Baptist Groups in the USA, Outline, February 2022

Baptist Groups in the United States

(February 2022 Update)

I. BLACK BAPTISTS (Historically African-American Bodies) (16)

A. Free Will Baptists

1.1. National Convention of Free Will Baptists, U.S.A.

1.2. Unified Free Will Baptist Churches, Inc.

1.3. Unison Free Will Baptist Conference, Inc.

1.4. United American Free Will Baptist Conference, Inc.

1.5. United American Free Will Baptist General Conference

1.6. United American Free Will Baptist Denomination, Inc.

B. National Baptists

1.7. Institutional Missionary Baptist Conference of America

1.8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.

1.9. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.

1.10. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America

1.11. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.

C. Primitive Baptists

1.12. National Primitive Baptist Convention, Inc.

1.13. Primitive Baptist - independent Black local associations

a. Antioch (GA, FL)
b. Bethlehem
c. Beulah
d. Chestnut Knob (NC, VA)
e. Coopergrove (NC)
f. Corresponding (NC)
g. Cub Run (NC, VA)
h. Ephesus
i. Flint River (GA)
j. Friendship
k. Little Lott’s Creek (GA)
l. Mount Calvary (GA, NC)
m. Mount Calvary #2
n. Mount Olive (GA)
o. Mount Pleasant (GA)
p. Mount Pleasant #2
q. Mount Ramah (GA)
r. Northeastern (PA, DC, NY, CT)
s. Northwestern (PA, OH, MI, IL)
t. Ocmulgee District (GA, NC)
u. Old Original Mt. Pleasant
v. Old School Roanoke (VA)
w. Piedmont
x. Pine Light (AR, LA, MO)
y. Radicue (NC)
z. Salem (GA)
aa. Sandy Ridge (VA)
bb. Sipsey River (AL)
cc. Spring Hill Union (AL)
dd. Union (GA)
ee. Union Line (NC)

D. Other Groups

1.14. Free for All Missionary Baptist Church, Inc. [i]

1.15. Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International [ii]

1.16. Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association

II. GENERAL BAPTISTS (8)

A. Free Will Baptists [iii]

2.1. 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 (aka Original Stone Association)

2.2. National Association of Free Will Baptists

2.3. Original Free Will Baptist Convention

B. General Baptists

2.4. General Association of General Baptists

2.5. General Six-Principle Baptist Church

a. Historic Six-Principle Baptists [iv]
b. General Association of Six-Principle Baptist Churches, Inc. [v]

C. Other General Atonement Baptists

2.6. 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

2.7. Separate Baptists in Christ/Unaffiliated Separate Baptists

a. Ambraw (Illinois)
b. Northern Indiana

2.8. National Association of United Baptists and Related Associations [vi]

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

III. PRIMITIVIST AND PATTERNIST BAPTISTS (10)

A. Primitive Baptists [vii]

3.1. Primitive Baptist - Absolute Predestinarian

3.2. Primitive Baptist - Limited Predestinarian

a. “Progressive” Old Line
b. “Regular” Old Line

3.3. Primitive Baptist – Progressive [viii]

a. Central Baptist Association [ix]
b. Eastern District Association
c. Progressive Primitive Baptist (Birdwood College Related Churches)

3.4. Primitive Baptist - Universalist [x]

3.5. Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists

a. Trinity River Association
b. 1 independent church

B. Regular Baptists

3.6. Old Regular Baptists

“New Salem” Old Regular 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 Old Regular Baptist Associations
a. Bethel
b. Friendship
c. Indian Bottom
d. Little Dove
e. Mountain #1
f. Mountain #2
g. Original Mountain Liberty
h. Sovereign Grace
i. Thornton Union

3.7. 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 Primitivist/Patternist Groups

3.8. General Association of Baptists [xi]

a. Duck River (Tennessee)
b. East Union (Tennessee)
c. Mt. Pleasant #1 (Alabama)
d. Mt. Pleasant #2 (Alabama)
e. Mt. Zion (Tennessee)
f. New Liberty (Tennessee)
g. Pleasant Hill Church (Kentucky)
h. Union (Tennessee)

3.9. Georgia Old Time Associations [xii]

a. Chestatee
b. Coosawattee
c. Ellijay
d. Jasper
e. New Hope
f. Pleasant Valley

3.10. United Baptist - Regular

a. Blaine Union (Kentucky)
b. Iron Hill (Kentucky)
c. Laurel River (Kentucky)
d. Little Friendship (Indiana)
e. Mt. Zion (Kentucky)
f. New Bethel (Ohio)
g. New Hope (Kentucky)
h. Paint Union (Kentucky)
i. Old Bethlehem (West Virginia)
j. Old Paint Union (Kentucky)
k. Red Bird River (Kentucky)
l. Town Creek (Alabama)
m. Tri-State Zion (Kentucky)
n. Union Bethlehem (West Virginia)
o. Wills Creek #1 (Alabama)
p. Wills Creek #2 (Alabama)
q. Zion (Kentucky)

