National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.

The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., more

National Baptist Convention
commonly known as the National Baptist Convention
(NBC USA or NBC), is a Baptist Christian denomination
headquartered at the Baptist World Center in Nashville,
Tennessee and affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance.[i] It
is also the largest predominantly and traditionally African
American church in the United States and the second largest
Baptist denomination in the world.[1]

History

Seal
Origins
Classification Evangelical
The root of cooperative efforts among Black Baptists began in Christianity
the Antebellum period. Both free blacks and slaves were
Orientation Baptist
welcomed into the Baptist movement by missionaries in the
First Great Awakening and Second Great Awakening.[2] Polity Congregationalist
Independent Black Baptist churches were formed in President Jerry Young
Petersburg, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia before the
Associations Baptist World
American Civil War.[3] Under the slave societies of the South,
Alliance
they had to belong to white Baptist associations. Black
congregations were required by law to have white ministers Founder Elias Camp
and supervision by law, especially after the slave rebellion of Morris
Nat Turner in 1831.[4] Origin 1895
Montgomery,
The first attempts at wider black cooperative efforts began in
Alabama
the North, with Ohio and Illinois leading the way. In 1834,
Black Baptists in Ohio formed the Providence Baptist Merger of Foreign Mission
Association. In 1838, following the lead of the Baptists in Baptist
Ohio, Black Baptists in Illinois formed the Wood River Baptist Convention (org.
Association.[5] 1880)

As early as 1840, Black Baptists sought to develop a American

cooperative movement beyond state lines. Baptists in New National Baptist
York and the Middle Atlantic states formed the American Convention (org.
Baptist Missionary Convention. The spirit of cooperation 1886)
beyond state lines soon spread westward. In 1864, during the National Baptist
American Civil War, the Black Baptists of the West and South
Education
organized the Northwestern Baptist Convention and the
Convention (org.
Southern Baptist Convention.[5]
1893)
In 1866, following the war, these two conventions met with Separations Lott Carey
the American Baptist Convention and formed the Foreign Mission
Consolidated American Baptist Convention. One of the great
successes of the new Consolidated American Baptist
Convention was the support given to Black Baptists in the Convention
South to form state conventions. Black Baptists in the former (separated 1897)
Confederacy overwhelmingly left white-dominated churches
National Baptist
to form independent congregations and get away from white
Convention of
supervision.[5]
America, Inc.
After emancipation, Black Baptists in the South, with the (separated 1915)
support of the Consolidated Convention, formed their own Progressive
state conventions. Among these were Alabama, North National Baptist
Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, and Kentucky.[6] Despite the Convention
pioneer work of the Consolidated Convention, regionalism (separated 1961)
continued among Black Baptists. In 1873, the Black Baptists
of the West formed the General Association of the Western Full Gospel
States and Territories, and in 1874 the East organized the New Baptist Church
England Baptist Missionary Convention. This continued Fellowship
regionalism and other factors caused the decline and eventual (separated 1992)
demise of the Consolidated American Baptist Convention.[5] Congregations 21,145
According to historian Wilson Fallin Jr., black preachers Members 8,415,100
interpreted the American Civil War as: Tertiary institutions American Baptist
College
God's gift of freedom. They appreciated Official website www
opportunities to exercise their independence, to .nationalbaptist
worship in their own way, to affirm their worth .com (http://www.
and dignity, and to proclaim the fatherhood of nationalbaptist.co
God and the brotherhood of man. Most of all,
m)
they could form their own churches, associations,
and conventions. These institutions offered self-
help and racial uplift, and provided places where
the gospel of liberation could be proclaimed. As a
result, black preachers continued to insist that
God would protect and help him; God would be
their rock in a stormy land.[7]

