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Tuesday, May 01, 2018

More Baptist Voices for the KJV: Free Baptists

These “Voices for the KJV” come from the General Atonement/Arminian tradition of Baptists – Free Will, General, and Separate. This does not imply that all groups listed here are related to one another otherwise.

Arkansas Association of the Freewill Baptist, Questions for Candidates for OrdinationMinutes of the Arkansas Association of the Church of God Denominated The Freewill Baptist, June 29-30, 1973, p. 8-9
“The purpose of the following examination is to try the man who believes himself to be called of God to preach the gospel, and wishes to be licensed or ordained by one of the Churches of the Arkansas District Association of Freewill Baptists...” (p. 8) “4. Do you believe the Revised Edition of the King James Version of the Bible is literally true? I DO.” (p. 9)

First Free Will Baptist Church, Greenwood, South Carolina, Articles of Faith
“6. Scriptures — we believe that holy men of old wrote the Bible as they were moved, (lit. “Being borne along”) by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21, which harmonizes with 2 Timothy 3:15, which teaches that all Scripture is inspired.” (Lit. “God breathed” or “breathed out by God”).  This means that the Holy Spirit so superintended the writers of the Holy Scripture that, although they utilized their own vocabularies and  experiences, they wrote the very exact message God intended without any omission, addition, or error which means that the Bible is theologically, historically, scientifically, and geographically correct since the Holy Spirit is incapable of erring.  Being plenary verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit guarantees the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible in every area in which it speaks and makes it the highest authority and guide for the believer.  The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church.”

General Conference of Freewill Baptists, 1868, A Treatise on the Faith and Practice of the Free Baptists
“Conference urges more liberal contributions for the distribution of tracts and copies of the Scriptures in India, and, venerating the sacred Scriptures as set forth in King James version, deems it inexpedient to approve the use of the version of the American Bible Union.” Twentieth Triennial Conference, 1868 [See also Minutes of General Conference of the Freewill Baptist Connection, From 1859 to 1886, Volume 2, p. 208]


John-Thomas Association of Freewill Baptists, The Ministry [Virginia, Kentucky]
“10. The John-Thomas Association of Freewill Baptists or any Conference or any Church belonging to the Association for clarification of the term ‘BlBLE’ as our rule of faith and practice will use only the Authorized King James Version of the Scripture of the 1611 translation (translated out of the original tongues, with former translations diligently compared and revised) to read, preach, teach, marry, baptize, bury the dead, present to our Ministers when ordained, and to carry out any Gospel instructions.”


Liberty Association of Free Will Baptists, [Alabama] Proceedings of the 10th Annual Session, September 24-25, 1943, Literature Committee report, p. 11
“We urge our people to be more careful of the kind of literature they read and sanction in their homes; placing the King James Bible first, then all wholesome literature based upon its teachings.” (The fact that they mention “King James Bible” rather than just “Bible” illustrates awareness of other competing Bibles – which they don’t recommend.)

Liberty No. 2 Association of Original Free Will Baptist, Education & Family Religion reportMinutes of the Liberty No. 2 Association of The Original Free Will Baptist, August 13-14, 1993, p. 7 [Alabama]
“We the Education and Family Religion Committee recommend that a good example be set in our homes, such as: family devotions, prayer, grace before meals, etc. We also recommend study of the Scripture using the King James Version...”

National Association of Free Will Baptists, 1976
“Regarding Various Translations
“Whereas, there is confusion caused among our people by many modern translations of the Bible; Whereas, many of these translations are not reliable or trustworthy; therefore, Be it resolved: That we urge our people to use the King James Version of the Bible in the public services. (Passed in Tulsa, Oklahoma meeting, July 11-15, 1976; 2014 Yearbook, and 2013 minutes, p. A-30)” See also 2013 FWB National Convention: Reflections: “The West Virginia State Association requested that the 1976 resolution urging churches to use the King James Version of the Bible be expanded to apply to all services, speakers, and events at the National level. However, by the required two-thirds majority, the delegates voted not to engage in further discussion of this subject/resolution. While this particular vote could be interpreted several different ways, this much is clear: most Free Will Baptists feel that we’re not going to make much more progress on this issue for now beyond some soft truces that have been drawn among churches, pastors, and agencies.”