IV. REFORMED AND SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTISTS (7)

4.1. Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America

4.2. Continental Baptist Churches [xiii]

4.3. Gospel Standard Strict Baptists [xiv]

4.4. G3 Church Network [xv]

4.5. Reformed Baptist Network

4.6. Sovereign Grace Baptist Association of Churches

4.7. Sovereign Grace Baptist Fellowship

V. REGULAR BAPTISTS (Northern-Oriented) (14)

A. Conservative Evangelical

5.1. Baptist World Mission [xvi]

5.2. Converge [xvii]

5.3. Growing Healthy Churches [xviii]

5.4. North American Baptist Conference

5.5. Seventh Day Baptist General Conference

5.6. Transformation Ministries [xix]

5.7. Venture Church Network [xx]

B. Ecumenical Mainline

5.8. American Baptist Churches in the USA

a. Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists [xxi]

C. Separatist Fundamentalist

5.9. Foundations Baptist Fellowship International [xxii]

5.10. General Association of Regular Baptist Churches

5.11. Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America

5.12. New England Evangelical Baptist Fellowship [xxiii]

5.13. New England Baptist Fellowship [xxiv]

5.14. Related Northern Independent Fundamental Baptist Fellowships

a. New Testament Association of Independent Baptist Churches
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 Fellowship of Michigan [xxv]
g. Indiana Fundamental Baptist Fellowship of Churches [xxvi]
h. Intermountain Baptist Fellowship (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming)
i. Minnesota Baptist Association
j. Mountain States Baptist Fellowship (Colorado)
k. Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches
l. Wyoming Fellowship of Baptist Churches

VI. REGULAR BAPTISTS (Southern- Oriented) (16)

A. Conservative Evangelical

6.1. Southern Baptist Convention [xxvii]

Semi-autonomous state conventions[xxviii]

a. Baptist General Convention of Texas
b. Baptist General Association of Virginia
c. Churchnet—A Baptist Network Serving Churches [xxix]

B. Ecumenical Mainline

6.2. Alliance of Baptists

6.3. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

C. Landmark Separatist

6.4. American Baptist Association

6.5. Baptist Missionary Association of America

6.6. Independent/Unaffiliated Landmark Associations and Churches

a. California Missionary Baptist Association
b. Central (Texas)
c. Mt. Pisgah (Mississippi)
d. Southern California
e. Independent Landmark Missionary Baptist churches

6.7. Interstate and Foreign Landmark Missionary Baptist Association of America [xxx]

6.8. Old Time Missionary Baptist Associations

“Middle Tennessee” Correspondence

a. Baptist Old Path (Missouri)
b. Bethel (Indiana)
c. Big Bear Creek (Alabama)
d. Cane Creek (Missouri)
e. Cedar County (Missouri)
f. County Line (Missouri)
g. Dallas County (Missouri)
h. Enon (Tennessee)
i. Old Time Camden County (Missouri)
j. Polk County (Missouri)
k. Siloam (Kentucky)
l. Southwestern District (Tennessee)
m. St. Clair County (Missouri)
n. Wiseman (Tennessee)

Other Old Time Associations

a. Barren River (Kentucky)
b. Edmonson (Kentucky)
c. Mt. Carmel (Alabama)
d. Mt. Pisgah (West Virginia)
e. Mulberry Gap (Tennessee) [xxxi]
f. Original Smyrna (Georgia)
g. Pine Mountain (Kentucky)
h. Pleasant Grove (Georgia)
i. Second North Concord (Kentucky)
j. Wayne Trail (Ohio)
k. Independent “Old Time” Missionary Baptist churches

6.9. United Baptists - Landmarkist

a. Green River (Kentucky)
b. South Concord (Kentucky)
c. South Fork (Kentucky) [xxxii]
d. Stockton Valley (Tennessee)
e. West Union (Tennessee)

D. Separatist Fundamentalist

6.10. Baptist Bible Fellowship International

6.11. Baptist Friends Network

6.12. Global Independent Baptist Fellowship

6.13. Independent Baptist Fellowship International

6.14. Southwide Independent Baptist Fellowship

6.15. Unregistered Baptist Fellowship [xxxiii]

6.16. World Baptist Fellowship

VII. ETHNIC BAPTIST BODIES (3)

7.1 American Baptist Churches related

a. Association of Evangelicals for Italian Missions [xxxiv]
b. Convención de Iglesias Bautistas Hispanas (Convention of Hispanic Baptist Churches)
c. Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of USA and Canada [xxxv]
d. Portuguese Baptist Convention of New England [xxxvi]
e. Romanian Baptist Association of the US and Canada [xxxvii]
f. Russian-Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Union of USA
g. Union of Latvian Baptists in America [xxxviii]

