ABA vs ABCUSA

The American Baptist Association is a fellowship of conservative churches, located largely in Arkansas and Texas, distinguished by a commitment to "Landmark" views on Baptist history and the priority of the local church.

The American Baptist Churches USA is an old-line denomination, dating back in its origins to Luther Rice and the "Triennial Convention", but formally organized as the Northern Baptist Convention in 1907 in Washington, DC (come see us in 2007 for the centennial observance!). It is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA.

 

From what I have heard others suggest the ABC is one of the more liberal baptist denominations.

 

Then it would be good to listen to some other folks and to check out the denomination for yourself. I hear nothing but the exaltation of Christ and the priority of mission. Nothing "liberal" about that unless we are referring to encouragement that our people GIVE liberally!

Years ago, when I first got into contact with ABC (as a seminary student preaching in churches in Indiana), I too held that stereotype. But I found the people in those churches to be as evangelical as any I had found in Southern Baptist churches. After 35 years now of being a member of churches affiliated with ABC, and knowing staff people, General Board people, etc., I know that the charge of liberalism is incorrect.

 

I am ABC, and conservative... Most ABC churchs in WV (which is the largest region in ABC) are very conservative.... some are even KJVO.

There are some liberal churches in the ABC, but most are conservative and missional.

The prejudice against the ABC is due to some fringe churches getting all the attention because they want to stir things up.

Hopefully in a couple yrs things will be different.
The ABC churches are moving more to the right everyday, leaving the liberals in the dust.

 

Curious as to what you think will happen in a couple of years.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the Biennial here in Washington. I have not been to one in quite a long time ... actually since Charleston, WV.

Roy Medley preached at the church where I am a member this past Sunday. I hear he was excellent ... but I was doing my own preaching at another church.

 

I am looking forward to the biennial also.... Maybe we can get together sometime there.

As I understand it, the Denom. is undergoing some major changes... although, i'm not sure what they are.

But we have got go get back to the basics of missions, and being a biblical people.

I'm not a big fan of Medley's, but then again he is in a tough situation now.

I just wish there was a way to biblically balance autonomy and common beliefs.

I think the "shared table" approach is going to help, but to be honest, I don't know what the ABC will look like in 2 yrs. I don't think anyone does. There is a lot of speculation about the general secretary office, but who knows?
Except God.
That's one reason I want to come to the bienniel...I do hope we can meet there.

 

Oh, and our WVBC annual meeting will be in Charleston this yr, and instead of keeping the meetings indoors, we are hitting the streets... a lot of mission work will be done... That is going to be exciting also. Imagine over 500 Baptists converging on a small city like Charleston WV to do mission work....

Charleston will never be the same....
(that may or may not be a good thing!!! lol)

 

Thats how we do at the Southern Baptist Convention. The host city has a "Crossover _____________ (city name)" and tons of mission work is done before the business even gets started.

I had also heard before that ABC's were somewhat liberal, but liberal is relative. From a landmark Missionary Baptist's perspective, sure they are liberal. But from other standpoints, they would be ultra conservative.

 

I guess it would depend on what liberal means....

I am conservative, not ultra conservative, but conservative. I believe in the fundamentals, but am afraid to call myself a fundamentalist, because of how that title has been hi-jacked by the extreme right.

Most churches in WVBC are conservative, especially the rural churches. You can check out the info about The WVBC at www.wvbc.org or info on the ABC at www.abc-usa.org .

 

Could the stereotype of "Northern Baptists are liberal, Southern Baptists are conservative" have come from the old North-South conflict, with the north seen as liberal (abolition, liberal bastions like Boston, Union eliminated State's rights, etc), and the south seen as conservative (even becoming known as "the Bible Belt"; confederate flag held among conservatives, etc)?

 

More likely it came from the theological conflicts of the early 20th Century - what was termed "modernism" did have its effect on the Northern Baptist Convention. The Conservative Baptist Association and other groups came out of the NBC, and a whole collection of alternative seminaries were formed in reaction to the acknowledged liberalism of the established ones. So for years there were pairs of seminaries in several cities: in Chicago the University of Chicago Divinity School was countered by the new Northern Baptist Theological Seminary; in Philadelphia Crozer was "opposed" by Eastern; in Boston Andover-Newton was met with what is now Gordon-Conwell. By now, however, old liberalism is gone, the formerly liberal seminaries have moved toward the center, and the formerly conservative seminaries have moved there as well. I see the ABCUSA as a mainline denomination with evangelical themes, trying to find and hold its place in the American landscape.

Next year when ABC and CBF meet simultaneously, we shall see whether these two bodies can move toward closer cooperation and perhaps one day organic union. The same thing has been taking place between ABC and the Progressive National Baptist Convention, but then PNBC and the other historically African-American Baptist bodies are now in conversation again.

Ah, for the day when Baptists can unite! But not in my lifetime, I suspect!

 

Are you crazy man! You mean getting all baptists on the same side?:laugh: :laugh: :tongue3:

What a progressive Idea!