Original Free Will Baptists of North Carolina, Literature Committee report, Yearbook for Original Free Will Baptists of North Carolina, 2000-2001, p. 164
“We, your committee, beg leave to report that we recommend to all our churches that we use the King James version of the Holy Bible in our churches for both teaching and preaching, and likewise that we use literature printed by the Free Will Baptist Press in all our churches.”
Educational Committee report, Yearbook for Original Free Will Baptists of North Carolina, 2000-2001, p. 164
“We, your committee, beg leave to report that the first priority in education shall be the teaching of the King James version of the Holy Bible (God’s word) in the home, the church, and schools such as Mount Olive College.”

Original Stone Association of Free Will Baptists, Statement of Faith, [Tennessee]
“B.  We believe the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1: 20-21).  The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the Association.”

Springdale Free Will Baptist Church, Oxford, Mississippi Home PageWhat We Believe
“A family ministry where there is...Strong belief in the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative word of God, preserved in the King James Bible today.”
“THE BIBLE is the inspired, infallible, perfect Word of God.  God preserved His Word for us today in the King James Bible.”

West Virginia State Association of Free Will Baptist, Resolutions, Minutes of the 70th Annual Session, June 12-13, 2015
“Regarding Various Translations
Whereas, There is confusion caused among our people by many modern translations of the Bible;
Whereas, Many of these translations are not reliable or trustworthy; therefore,
Be it resolved: That we urge our people to use the King James Version of the Bible in the public services. 06-08-2013”


General Baptists
Fairview General Baptist Church, Park City, Kentucky, Advertisement on Super Pages
“We are an independent, fundamental, premillennial, pretribulation, King James Bible believing church. Preaching Christ crucified and risen for sinners to be saved and saints to serve.”

Mt. Union Association, Proceedings of the One Hundred and Thirty-Seventh Annual Session of the Mt. Union Association of General Baptists, September 20-22, 2013 [Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana]
“At this time, Rev. Lyles read I Timothy 4:1, Revelation 22:18-19 and Psalms 68:11.  He quoted Article 1.  He referred to it as being true from Genesis 1:1 to the last ‘amen’ in Revelation.  People ask, ‘where did the Bible come from?,’ the answer ‘God gave it and man penned it.’  If a man is not using the King James, he is not using the truth.” [Note: this is from a preacher’s sermon and not an official statement of the association. “Article 1 - We believe that the Inspired Scriptures are the Old and New Testaments, the infallible Word of God, and the only safe rule of faith and practice. II Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 1:1-2; II Peter 1:21; Luke 1:70; Acts 3:21; Isaiah 8:20; Titus 1:23 and Heb. 6:18.”]


Separate Baptists
Edinburgh Separate Baptist Church, Edinburgh, Indiana, Articles of Doctrine
“1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the infallible Word of God and the only safe rule of faith and practice, using the King James version of the Holy Bible. * The King James Version of the Bible being the choice for English Speaking People.”

General Association of Separate Baptists in Christ, Articles of Doctrine for All Associations
“Article 1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the infallible Word of God, and the only safe rule of faith and practice, using the King James version of the Holy Bible for English-speaking people (We believe that non-English speaking people should use a Bible comparable to the King James version of the Holy Bible.). Rom 15:4, I Cor 10:11, II Tim 3:16-17, Gen 1:1 through Rev 22:21.”

Nolynn Association of Separate Baptist in Christ, Minutes of the 197 Annual Session, September 16-17, 2016, Articles of Faith [Kentucky]
“Article 1 We believe that the scripture of the Old and New Testaments are the infallible word of God and the only safe rules of faith and practice, using the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible. II Timothy 3:16-17.”

North District Association of Separate Baptists [Kentucky] History, Old Cane Springs Baptist Church
“But the records reveal other difficulties which tried the souls of the church members. Even though six full pages of the minutes for the period from October, 1829, to April, 1831, inclusive, were cut from the record book and apparently destroyed, there remains enough in the minutes and in other sources to indicate that the teachings of Alexander Campbell and other kindred spirits disturbed Old Cane Springs. As early as July, 1827, the North District Association had convened in the church there with Elder David Chenault presiding as moderator. The renowned Elder John Smith, often called ‘Raccoon John,’ was present and was arraigned by the brethren for preferring the Holy Spirit to the Holy Ghost in the baptismal ritual, for preferring actually to break the bread when taking the sacrament, and for preferring a more recent translation of the Bible to the King James version. Chenault and a big majority were strongly against him and such innovations.” [The trial of Raccoon John Smith is also related in Raccoon John Smith: Frontier Kentucky’s Most Famous Preacher, John Sparks, pages 235-260

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