The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC), established in 1932 is an
Independent Baptist Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is a distinct Religion, religious body within Christianity that comprises all Church (congregation), church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadersh ...
in
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, retaining the name "
Regular Baptist". The association's home office is located in
Elgin,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
.
History
The impact of
modernism
Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
on the
Northern Baptist Convention
The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a mainline Protestant and Baptist Christian denomination. It is a reorganization from 1907 of the Triennial Convention. The Triennial Convention was renamed as the Northern Baptist Convention in ...
(now called the
American Baptist Churches USA
The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a mainline Protestant and Baptist Christian denomination. It is a reorganization from 1907 of the Triennial Convention. The Triennial Convention was renamed as the Northern Baptist Convention in ...
) led to the eventual withdrawal of a number of
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
and
fundamentalist
Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishin ...
churches. The
Baptist Bible Union (BBU) of 1923 was the forerunner to the GARBC. The final meeting of the BBU in 1932 in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
was the first meeting of the GARBC.
The Association publishes Regular Baptist Press, a church education curriculum and the association's bimonthly magazine, the ''Baptist Bulletin''.
In 2018, the GARBC had over 1,200 member churches.
According to the 2008 ''
Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches'', the GARBC reported having 1,383 churches and 132,900 members in 2005. Membership is concentrated in the Midwest. The states with the highest membership rates are Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio.
Data from the 2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study
Organization
The GARBC follows a " wikt:fellowship, fellowship" model rather than a denominational model. Each member church is free to act independently in all matters. The home office of the GARBC holds no controlling power over member churches. The purpose of the association is for fellowship between churches of like faith and practice.
See also
* Baptist Distinctives
Sources
*''Baptists Around the World'', by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
*''Dictionary of Baptists in America'', Bill J. Leonard, editor
References
External links
GARBC Web SiteProfile of the GARBC on the Association of Religion Data Archives website
{{Evangelicalism in the United States
Independent Baptist denominations in the United States
Organizations based in Illinois
Christian organizations established in 1932
Baptist denominations established in the 20th century
Evangelical Christian fundamentalist denominations
Christian denominations founded in the United States