American Baptist Churches USA

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ABCUSA

American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a group of Baptist churches within the United States; headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization's general secretary is A. Roy Medley. The ABCUSA should not be confused with the American Baptist Association. The organization is usually considered a "mainline" denomination.

1 History
2 Autonomy
3 ABCUSA Mission Statement
4 Affiliated seminaries
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

The ABCUSA descends from the old Triennial Convention formed in 1814, a loosely structured foreign missions organization. Baptists in the south withdrew support from the Triennial Convention and formed the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in 1845, utilizing a more centralized organizational structure for carrying on missionary and benevolent enterprises. The majority of churches in the north continued to work through loosely associated societies for missions and benevolence, until the formation of a new convention in 1907. The Baptist churches in the north have not grown to the extent of those in the south, perhaps being less evangelical, and having greater ecumenical interests. The organization was founded as the Northern Baptist Convention on May 17, 1907 in Washington, D.C. The name was changed in 1950 to American Baptist Convention, and again in 1972 to American Baptist Churches, USA. The ABCUSA is a member of the National Council of Churches and the Baptist World Alliance. In 2000, this group was composed of 1,417,543 members in 5780 churches [source, Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States, 2000, Glenmary Research Center], and is the fifth largest Baptist denomination in the United States.

[edit] Autonomy

Traditionally, the ABCUSA has valued the autonomy of the local church. A statement from the ABCUSA webpage reads: "As early Baptists overcame oppression by establishing a congregational church system emphasizing local church autonomy and separation from state influence, so contemporary American Baptists continue to emphasize both the importance and the responsibility of every church and the individual believer before God."

[edit] ABCUSA Mission Statement

"American Baptists are a Christ-centered, biblically grounded, ethnically diverse people called to radical personal discipleship in Christ Jesus. Our commitment to Jesus propels us to nurture authentic relationships with one another; build healthy churches; transform our communities, our nations, and our world; engage every member in hands-on ministry; and speak the prophetic word in love."

"As a people of prayer, purpose, and passion, we are in the forefront of creating a community of faith where people of every race, nationality, and culture gather as one in worship, service, and work."

"The heart of the gospel is God's redemptive love. In our life together, the world will see the power of forgiveness to overcome alienation, the strength of love to transform hate, the power of grace to break the bonds of guilt, the triumph of hope over despair, and the victory of faith over doubt."

"Through the cross of Christ we embrace the world as neighbor. Our vision for mission energizes a multitude of servant ministries of evangelism, discipleship, leadership, new church development, social justice, healing, peacemaking, economic development, and education. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we work together in mutual trust, humility, love, and giving that the gospel might be preached and lived in all the world."