I’m going to a Baptist church this weekend. I thought I’d do a little research and find out which flavor of Baptistism I would be sampling. I presumed there were three main types- the Southern Baptists (the largest with over 16 million members), the American Baptists (who trace their history to the first Baptist church in America), and the Reformed Baptists (who are the Calvinistic stalwarts).
Boy was I way off the mark (which is how some Baptists define ‘sin’). Wikipedia lists 62 different Baptist denominations in the United States alone! Here are some facts about the Baptists you may not have known.
- The denomination with the shortest name is the Regular Baptists. They used to be known as the Particular Baptists, which was to distinguish them from the General Baptists.
- The denomination with the longest name is the National Baptist Evangelical Life and Soul Saving Assembly of the U.S.A. This is an African-Americans missions body that broke off of the National Baptist Convention of America in 1937. For a while this denomination was headquartered in Boise, Idaho, which isn’t really known for its diversity. Now the denomination is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.
- The Six-Principle Baptists got their start in Rhode Island with the ministry of Roger Williams, who also founded the State.
- The group with the most interesting name (and extreme Calvinistic doctrine) is the Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists, who are commonly referred to as “anti-mission” Baptists. They teach that you were either born or good stock or evil stock and that your eternal dwelling place has already been determined, thus missions are a waste of time and money.
- The most infamous Baptist church, an independent one, is Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church. They’ve unfortunately made their hate-filled presence known in my community. Have they ever protested something in yours?
I will be attending one of the oldest American Baptist Churches in my town. The pastor has a unique background, has been influential in education, social work and historical preservation in my state. I look forward to worshipping alongside this congregation.
Do you attend an American Baptist Church? What should I expect this weekend?