            7.2 Southern Baptist Convention related

a. Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas (Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas)
b. Hmong Baptist National Association
c. Japanese Southern Baptist Churches of America
d. Pacific Coast Slavic Baptist Association [xxxix]
e. Polish Baptist Association in the USA & Canada [xl]
f. Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention in the USA [xli]
g. Vietnamese National Baptist Fellowship, North America

            7.3 Other/Unknown relationship

a. Association of Brazilian Baptist Churches in North America
b. Creek Independent Indian Baptist Churches (Oklahoma)
c. Hungarian Baptist Convention of North America, Inc.[xlii]
d. Miccosukee Independent Indian Church (Florida) [xliii]
e. Pacific Coast Slavic Baptist Association
f. Seminole Baptists of Oklahoma [xliv]
g. Seminole Independent Indian Church (Florida) [xlv]
h. Western Presbytery of the Council of Evangelical Christian-Baptists (CEC-BC)

FINAL NOTES

In addition to spending hours poring over minute books, searching textbooks, and surfing the web, I am deeply indebted to following individuals for the wealth of information they gathered, put in writing, and shared (including personal correspondence) concerning Baptists in the United States:

• John Crowley
• Howard Dorgan
• Robert G. Gardner
• Clifford A. Grammich, Jr.
• Robert E. Picirilli
• Chester Raymond Young
• Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
• Jeff Weaver
• Robert Webb

Some Baptist churches affiliate with multi-denominational organizations, such as the Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals and the IFCA International (formerly Independent Fundamental Churches of America). Numerous Baptist churches exist across the country which neither affiliate with any kind of organization, nor have a distinguishing identity beyond the moniker “Baptist.” Some of them probably do not fit well into any of the categories above. Some have “Baptist” in their names – relating to their practice of adult immersion – but may not fit the understanding of what are primarily considered Baptist churches. Efforts to classify Baptists always have short-comings; hopefully this effort will prove useful.

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Endnotes for Baptist Groups in the USA, Outline February 2022 (← click here or scroll down ↓)

Baptist Groups in the USA, Endnotes

Endnotes for Baptist Groups in the USA, February 2022 Update

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[i] W. J. Stafford (1925-2006) founded the Free for All Missionary Baptist Church, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia in 1955. Georgia is probably its primary base. The group had about 10,000 members circa 1990. See The Black Church in the African American Experience, Charles Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1990, p. 21. In 2003, the Cumulative List of Organizations Described in Section 170 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code A-F (p. 1118) gives its headquarters in Decatur, Georgia. The focus of the church is benevolent, ecumenical, and progressive. It appears the original Atlanta/Decatur location may have been rebranded under the name Rebirth Church, but other locations still use the name Free for All Missionary Baptist Church. Other names used include Free for All Baptist Church and Free for All Deliverance Baptist Church.
[ii] The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International is a charismatic Baptist body, and might just as well be included in the List of Holiness and Pentecostal Baptists only instead of in Baptist Groups in the United States.
[iii] Predominantly Black Free Will Baptists are listed in the African-American Baptist groups. See 1.1—1.6.
[iv] There is possibly one historical church left. However, it is unlikely that they still hold the “principle” of laying-on-of-hands as a prerequisite to communion. In 1995, there was “one church, located in Pennsylvania, which still carries Six Principle in its name, but its current pastor does not observe all the six principles.” Albert W. Wardin, Baptists Around the World, Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 1995, p. 53.

[v] The General Association of Six-Principle Baptist Churches, Inc., organized July 10, 2003, has no connection to the older historical body of Six-Principle Baptists. There is no clear indication that they hold laying-on-of-hands as a prerequisite to communion.

[vi] Similar to other United Baptists, e.g., but tending Arminian rather than Calvinistic. For example, some associations do not hold falling from grace, but are willing to fellowship with other associations that do.

