Baptist General Conference

Baptist General Conference was a Baptist Christian denomination in the United States, founded by Swedish Baptist immigrants in 1852, with roots in the Swedish Lutheran Church and influenced by the Pietism movement of Philipp Spener and August Hermann Francke. The denomination was shaped by the Evangelicalism of John Wesley and George Whitefield, and was also influenced by the Anabaptism of Menno Simons and Jakob Ammann. The Baptist General Conference was a member of the National Association of Evangelicals and the Baptist World Alliance, and had ties to Wheaton College (Illinois) and Bethel University (Minnesota).

● History

The Baptist General Conference was founded in 1852 by Swedish Baptist immigrants, who were influenced by the Pietism movement and the Evangelicalism of John Wesley and George Whitefield. The denomination grew rapidly, with the establishment of churches in the Midwest and West Coast of the United States, and was influenced by the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy and the Scopes Trial. The Baptist General Conference was also shaped by the Social Gospel movement of Walter Rauschenbusch and Washington Gladden, and had ties to Yale University and University of Chicago. The denomination was a member of the National Association of Evangelicals and the Baptist World Alliance, and had relationships with Billy Graham and Carl F. H. Henry.

● Beliefs

The Baptist General Conference was a Baptist denomination that held to Evangelicalism and Conservative Christianity, with a strong emphasis on Biblical inerrancy and Sola scriptura, as influenced by John Calvin and Martin Luther. The denomination believed in the importance of Believer's baptism and Congregationalist polity, as practiced by Roger Williams and John Smyth. The Baptist General Conference also emphasized the importance of Evangelism and Missions (Christianity), with a focus on Church planting and Discipleship, as modeled by Paul the Apostle and William Carey. The denomination had ties to Dallas Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and was influenced by the Reformed theology of John Piper and Wayne Grudem.

● Organization

The Baptist General Conference was a Congregationalist polity denomination, with each church having autonomy and decision-making authority, as practiced by Plymouth Church and First Baptist Church in America. The denomination had a General Conference that met annually, with representatives from each church, and was influenced by the Presbyterian polity of John Knox and John Calvin. The Baptist General Conference also had a number of Districts (Baptist General Conference) that provided support and resources to churches, and had ties to Southern Baptist Convention and American Baptist Churches USA. The denomination was a member of the National Association of Evangelicals and the Baptist World Alliance, and had relationships with World Vision and Samaritan's Purse.

● Ministries

The Baptist General Conference had a number of Ministries (Baptist General Conference) that provided support and resources to churches and individuals, including Church planting and Discipleship programs, as modeled by Paul the Apostle and William Carey. The denomination also had a strong emphasis on Missions (Christianity), with a focus on Evangelism and Church growth, as influenced by Donald McGavran and Peter Wagner. The Baptist General Conference had ties to Cru (Christian organization) and Youth for Christ, and was influenced by the Para-church organization model of Bill Bright and Luis Palau. The denomination also had a number of Education (Baptist General Conference) institutions, including Bethel University (Minnesota) and Bethel Seminary, and had relationships with Wheaton College (Illinois) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

● Notable_Churches_and_Leaders

The Baptist General Conference had a number of Notable churches (Baptist General Conference) and leaders, including Bethel Church (Minnesota) and First Baptist Church of Minneapolis, which were influenced by the Pentecostalism of Kathryn Kuhlman and Oral Roberts. The denomination also had ties to John Piper and Wayne Grudem, who were influenced by the Reformed theology of John Calvin and Martin Luther. Other notable leaders included Carl F. H. Henry and Francis Schaeffer, who were influenced by the Evangelicalism of Billy Graham and Harold Lindsell. The Baptist General Conference also had relationships with Chuck Swindoll and Charles Stanley, who were influenced by the Conservative Christianity of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.

● Controversies_and_Criticisms

The Baptist General Conference was involved in a number of Controversies and criticisms (Baptist General Conference) throughout its history, including debates over Biblical inerrancy and Sola scriptura, as influenced by the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy and the Scopes Trial. The denomination also faced criticism for its handling of Sex abuse cases (Baptist General Conference), and had ties to the Southern Baptist Convention and the American Baptist Churches USA, which faced similar criticisms. The Baptist General Conference also faced controversy over its stance on Women in ministry (Baptist General Conference), and had relationships with Complementarianism and Egalitarianism, as influenced by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the Christians for Biblical Equality. The denomination was also criticized for its involvement in the Evangelicalism and Conservative Christianity movements, as influenced by the National Association of Evangelicals and the Baptist World Alliance.

Category:Baptist denominations in the United States