Convention founding
Gillfield Baptist Church, largest
Black congregation within the
In 1880, about 150 Baptist pastors met in Montgomery, Alabama,
Portsmouth Association, preceding
and formed the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention. The formation
the north-south split and formation of
of the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention was to some degree a
Southern Baptist Convention in 1845
result of the demise of the Consolidated American Baptist
Convention. The Consolidated Convention's death created a
vacuum in mission work, especially for African missions. In
response to this void, William W. Colley of Virginia, who had served as missionary to Nigeria under the
Southern Baptist Convention during the 1870s, issued a call for Black Baptists to meet in Montgomery,
Alabama, in order to organize a national convention to do extensive foreign missionary work.[8]

At the initial 1880 meeting, William H. McAlpine of Alabama was elected President of the Foreign Mission
Convention; he is considered the first President of the National Baptist Convention.
Two other national Black conventions formed. In 1886, William J.
Simmons of Kentucky led the formation of the American National
Baptist Convention.[9] In 1893 W. Bishop Johnson of Washington,
D.C. led the formation of the National Baptist Education
Convention. The desire to have one convention remained alive and
the movement reached its fruition on September 24, 1895 at the
Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta, when these three conventions
came together to form the National Baptist Convention of the
United States of America.[10] The heart of the new convention was
that the three former conventions serve as the three boards of the First African Baptist Church in
convention: foreign missions, home missions, and education. Savannah, Georgia

Convention splits

In 1897, during the Elias Camp Morris administration,[a] a group of National Baptist pastors left the
convention and formed the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention. The separation was centered on two
issues: the location of the foreign mission board and greater cooperation with White Baptists.

The second split, also during Morris's presidency, came in 1915 over ownership and operation of the
National Baptist Publishing Board. The National Baptist Publishing Board was the most successful agency
and was led by R. H. Boyd. Leaders and pastors of the convention became suspicious of the actions of the
board when they did not receive the reports they thought due them. A debate ensued concerning the
ownership.[11]

Those who supported Boyd and his view that the board was independent of the convention formed the
National Baptist Convention of America. It became known as the Unincorporated Convention (now the
National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc.). Because of the question of incorporation,
leaders who remained in the original convention led a movement to incorporate their organization. The
constitution was amended in 1916 and the convention was later incorporated, taking the name of National
Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.

During the Joseph Jackson tenure, a third split occurred in the convention. The two key issues were tenure
and the lack of support of the civil rights movement.[12] The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s,
known for increased public activism, demonstrations and protests was highly controversial in many Baptist
churches. Often the ministers preached spiritual salvation rather than political activism.

Jackson, the convention's leader, had supported the Montgomery bus boycott of 1956, but by 1960 he told
the members they should not become involved in civil rights activism. Based in Chicago, Jackson was a
close ally of Mayor Richard J. Daley and the Chicago Democrats. He opposed public activism of Martin
Luther King Jr. and his aide, the young Jesse Jackson Sr., (no relation to Joseph Jackson). Gardner C.
Taylor of New York challenged Jackson for the presidency, but lost.[13]

After Jackson was re-elected (and following a violent dispute at the convention involving one death), a
group led by L. Venchael Booth formed a new convention at the Zion Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio
in 1961. They named themselves the Progressive National Baptist Convention. These activists supported
the extensive activism of King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference.[14][15] The Progressive
National Baptists also established ecumenical relations with the American Baptist Churches USA.[16]

In 1992, Paul S. Morton of New Orleans, Louisiana formed a fellowship within the convention. It was
named the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. This charismatic Baptist fellowship in the convention
explored spiritual gifts, speaking in tongues, prophecy, exclamatory worship, etc. The leadership of this
fellowship later separated completely from the National Baptist Convention, USA after discrimination from
the NBC's leadership,[17][18][19][20] and became one of the largest Full Gospel movements, and one of the
fastest growing new Baptist denominations in the United States.

