What are all the Baptist denominations?

Hi, Joe. Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer as to exactly how many Baptist denominations there are. Here is a link to a topic that attempts to list the BAPTIST GROUPS IN THE USA. Perhaps this will answer some of your questions. Let us know if that is not really what you're looking for.

 

Robert, that link requires a password......What forum is it in?

Cheers,

Jim

 

Sorry about that. It's in the "2002 Archive" and the password is "2002."

 

Since the link I provided above is in the archives, which makes it a little harder to get to, I have copied a recent abbreviated outline that I have in Microsoft Word. It could be more readable, but I lost the formatting transferring it here, and do not know how to restore it. As listed below, there are 55 groups of Baptists in the U. S. This is somewhat arbitrary on the part of the list compiler (me), and can vary according to different compilers' judgment. I think we have about reached the point when the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Alliance of Baptists will be listed as independent groups rather than offshoots of the SBC (but I didn't feel like re-numbering the entire outline right now). This list also does not take into account certain ethnic bodies that operate more or less independently of these groups, nor does it deal with any Baptists outside the United States (although many of these U. S. bodies have churches & members outside the U. S.).

SUB-GROUPS WITHIN THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION

I. REGULAR BAPTIST (NORTHERN-ORIENTED)

A. ECUMENICAL MAINLINE
1. American Baptist Churches in the USA
a. American Baptist Evangelicals
b. Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
B. CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL
2. Baptist General Conference
3. Conservative Baptist Association of America
4. North American Baptist Conference
5. Seventh Day Baptist General Conference
C. SEPARATIST FUNDAMENTALIST
6. Fundamental Baptist Fellowship of America
7. General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
8. Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America
9. New England Evangelical Baptist Fellowship
10. Related Northern Fundamental Baptist Fellowships
a. New Testament Association of Independent Baptists
b. Association of Fundamental Baptist Churches of Northern California
c. Association of Independent Baptist Churches of Illinois
d. Dakota Baptist Association
e. Grace Baptist Fellowship
f. Independent Fundamental Baptist Association of Michigan
g. Indiana Fundamental Baptist Association
h. Inter-Mountain Baptist Fellowship (MT, WY)
i. Minnesota Baptist Association
j. Mountain States Baptist Fellowship (CO)
k. Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches
l. Wyoming Fellowship of Baptist Churches

II. REGULAR BAPTISTS (SOUTHERN-ORIENTED)

A. CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL
11. Southern Baptist Convention
a. Alliance of Baptists
b. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
B. LANDMARK MISSIONARY BAPTIST
12. American Baptist Association
13. Baptist Missionary Association of America
14. Independent Landmark Associations and Churches
a. California Missionary Baptist Association
b. Central (TX)
c. Landmark (AR)
d. Mt. Pisgah (MS)
e. Southern California
15. Interstate and Foreign Landmark Missionary Baptist Association
16. Old Time Missionary Baptists
“Middle Tennessee” Correspondence
a. Baptist Old Path (MO)
b. Bethel (IN)
c. Big Bear Creek (AL)
d. Cane Creek (MO)
e. Cedar County (MO)
f. County Line (MO
g. Dallas County (MO)
h. Enon (TN)
i. Old Time Camden County (MO)
j. Polk County (MO)
k. Siloam (KY)
l. Southwestern District (TN)
m. St. Clair County (MO)
n. Wiseman (TN)
Other Associations
a. Barren River (KY)
b. Edmonson (KY)
c. Mt. Carmel (AL)
d. Original Smyrna (GA)
e. Pine Mountain (KY)
f. Pleasant Grove (GA)
g. Second North Concord (KY)
h. Wayne Trail (OH)
17. United Baptists - Landmark
a. Green River (KY)
b. South Concord (KY)
c. South Fork (KY)
d. Stockton Valley (TN)
e. West Union (TN)
C. SEPARATIST FUNDAMENTALISTS
18. Baptist Bible Fellowship International
19. Global Independent Baptist Fellowship
20. Independent Baptist Fellowship International
21. Liberty Baptist Fellowship
22. Southwide Baptist Fellowship
23. World Baptist Fellowship

III. BLACK BAPTISTS

A. NATIONAL BAPTISTS
24. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.
25. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
26. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
27. National Primitive Baptist Convention, Inc.
28. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
B. OTHER
29. Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
30. Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association
31. Institutional Missionary Baptist Conference of America
32. Primitive Baptist - independent Black local associations