[vii] Predominantly Black Primitive Baptists are listed in the African-American Baptist groups. See 1.12 and 1.13.
[viii] “In their shifts from their Primitive Baptist roots...the Progressive Primitive Baptists, the Eastern District Association of Primitive Baptists, and the Central Baptist Association...may properly be labeled as progressive or transitional bodies. Although they began as traditional Primitive Baptists and still, by and large, practice foot washing, these bodies accept Sunday Schools and permit musical instruments in worship. In addition, the first and third bodies have dropped their opposition to institutions—whether educational, benevolent, or missionary. The second and third groups have also modified their strict predestinarianism.”   “Primitive Baptists in Tennessee,” Albert W. Wardin Jr., Tennessee Baptist History, Fall 2007, pp. 44-45.
[ix] Formed in 1956 by churches that separated from the Eastern District Primitive Baptist Association.
[x] These churches believe in a Universal—not General or Limited—atonement: all mankind ultimately will be saved.
[xi] Also known as Duck River and Kindred Associations of Baptists.
[xii] These associations are similar in background, faith, and practice, but do not all correspond/fellowship with one another.
[xiii] I have located no recent information on Continental Baptist Churches. This group is possibly extinct.
[xiv] Three US churches relate to the Gospel Standard Strict Baptists of England: The Old Paths Chapel, Choteau, Montana; Zion Baptist Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Hope Strict Baptist Church, Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
[xv] The G3 Church Network may qualify for listing, though they say “our goal is not to become a denomination.” They describe the network as a fellowship of pastors and church connections united around common doctrine and values (1689 London Baptist Confession). “We are not mutually exclusive to other networks and denominations.”
[xvi] Baptist World Mission is a division from the Conservative Baptist Association, originally known as World Conservative Baptist Mission.
[xvii] Formerly known as the Baptist General Conference.
[xviii] Formerly American Baptists of the West, Growing Healthy Churches includes churches in California and Nevada. It may be considered autonomous or semi-autonomous, though the ABCUSA still lists them in their regional bodies. The GHC allows either “Cooperating Churches” (in GHC and still in the ABCUSA) or “Affiliating Churches” (in the GHC only).
[xix] Formerly known as American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest, Transformation Ministries is an affiliation of over 180 former ABCUSA Baptist Churches in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii.
[xx] Formerly known as CBAmerica and Conservative Baptist Association of America.
[xxi] Historically the AWAB, formed in 1993, grew from an internal ABCUSA organization called American Baptists Concerned for Sexual Minorities. However, the currently affiliated congregations are not confined to the ABCUSA, but also affiliate with the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, the Alliance of Baptists, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
[xxii] Also known as Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International. “The FBFI is a fellowship of individuals who agree without reservation with the Statement of Faith and purposes of the Fellowship.”
[xxiii] See also Religion in America: A Directory, James V. Geisendorfer, editor, Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1983, p. 122.
[xxiv] Organized in 1978, the New England Baptist Fellowship is a fellowship of independent Baptist pastors and ministry leaders primarily from six New England states and Quebec, Canada.
[xxv] Formerly called the Independent Fundamental Baptist Association of Michigan, these churches withdrew from the Conservative Baptist Association.
[xxvi] In 1967, the Conservative Baptist Association of Indiana left the Conservative Baptist Association of America and changed its name to the Indiana Fundamental Baptist Fellowship of Churches.
[xxvii] Also known as Great Commission Baptists.
[xxviii] Division within the Southern Baptist Convention has created at least three semi-autonomous Baptist Conventions.
[xxix] A name under which the Baptist General Convention of Missouri conducts business. “Churchnet is a ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Missouri. Churchnet is a member of the North American Baptist Fellowship, the Baptist World Alliance, and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. We also have a partnership relationship with Texas Baptists and collaborate with the Baptist General Association of Virginia and the D. C. Baptist Convention as well as a variety of other ministry organizations.”
[xxx] Also known as Faithway Baptists.
[xxxi] Mulberry Gap seems to have a nominal connection to the Southern Baptist Convention.
[xxxii] I have that South Fork no longer exists, but have left the name for now because I have not confirmed whether or not that is correct.
[xxxiii] “The UBF is a fellowship of Baptist pastors, evangelists, missionaries and laymen.” It emphasizes churches being unregistered and unincorporated, and promotes state, regional and national meetings under the authority of the host church.
[xxxiv] Organized in 1899.
[xxxv] Organized in 1912.
[xxxvi] Organized in 1903.
[xxxvii] Organized 1913 in Morton Grove, Illinois.
[xxxviii] Organized in 1950.
[xxxix] Organized in 1928.
[xl] Organized in 1913.
[xli] Organized in 1946.
[xlii] Formerly the Hungarian Baptist Union. Organized in 1908 in Homestead, Pennsylvania.
[xliii] The Miccosukee Independent Indian Church and Seminole Independent Indian Church in Florida are listed in World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World, David Barrett, editor (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982) and “Baptist General Bodies in the USA,” Robert G. Gardner, Baptist History and Heritage (January 1996 Vol. 31, No. 1). I have not found in current information on either of these bodies.
[xliv] For more information, see TThe Seminole Baptist Churches of Oklahoma: Maintaining a Traditional Community, by Jack M. Schultz.
[xlv] The Miccosukee Independent Indian Church and Seminole Independent Indian Church in Florida are listed in World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World, David Barrett, editor (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982) and “Baptist General Bodies in the USA,” Robert G. Gardner, Baptist History and Heritage (January 1996 Vol. 31, No. 1). I have not found in current information on either of these bodies.

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Endnotes for Baptist Groups in the USA, February 2022 Update