Racial reconciliation

From 2015 to 2016, President Jerry Young collaborated with the Southern Baptist Convention on racial
reconciliation.[21][22] Meeting with President Ronnie Floyd of the SBC, 10 pastors from each convention
were assembled to discuss race relations; in 2016, Young revealed several difficulties surrounding racial
reconciliation to The New York Times,[22] stating:

“I’ve never said this to Dr. Floyd, but I’ve had fellows in my own denomination who called
me and said: ‘What are you doing? I mean, are you not aware of the history?'” “And I say,
obviously I’m aware. They bring up the issue about slavery and that becomes a reason, they
say, that we ought not to be involved with the Southern Baptists. Where from my vantage
point, that’s reverse racism.” “I do understand the history, and I understand the pain of the
past...But what I’m also quite clear about is, if the Gospel does anything at all, the Gospel
demands that we not only preach but practice reconciliation.”

Floyd, describing 2015 as a "historic year of progress in racial healing," with the SBC and NBC
collaborations,[22] succeeds the election of Fred Luter Jr. as the Southern Baptist Convention's first African
American president, alongside the adoption of an informal name, "Great Commission Baptists" which
gained significant adoption by 2020.[23][24][25]

Statistics
According to a census published by the convention in 2022, it claimed 21,145 churches and 8,415,100
members,[26] an increase since 2010's 10,358 churches and 5,197,512 members.[27] Overall, the National
Baptist Convention continues to remain the largest historically and predominantly African American or
Black Christian denomination in the United States, while separated bodies such as the theologically
conservative to moderate National Baptist Convention of America have declined in membership (2000's
3,500,000 and more than 8,000 churches to 2020's 3,106,000 members in 12,336 churches)[28][29] and the
theologically moderate to liberal Progressive National Baptist Convention (2009's 1,010,000 members in
1,500 churches to 2020's 1,500,000 members in 1,362 churches)[30] has increased.

In 2014, the Pew Research Center estimated 23% of its membership were 65 and older, 36% aged 50–64,
30% aged 30–49, and 11% aged 18–29; in 2007, 14% of the National Baptist Convention's membership
were aged 18–29, 35% aged 30–49, 29% aged 50–64, and 21% aged 65 and older.[31] The largest
generational group as of 2014 were Baby Boomers (43%), followed by Generation X (28%). The Silent
Generation was the third largest (14%) and Millennials were fourth (13%). From 2007 to 2014,
membership of Millennials and Generation X increased, replacing the Silent Generation (at 20% in 2007).
An estimated 61% of the National Baptist Convention was made up of women, and 39% men at the 2014
study. Ethnically, the convention remained predominantly African American (99%), with Hispanics and
Latino Americans being the second largest group (1%). Less than 1% were White, and less than 1% each
were Asian or of another race or ethnicity.

Theologically, 90% of the convention's membership believed in God with absolute certainty, and 8%
believed fairly certainly.[31] About 91% of the convention believed religion was very important and 8%
considered it somewhat important. At least 60% of National Baptists attended church weekly and 82%
prayed at least daily; 54% of National Baptists attended bible study and Sunday schools weekly, and 23%
seldom or never have. The majority of its members read Scripture either weekly or once a week, and 64%
believed all of the Bible should be taken literally. Of its Bible-reading population, 21% believed not all of
the Bible should be taken literally, and 7% believed it was not the Word of God.

Governance
The National Baptist Convention is a convention governed similar
to a presbytery yet allows its member churches to govern
themselves under the congregationalist polity. The convention's
churches—per its statement of faith—are led by pastors or bishops,
and deacons.[32] Within the Baptist tradition according to the 1689
Baptist Confession, the terms "pastor", "elder" and "bishop"
constitute a single office.[33]

Presidency Headquarters of the convention in

Nashville.
E. C. Morris was elected president of the National Baptist
Convention USA in 1895 and served for 27 years.[a] His tenure
was important for laying the foundation of the convention. In
addition to managing growth and organization of new chapters, his
presidency founded the National Baptist Publishing House in
Nashville, Tennessee; blacks wanted to publish literature written by
their own ministers.[34]

In 1890, the American Baptist Publication Society had refused to

publish writings of Black ministers because of resistance from their
White Southern clients. This event, more than any other, inspired
Blacks to develop their own convention and publishing arm. One
year after the formation of the convention, the National Baptist
Publication Board was established under the leadership of Richard
Boyd in Nashville, Tennessee. It was given the right to supply
National Baptist churches with general ministry and Sunday school
supplies. In a short time the publishing house became the largest
Black publishing enterprise in the world.

