Alliance of Baptists

The Alliance of Baptists is a Baptist Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The headquarters is in Raleigh, North Carolina. Not to be confused with C&MA (Christian and Missionary Alliance)

Alliance of Baptists
ClassificationEvangelical Christianity
TheologyBaptist
HeadquartersRaleigh, North Carolina, United States
Origin1987
Congregations140
Members4,500
Official websiteallianceofbaptists.org

History

The Alliance of Baptists was formed in 1987[1] as the Southern Baptist Alliance by liberal individuals and congregations who were considering separating from the Southern Baptist Convention as a result of the conservative resurgence/fundamentalist takeover controversy.[2]

Statistics

According to a denomination census released in 2022, it has 140 churches and 4,500 baptized members.[3]

Beliefs
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In 1990, the Alliance became the first Baptist organization to formally offer an apology for slavery in the American South.[4]

In contrast to the SBC and other conservative Baptists, the Alliance has emphasized women's ministry, encouraging women to seek ordination and senior pastorates, and encourages its congregations toward inclusiveness with respect to homosexuality.[5] In 2014, the Alliance joined a lawsuit challenging North Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage, which is America's first faith-based challenge to same-sex marriage bans.[6][7]

The Alliance has also worked to uphold the separation of church and state through its membership and support of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. In 2019, the Alliance joined with 42 other religious and allied organizations in issuing a statement opposing Project Blitz, an effort by a coalition of Christian right organizations to influence state legislation.[8]

Organization

The Alliance of Baptists is governed by a board of directors and four officers—President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary—in between the Alliance's Annual Meetings.[9] All actions of the Board of Directors are subject to review during the Annual Meeting. The 23-member board of directors and the officers are nominated by the Nominating Committee and elected at the Annual Meeting. Board members serve three-year terms and can be reelected. The board of directors has an Executive Committee which oversees the work of the Alliance in between meetings of the board.[10] Membership in the Alliance is open to churches and individuals who support its Covenant and Mission and contribute financially to its ministries.[11]

References
  1. Frank Spencer Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and Craig D. Atwood, Handbook of Denominations in the United States, Abingdon Press, 2001, ISBN 0-687-06983-1, p. 46.
  2. William H. Brackney, Baptists in North America: An Historical Perspective, Wiley, 2006, ISBN 1-4051-1865-2, p. 138.
  3. Alliance of Baptists, Who We Are, allianceofbaptists.org, USA, retrieved November 5, 2022
  4. "History". allianceofbaptists.org. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  5. Alliance of Baptists (April 17, 2004). "Statement on Same Sex Marriage" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  6. "Rabbis group joins N.C. Same-sex marriage suit | CharlotteObserver.com". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-07.
  7. "Rabbis Join Marriage Equality Fight". 6 June 2014.
  8. "Statement from 43 National Organizations United in Opposition to Project Blitz and Similar Legislative Efforts" (PDF). Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  9. Alliance of Baptists (April 13, 2007). "Covenant and Bylaws" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  10. Alliance of Baptists (April 13, 2007). "Covenant and Bylaws" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  11. Alliance of Baptists (April 13, 2007). "Covenant and Bylaws" (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
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