IV. PRIMITIVISTS

A. PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS
33. Primitive Baptist - Absolute Predestinarian
34. Primitive Baptist - Progressive
a. Birdwood College Related Churches
b. Eastern District Association
35. Primitive Baptist - Limited Predestinarian
a. Old Line
b. Progressives
36. Primitive Baptist - Universalist
B. REGULAR BAPTISTS
37. Old Regular Baptists
“New Salem” Correspondence
a. Mud River
b. New Salem
c. Northern New Salem
d. Old Friendship
e. Old Indian Bottom
f. Philadelphia
g. Sardis
h. Union
Other Associations
a. Bethel
b. Friendship
c. Indian Bottom
d. Little Dove
e. Mountain #1
f. Mountain #2
g. Original Mountain Liberty
h. Thornton Union
38. Regular and Union Baptists
a. East Washington
b. Enterprise
c. Little River
d. Little Valley
e. Mountain Union
f. Original Mountain Union
g. Primitive
h. Union
C. OTHER
39. Central Baptist Association
40. General Association of Baptists (Duck River/Kindred)
a. Duck River (TN)
b. East Union (TN)
c. Mt. Pleasant #1 (AL)
d. Mt. Pleasant #2 (AL)
e. Mt. Zion (TN)
f. New Liberty (TN)
g. Pleasant Hill Church (KY)
h. Union (TN)
41. Georgia Old Time Associations
a. Chestatee
b. Coosawattee
c. Ellijay
d. Jasper
e. New Hope
f. Pleasant Valley
42. Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists
a. Trinity River Association
b. 2 independent churches
43. United Baptist - Regular
a. Blaine Union (KY)
b. Iron Hill (KY)
c. Laurel River (KY)
d. Little Friendship (IN)
e. Mt. Zion (KY)
f. New Bethel (OH)
g. New Hope (KY)
h. Paint Union (KY)
i. Old Bethlehem (WV)
j. Old Paint Union (KY)
k. Red Bird River (KY)
l. Town Creek (AL)
m. Tri-State Zion (KY)
n. Union Bethlehem (WV)
o. Wills Creek #1 (AL)
p. Wills Creek #2 (AL)
q. Zion (KY)

V. GENERAL BAPTISTS

A. FREE WILL BAPTISTS
44. Independent Free Will Baptist Associations
a. Eastern Stone
b. French Broad
c. Jack’s Creek
d. John-Thomas
e. Mt. Mitchell
f. Muscle Shoals
g. Original Grand River
h. Stone Association of Central Indiana
i. Tennessee River
j. Toe River
k. Western
l. Western Stone
45. National Association of Free Will Baptists
46. Original Free Will Baptist Convention
47. United American Free Will Baptist Church
B. GENERAL BAPTISTS
48. General Association of General Baptists
49. General Six-Principle Baptist Church
C. OTHER
50. Separate Baptists in Christ
General Association of Separate Baptists
a. Central Indiana
b. Christian Unity (VA)
c. Mt. Olive (TN)
d. Nolynn (KY)
e. Northeast Florida
f. South Kentucky
g. West Virginia
Unaffiliated Separate Baptists
a. Ambraw (IL)
b. Northern Indiana
51. National Association of United Baptists (and Related)
a. Ancient Christian
b. Bethel
c. Bethlehem
d. Central Missouri
e. Centerpoint
f. Mount Carmel
g. Northern United
h. Ohio Valley
i. Tri-State
j. Union

VI. REFORMED/SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTISTS

52. Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America
53. Continental Baptist Churches
54. Gospel Standard Strict Baptist Churches
55. Sovereign Grace Baptist Association of Churches

The broad divisions used in this outline are based on those created by Dr. Albert W. Wardin, author of Baptist Atlas, Baptists Around the World, et. al.

[ January 11, 2003, 10:34 PM: Message edited by: rlvaughn ]

 

As the list shows, there are literally hundreds of different baptist associations around the world, Almost by definition, certainly by history, and hopefully by theology baptists arn't really a 'denomination' in the traditional church sense of the word. Baptist churches are essentially local churches, independant in government and order, but often co-operative with like-minded churches. This is different in structure from the majority of other 'demominations' and also why different church fellowships select what activities and events they support. And almost everywhere but the US the denomination ties are light.
Regards
Bob

 

What I want to know is what are the differences between them. I realize that no-one can answer this...it's something that I will have to research extensively. I've only experienced Independent Fundamental Baptist Church.

 

Many of my posts don't make sense when I read them back, but I want to say, the great diversity of Baptist thought and Baptist churches is one of the things that I love about being Baptist. We don't go to any church in America (or elsewhere) and have a canned sermon written by someone at headquarters and delivered all over. Individual Sole Liberty is one of the truly great things about being Baptist!

 

I liked the listing of Baptist denominations and subgroups. However, under American Baptists the two groups listed are actually just two "political action groups" for want of a better term in the ABC

The American Baptist Evangelicals is an organizations that is seeking to represent the more conservative wing of the ABC. But, if memory serves me correctly, it doesn't even have 100 congregations listed as being members.

The ABC Welcoming and Affirming Baptists is an even small groups that represents less than 100 ABC churches.

There are actually groups in the ABC that are much larger than these in membership but, are just not as vocal.

Just because they are loud and vocal doesn't mean they are all the prominant.

The ABC has ethnically related caucuses that are actually much larger than these too organizations.

Timothy Bonney, Pastor
First Baptist Church (ABC/USA)
Rushville, Indiana

 

Timothy, I have a topic on Ethnic Baptist Bodies in the US. Perhaps you can find time to peruse the thread and add any information you might have concerning those related to the ABCUSA. Also, are there other non-ethnic groups along the order of the "American Baptist Evangelicals" and the "Welcoming & Affirming Baptists"? Finally, do these two groups remain small because their viewpoints are perhaps extremes within the ABCUSA, or because they are too political, or perhaps some other reason?

 

Yes, there are several that I can think of. The Roger Williams Fellowship which relates to religious freedom issues is another group. There are also groups like the ethnic caucuses like the Young Adult Caucus and the Women's Caucus that have official standing in the denomination. the ABE, RWF, and W&A groups are not "official" ABC groups.

I think the ABE and W&A are small because they do hold what is held to be the left and right fringes of ABC life.

Also, the ABC was not founded based on doctrinal uniformity but, rather on a certain set of historic Baptist principles. So, a lot of ABC people don't get all hot about doctrinal differences.

Tim

PS I'll check out the other discussion thread.