In 1902, the Woman's State Convention of Tennessee elected Pastor Elias Camp Morris, one of the
African American Virginia E. Walker Broughton, to serve as the founders of the National Baptist
first woman National Corresponding Secretary for the National Convention, and first President of the
Baptist Convention.[35] The twenty-seven years of Morris' NBC
leadership represented the formative period for the convention.

Upon the death of E. C. Morris, L. K. Williams became president of the convention in 1924. During his 16
years' tenure, he expanded the publishing board to gain increased support. Williams appointed L. G. Jordan
as General Secretary of the Board and laid plans for a new building. The building was opened for
inspection in 1925. On the recommendation of Williams, it was named the Morris Building in honor of the
legacy of E. C. Morris. The Layman's Department was also established.

David V. Jemison succeeded Williams as president of the convention in 1940. His two major
accomplishments during his 13 years were paying off the mortgage on the Morris Memorial Building and
the purchase of the Bath House for African American use in the resort of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
In 1953, Joseph H. Jackson of Chicago became the NBC USA President, serving until 1982. His 29-year
tenure was the longest of any president, and spanned some of the most active years of the Civil Rights
Movement. During these years, African Americans gained passage of federal laws protecting and enforcing
their rights to public access and voting, especially in the South. Among President Jackson's many
contributions were new commissions and restructuring of the convention. He also purchased the National
Baptist Freedom Farm and set up an unrestricted scholarship at Roosevelt University. He was noted for low
tolerance of dissent. He said that social protests were not enough, but people needed to prove their
economic productivity as well.[36]

In 1983, T. J. Jemison became president of the convention, serving for 12 years. He completed construction
of the Baptist World Center, a headquarters for the convention in Nashville, Tennessee. He spoke out on
public issues more than some presidents, and expressed his opposition to the Gulf War. In a controversial
statement, he spoke in favor of the noted African American boxer Mike Tyson, who had been convicted of
rape.[37] The uproar caused by Jemison's remarks translated into a deep decline of membership and
associated churches in the convention in 1992.[38] Later presidents built up the national convention again.

Henry Lyons of Florida was elected president in 1994. The Lyons tenure was characterized by much
activity as he established a unified program, reduced the debt on the Baptist World Center, and dissolved
the debt on the Sunday School Publishing Board. In addition, many commissions were added to the
convention. Legal problems, however, forced Lyons to resign from the presidency after he was convicted
of stealing approximately $4 million on homes, jewelry, and a mistress.[39] Lyons unsuccessfully ran again
for President in 2009 with National Congress President, R.B. Holmes of Tallahassee, Florida, as his Vice-
President.

Stewart Cleveland Cureton, Vice President-At-Large, took over the leadership of the convention in 1999
and served the remainder of Lyons' tenure. In 1999, William J. Shaw of Philadelphia was elected as
president, serving until 2009. His presidency was centered on the motto and theme 'V.I.S.A': "Vision,
Integrity, Structure and Accountability." He worked hard to reestablish integrity and credibility in the
convention.

