold this in common with Free Will Baptists
, General Association of Baptists
, Christian Baptist Church of God
, Primitive Baptist
, Pleasant Valley and Jasper Baptist Association, United Baptists, Union Baptists
, Old Regular Baptists and many Independent Baptist Associations. Separate Baptists are Arminian
in persuasion, believing "that he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved" rather than eternal security. Separate Baptist believe that a "saved" person can choose to turn from God to a life of sin. This is called "backsliding." The Separate Baptist believe a backslider must ask God for forgiveness of their sin. Separate Baptists hold this in common with Free Will Baptists
, General Baptist
, the General Six-Principle Baptists
and some United Baptists. In 1999, the churches of the General Association numbered 80, with about 7500 members. The Ambraw and Northern Indiana Associations consist of approximately 1500 members in about 20 churches. This makes the total membership of all Separate Baptists about 9000 in 100 churches.
. These churches are not in association with the General Association. In 1993 Separate Baptist Missions, Inc. began contributing to missionaries Lonnie Palmer and Steve Palmer in their work among the Koulango in Ivory Coast, Africa.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The Separate Baptists had no formal statement of faith before 1776. They only followed the Bible. In 1776 there was split in the Separate Baptist movement over the Arminian system. This split was in part due to the preaching of John Walker who was known as a "very able preacher". At the 1776 session of the General Association of the Separate Baptist in Virginia elder John Walker use Corinthians 13:11 as his text in the introductory sermon. After the 1776 association many in the Separate Baptist who supported the Arminian view moved west into Kentucky and Tennessee. The Separate Baptist who are now known as the Separate Baptist in Christ come from these people who settled in Kentucky and Tennessee. They started the churches who formed(in 1786) the Kentucky Association of the Separate Baptist. Over the years a large number of these churches folded into other groups like the United BaptistUnited 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...
or Campbellites (also known as the Christian Churches). The South Kentucky Association of Separate Baptist choose not to stay in any union.
Associations
The present-day Separate Baptists in Christ descend from that association and others organized by it, which consists of the following surviving associations: Nolynn (KY, 1819); Ambraw (IL, 1844); Northern Indiana (IN, 1854); Central Indiana (IN, 1870);and Mt. Olive (TN, 1892). The old Kentucky Association is now called South Kentucky Association of Separate Baptists in Christ (org. 1785). A division of the Christian Unity Baptist Association
Christian Unity Baptist Association
The Christian Unity Baptist Association was organized September 27-September 28, 1935 at Zion Hill Church in Ashe County, North Carolina, by six Baptist congregations. Some of these churches were remnants of the Macedonia Baptist Association, which existed for a short time in the first quarter of...
(org. 1935) united in fellowship with the Separate Baptists in 1975. Two associations have also been recently organized, the West Virginia Association and the Northeast Florida Association, each constituted with one church, but the Northeast Florida Association dissolved. The churches and associations labored in 1912 to organize a general association, called the General Association of Separate Baptists. A general association had previously been organized in 1877, but it dissolved. Separate Baptist Missions, Inc. was formed in 1967. They also support Sunday Schools and youth camps. All local associations of Separate Baptists had participated in the General Association, but Ambraw withdrew in 1991 and Northern Indiana in 1992, each now independent associations. This division was precipitated by the General Association's adoption of an article which rejected premillennialism: "ARTICLE 12. We believe that, at Christ's coming in the clouds of Heaven, all Christians will be gathered with Him in the clouds and that time shall be no more, thus leaving no time for a literal one thousand year reign."
Separate Baptist in Christ Ordinances
Separate Baptists hold a standard orthodoxy in common with many other Baptists. They hold three ordinances, BaptismBaptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, the Lord's Supper and feet washing
Feet washing
Foot 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...
. Separate Baptists hold this in common with Free Will Baptists
Free Will Baptist Church
Free Will Baptist is a denomination of churches that share a common history, name, and an acceptance of the Arminian theology of free grace, free salvation, and free will. Free Will Baptists share similar soteriological views with General Baptists, Separate Baptists and some United Baptists...
, General Association of Baptists
General Association of Baptists
Though the annual meeting of this group is denominated the The General Association of The Baptists, they are most widely known as the Duck River and Kindred Associations of Baptists. Other names associated with these churches are the Baptist Church of Christ, The Baptists, and Separate Baptists...
, Christian Baptist Church of God
Christian Baptist Church of God
The Ohio Valley Association of the Christian Baptist Churches of God is a baptist holiness denomination in the Ohio Valley area of the United States. It was formed January 3, 1931 in Portsmouth, Ohio...
, Primitive Baptist
Primitive Baptist
Primitive Baptists, also known as Hard Shell Baptists or Anti-Mission Baptists, are conservative, Calvinist Baptists adhering to beliefs that formed out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 1800’s over the appropriateness of mission boards, bible tract societies, and temperance...
, Pleasant Valley and Jasper Baptist Association, United Baptists, Union Baptists
Union Baptists
Union 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...
, Old Regular Baptists and many Independent Baptist Associations. Separate Baptists are Arminian
Arminianism
Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants...
in persuasion, believing "that he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved" rather than eternal security. Separate Baptist believe that a "saved" person can choose to turn from God to a life of sin. This is called "backsliding." The Separate Baptist believe a backslider must ask God for forgiveness of their sin. Separate Baptists hold this in common with Free Will Baptists
Free Will Baptist Church
Free Will Baptist is a denomination of churches that share a common history, name, and an acceptance of the Arminian theology of free grace, free salvation, and free will. Free Will Baptists share similar soteriological views with General Baptists, Separate Baptists and some United Baptists...
, 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:...
, the General Six-Principle Baptists
General Six-Principle Baptists
The Six-Principle Baptists were the first Baptist association in the Americas. The "six-principles" adhered to are those listed in :* Repentance* Faith* Baptism* Laying on of hands* Resurrection of the dead* Final judgment...
and some United Baptists. In 1999, the churches of the General Association numbered 80, with about 7500 members. The Ambraw and Northern Indiana Associations consist of approximately 1500 members in about 20 churches. This makes the total membership of all Separate Baptists about 9000 in 100 churches.
International Separate Baptist in Christ Missions
There also are some Separate Baptists in Christ in the Ahmednagar district of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. These churches are not in association with the General Association. In 1993 Separate Baptist Missions, Inc. began contributing to missionaries Lonnie Palmer and Steve Palmer in their work among the Koulango in Ivory Coast, Africa.
Sources
- Minutes of the General Association and local associations
- Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
- Dictionary of Baptists in America, Bill J. Leonard, editor
- Handbook of Denominations, by Frank Mead, Samuel Hill & Craig D. Atwood