Julius R. Scruggs of Huntsville, Alabama was elected president in 2009 and served one 5-year term. He did
not seek re-election. In September 2014, Jerry Young of Mississippi was elected president, with some of its
members expecting progressive teaching and administration.[34] During Young's presidency—in 2022—
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke during the 142nd Annual Session of the National Baptist
Convention in Houston, Texas stating, "faith requires action" as she called on African American faith
leaders to continue fighting for inalienable rights toward all, remarking the following as Baptists have
historically advocated for the separation of church and state:[40]

"A constitutional right that hadn't been recognized was taken away from the women of
America, and people of America, and on this issue I feel very strongly...one does not have to
abandon their faith or their religious beliefs to agree that a woman should be able to make that
decision about her own body, and her government should not be making that decision for
her...this is this is not about partisanship. It's not about who you voted for in the last election, or
who you plan to vote for in the next election. In terms of political ideology, it's just a very
practical principle, which is women should have the power to make decisions about their own
bodies. It's that basic."[41]

She also publicly commended her Baptist pastor who has been a member of the convention while also
dually affiliating with the American Baptist Churches USA (previously known as the Northern Baptist
Convention).[42][43] Her presence stirred controversy among several white evangelical Protestants and
Southern Baptists, deriding Black Baptists.[44]

State conventions

The National Baptist Convention's members form voluntary state and territory-wide local conventions. The
state conventions are autonomous organizations and separately incorporated; some conventions are dually
aligned with other Baptist conventions.[45]

Congress of Christian Education

The National Baptist Congress of Christian Education is the training arm of the convention.[46] It is an
annual event, held in June that draws more than 50,000 attendees from around the United States and the
world.[47] The congress includes over 300 classes, lectures and group discussion panels targeted and
relevant to every age group and every area of the convention.

Sunday School Publishing Board

The Sunday School Publishing Board is the official publisher of the convention and provides all of the
educational resources of the convention.[48][49] The board was founded in 1915 and is one of the largest
African American owned publishing companies. The Sunday School Publishing Board supplies books, text
books, curriculum and other resources to over 36,000 churches.

Laymen's Movement

The National Baptist Laymen's Movement of the National Baptist Convention, USA was organized at the
Forty-third Session of the National Baptist Convention in Los Angeles, California, in 1923.[50] The new
President of the convention, L. K. Williams presided. The movement came into existence under the
leadership of Deacon John L. Webb, a Christian businessman from Hot Springs, Arkansas. John Webb
served as the first president of the organization and continued in that position until his death in 1946.

Webb in his open letter to national laymen, appearing in the August 30, 1924 issue of the National Baptist
Voice stated the long range objectives of the Movement: "And wherever the Laymen's Movement is
organized, the spirit of it will be to see that the pastor is well paid; and to foster and encourage by words
and our money the institutions of learning that have made space for theological departments, so as to have a
better educated ministry, better Sunday school superintendents, teachers, and B.Y.P.U. workers throughout
our denomination."[50]

The first annual session of the Laymen's Movement was held September 10–15, 1924 in Nashville,
Tennessee. The second annual session was held September 10–11, 1925 at the Econ Baptist church in
Baltimore, Maryland. At the end of the second session twenty-five laymen, five ministers and five persons
representing other church organizations had been official registrants.[51]

His Vice President-at-Large Brother J. C. McClendon of Jackson, Mississippi, succeeded John L. Webb.
After serving six years he was succeeded by his Vice President-at-Large, Brother Allen Jordan of
Brooklyn, New York. In the annual session of 1971 in Cleveland, Ohio, Jordan turned the reins over to his
Vice President-at-Large, Deacon Walter Cade Jr. of Kansas City, Kansas.
During the tenure of Walter Cade Jr., many laymen ministries and programs were birthed. The regional
workshop concept was started in 1971. The Allen Jordan Seminars for laymen was started in 1981 during
the annual Congress of Christian Education. The Junior Laymen Basketball Tournament and Bible Bowl
were started in 1981. The Junior Laymen's Convention was moved from the September session to the June
session in 1981. The national laymen became involved in the Men's Department of the World Baptist
Alliance. The laymen made their first work-witness trip to Africa to repair the convention's mission stations
in 1976.

Following Walter Cade Jr. was Jerry Gash of Los Angeles, California. Under Jerry Gash's leadership he
initiated the process of membership to identify the active laymen in the movement. He started the Male
Chorus Sing-off and two mission projects for Africa, 25,000 pairs of shoes and 75,000 school supplies.
Jerry Gash started the Southern Region Workshop in 1997. Glen Chelf of New Mexico served on an
interim basis in 2000. Harold Simmons of Kansas City, Kansas was appointed president of the Laymen's
Movement by William Shaw in 2000 to succeed Glen Chelf.[51]

Women's Auxiliary

The first president, Sarah Willie Layton, was the daughter of William H. and Mary H. Phillips.[52] She was
a graduate of LeMoyne College in Tennessee, honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, and active
member of the Woman's National Republican Committee. Layton helped to establish the National Baptist
Missionary Training School at Nashville, Tennessee and helped to maintain missionaries on both the home
and foreign fields. Her service expanded almost 50 years (1900-1948).[52]

The second president, Nannie Helen Burroughs, first served as Corresponding Secretary to the Woman's
Convention over 40 years. She was the only child of parents who were born into slavery. She was a
member of numerous civic organizations, a prolific orator and author of several books and publications.

Mary Olivia Brooks Ross was the third President of the Woman's Auxiliary, serving from 1961 through
1995. She was born to the parentage of Professor Brookins and Mrs. B (Beatrice Brookins), both
educators. She married Solomon David Ross, who was the pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church of Detroit
for 39 years. Ross taught school after earning her B.A. from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and
doing graduate studies at Michigan and Wayne State Universities.

Cynthia Perry Ray, the fourth president who served the convention from 1995 until 2000; she was the
former first vice-president to Ross. She was born to Walter and Beatrice Perry of Penllyn, Pennsylvania.
She held several leadership positions in the Woman's Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention and also
was elected Vice President of the Baptist World Alliance in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1995, serving in
that post until the year 2000.

Rosa Burrell Cooper served as president from 2001 to 2004. She began her service with the statement,
"Together we can do it through Mission, Evangelism and Education." She stated: "I believe that as
President of the Woman's Auxiliary, it is my mission to provide intelligent, articulate and responsive
leadership in promoting spiritual growth of Christian women across the United States of America. To that
end, I am committed to fostering and promoting group spiritual growth and personal development through
programs which interpret, teach and apply the living and life-giving Word of our God."

President Hugh Dell Gatewood began her official service in January 2005 and served for 12 years. In
January 2017, Cynthia Perkins Smith was appointed as the President of the Women's Auxiliary.[52]

Dual alignment
Known to occur though infrequently, a state convention, district association or member church of the
National Baptist Convention may dually align with another organization. The autonomous make-up of the
NBC USA gives local congregations the latitude to govern themselves and contribute to the causes of other
religious bodies as it deems necessary.[45] Some members dually align with the Lott Carey Foreign Mission
Convention which offers the NBC USA member a convention-wide focus on foreign missions; others may
align with the National Baptist Convention of America, Progressive National Baptists, or Full Gospel
Baptist Church Fellowship—organizations which formed in schism from the NBC USA; there are also
dually aligned affiliates with the American Baptist Churches USA such as Abyssinian Baptist Church.

The autonomous nature of the member churches, associations, and state conventions allows the
jurisdictions to decide their focus, interpret scripture, and define theology on issues not specified in the
foundational truths of the Baptist Articles of Faith as well as dually align with a convention with a mission
specialized on a specific issue.

Joint Convention

The Joint Convention of National Baptists converge in an American city every four years and comprises
the four Black Baptist conventions. The other three member conventions all originated from or trace origin
to NBC USA and together the four groups represent over 17,000,000 African American Baptists in the
United States. This convention of National Baptists meet to harness the power and influence of their
collective bodies for Christian missions and social action. To date, this Joint Convention has only met twice
—once in Nashville, Tennessee and in Atlanta, Georgia.[53]

Doctrine
The National Baptist Convention has a Baptist confession of faith,[32] which is a derivative of the New
Hampshire Confession of Faith. Members of the convention also adopt Keach's Catechism, the 1689
Baptist Confession of Faith, and a church covenant. As such, the National Baptist Convention in its Baptist
ethos maintains Trinitarianism, justification by grace, evangelism, believers' baptism, and the separation of
church and state among its uncompromising essentials to every member of the denomination. The National
Baptist Convention also acknowledges a two-fold office of the pastor or bishop, and the deacon (the terms
"pastor" and "bishop" being synonymous).[32]

Women pastors, ministers and deacons

The convention does not make official positions binding on its member congregations, state conventions,
and institutions. In 1965, Trudy Trimm became the first ordained woman pastor in the convention.[54]
There are many women ordained and/or licensed and serving in the convention affiliated congregations. A
number of women serve as pastors of congregations, and as trustees to the boards of American Baptist
College.[55] Some congregations do not ordain or license women as ministers. Some congregations have
women deacons, others as deaconess, some have both. Two Baptist National Baptist Women Pastors have
been elected as Presidents of State Conventions. Patricia A. Gould-Champ, senior pastor of Faith
Community Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia and Associate Professor of Practical Theology at
Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University was elected as the 35th and first
female president of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia in 2003.[56] Marylin Monroe Harris, senior
pastor of the First Baptist Church of Teaneck in Teaneck, NJ, became President of the United Missionary
Baptist Convention State of New Jersey, the 2nd Vice Moderator of the North Jersey District Missionary
Baptist Association, the Past President of the Black Clergy Council of Englewood, Teaneck and Vicinity
and the Past Moderator of the Essex Association of the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey and the
first female African American Chaplain of the Teaneck Fire Department.[57] Many women serve as
moderators for district associations affiliated with the National Baptist Convention.

Same-sex marriage

"The National Baptist Convention USA Inc. does not have an 'official' position on any issues with regards
to homosexuality."[ii] The National Baptist Convention released an official position statement in 2012 that
defines marriage as the exclusive union of a man and a woman.[ii] A subsequent position statement in 2014
prohibited the convention's military chaplains from officiating same-sex marriages or civil unions stating
that they "are not to participate in any activity that implies or condones same sex marriage or same sex
union."[iii] In 2006 the organization stated that a majority of their member churches would hold that
homosexuality is not a legitimate expression of God's will and would be opposed to ordaining active
homosexuals or lesbians for any type of ministry in their church.[58] Nevertheless, given the denomination's
diversity, some pastors and congregations affiliated with the National Baptist Convention announced their
support for same-sex marriage.[59][60] "The National Baptist Convention, USA, Incorporated does not
dictate to its constituent churches what position to take on issues because we believe in the autonomy of the
local church."[ii]

Abortion

Likewise, the National Baptist Convention allows its congregations to decide whether they support or
oppose abortion.[61]

Schools
The National Baptist Convention is one of the predominantly and
historically African American Christian denominations in the
United States with at least four colleges and universities affiliated
with it solely. Among them, American Baptist College—located in
Nashville, Tennessee—has been the primarily promoted higher
education system.[62] Additionally, Morehouse College has been
affiliated with the convention alongside Shaw University and
Selma University. The American Baptist Churches USA-affiliated
institutions of Virginia Union University, Florida Memorial
University, and Virginia University of Lynchburg have also American Baptist College
affiliated with the convention.

See also
United States
portal

Baptists in the United States

Black church
Cecelia Adkins, executive director of Sunday School Publishing Board
Christianity in the United States
Bible
 Born again
Baptist beliefs
Worship service (evangelicalism)
Jesus Christ
Believers' Church
Religion in Black America

Notes and references

Notes
a. Elias Camp Morris (1855–1922) was founder of the National Baptist Convention. Morris
earned his bachelors degree from Roger Williams University (Nashville), his Doctor of
Divinity degree in 1892 from the University of Louisville, and his PhD in 1902 from Alabama
A&M University (Huntsville). He was the first, and up until his death, the only pastor of
Centennial Baptist Church in Helena – a capacity he held for 43 years. He was the founder
of the Arkansas Baptist College and served on its board of trustees for 38 years. At the time
of his death, he had been the only African American of the executive committees of (i) the
Baptist General Conference of North America, (ii) the Baptist World Alliance, and (iii) the
Federal Council of the Churches of Christ of America. (OCLC 5163774068 (https://www.worl
dcat.org/oclc/5163774068)) ("Well Known Negro Minister Dies Here," Arkansas Democrat,
September 5, 1922, p. 6; accessible via Newspapers.com at www.newspapers.com/image
/165947884 (https://www.newspapers.com/image/165947884))

References
1. Introduction to the Practice of African American Preaching (https://books.google.com/books?i
d=aGgzDAAAQBAJ&dq=national+baptist+convention+second+largest+baptist+denominati
on+in+the+world&pg=PT140). Abingdon Press. 15 November 2016. ISBN 9781501818950.
2. James Barnett Taylor, Virginia Baptist Ministers (1859) pp 57, 60, 71, 83 online edition (http
s://archive.org/details/virginiabaptist00taylgoog)
3. Albert J. Raboteau, Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South (1979)
4. Raboteau (1979), Slavery is a Religion
5. Brooks, Walter Henderson (1851–1945) (January 1922). "The Evolution of the Negro Baptist
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Position and policy statements (primary sources)

i. "Contact us," (http://nationalbaptist.com/index.php?s=au&nid=144034) National Baptist
Convention, USA, Inc. Retrieved on October 22, 2010. "Baptist World Center Headquarters
1700 Baptist World Center Drive Nashville, TN 37207"
ii. "A Statement on the Same-sex Marriage Issue, Voting and Christian Responsibility" (http://re
sources.razorplanet.com/510611-8783/785169_SamesexMarriageVotingandChristianResp
onsibility.pdf) (primary source link (http://www.nationalbaptist.com/about-us/position-stateme
nts.html)), National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. June 21, 2012
iii. "Policy Statement and Guidelines to Chaplains Regarding Same-Gender Couples: Same
Sex Marriage and Related Activities" (http://resources.razorplanet.com/510611-8783/785168
_SameSexMarriage_Chaplains_022014.pdf) (primary source link (http://www.nationalbaptis
t.com/about-us/news--press-releases/policy-statement-and-guidelines-to-chaplains-regardin
g-same-gender-couples.html)), by The Office of the Ecclesiastical Endorser, National Baptist
Convention, USA, Inc., January 27, 2014

Further reading
Hamilton, Shirley. "African American Women Roles In The Baptist Church: Equality Within
the National Baptist Convention, USA." (MA Thesis, Wake Forest University, 2009)
online (https://wakespace.lib.wfu.edu/bitstream/handle/10339/14761/Hamilton_MALS_T
hesis.pdf?seq)
Higginbotham, Evelyn Brooks. Righteous Discontent: The Women's Movement in the Black
Baptist Church, 1880-1920 (Harvard University Press, 1993)
Jackson, Joseph H. A Story of Christian Activism: The History of the National Baptist
Convention, USA. Inc (Nashville: Townsend Press, 1980); official history
Kidd, Thomas S.; Barry Hankins (2015). Baptists in America: A History (https://books.google.
com/books?id=Jz21BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA149). Oxford University Press. pp. 149–66,
211–27. ISBN 9780199977536.
Paris, Peter J. Black Leaders in Conflict: Joseph H. Jackson, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Malcolm X, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (1978)
 Shipley, Alberta D. and Shipley, David O. The History of Black Baptists in Missouri. Kansas
City, MO : Missionary Baptist State Convention of Missouri (1976) (online at the Internet
archive) (https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfBlackBaptistsInMissouri) (OCLC 3367610
(https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/3367610))

External links
The National Baptist Convention (http://www.nationalbaptist.com/)
Sunday School Publishing Board (https://www.sspbnbc.com/)
Foreign Mission Board (http://fmbnbc.org/)

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