National Baptist Convention of the United States of America, Inc
The National Baptist Convention of the United States of America, Inc. (NBC USA) is a prominent Christian denomination established shortly after the Civil War, primarily composed of African Americans, many of whom were formerly enslaved. With over 7.5 million members across approximately 31,000 congregations, it stands as the largest African-American organization in the United States and is part of a broader Baptist tradition that emphasizes individual faith and the authority of the Bible. The convention traces its roots to early Baptist movements in America, beginning with the founding of the first Baptist church in Rhode Island in 1638.
Historically, NBC USA emerged from the Baptist Mission Convention and several education-focused groups that merged in 1895, reflecting a commitment to missionary work and education as means to achieve economic and personal freedom. Central to Baptist beliefs is the practice of baptism, which is reserved for individuals who can make a conscious commitment to follow Jesus Christ, as well as a shared understanding of communion as a symbolic act rather than a sacrament necessary for salvation. The denomination values both the Calvinistic and Arminian theological traditions, allowing for diverse interpretations within its congregations. Overall, the NBC USA plays a significant role in the religious and cultural landscape of African American communities in the U.S.
National Baptist Convention of the United States of America, Inc.
Formation: 1886
The National Baptist Convention of the United States of America, Inc., also known as the National Baptist Convention USA, NBC USA, or simply NBC, is a Christian denomination formed in the days following the American Civil War (1861–1865). Its original membership was mainly African Americans and included many former slaves. Baptists are a Protestant Christian denomination that believes baptism should only be administered when a person has made a voluntary and personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ.
As of 2019, the NBC USA had more than 7.5 million members in about 31,000 congregations, making it the largest African-American organization in the United States. The convention is among the nearly 50 million Baptists in the United States, and is part of the Baptist World Association, which included more than 47 million people worldwide as of 2017.
History
The NBC USA is part of the Baptist tradition, the origins of which are subject to much theological discussion. Some hold that it began with John the Baptist, a relative of Jesus who conducted baptisms in the water of the Jordan River in the early days of Jesus’ ministry. Others trace its origin to the English Separatists, or Dissenters, who disagreed with some of the opinions of the Roman Catholic Church from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. Most religious scholars agree that the earliest Baptist church was one established in 1609 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The Baptist tradition came to America with the Puritans who left England and crossed the sea looking for religious freedom. The first Baptist church in the American colonies was founded in Rhode Island in 1638 by former Puritan minister Roger Williams. Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for speaking out against church leaders. He founded the colony of Rhode Island as a safe haven for religious freedom. During the next 150 years, the number of Baptist churches grew to about 750 with a total membership of about 60,000.
From the beginning, Baptists have embraced the idea of freedom in religion. Early congregations held many common theological beliefs, but differed in how to express some of those beliefs. They were largely divided into two camps. One group accepted predestination, a tradition based on the beliefs of sixteenth-century religious scholar John Calvin, who believed God had already decided a person’s ultimate place in heaven or hell before that person was even born. Others followed the Arminian tradition established by Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius, who emphasized the role of free will in determining a person’s eternal fate. The different viewpoints held by Baptists were accepted among many congregations and have been credited with impacting the Founding Fathers’ later decision to include religious freedom as a prime tenet of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
The Baptist presence remained strong in the United States during its formative years. In the years following the Civil War, many African Americans joined the church. In November 1880, about 150 Baptist ministers gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, to form the Baptist Mission Convention with a goal of establishing missionary groups to carry the teachings of Jesus Christ to Africa. A larger group of 600 delegates gathered in 1886 in St. Louis, Missouri, and established the National Baptist Convention of America. Education was valued as a key to economic and personal freedom and prosperity by the American Baptists, prompting the group to form the National Baptist Education Convention in 1893.
The three groups struggled on their own, so they merged in 1895 to form the National Baptist Convention of the United States of America. Within twenty years, disagreements developed between the convention and their publishing board over who should have ultimate authority over church publications. This led to a split in 1915, creating a separate, but related body, the National Baptist Convention of America. The original group then incorporated and become formally known as the National Baptist Convention of the United States of America, Inc.
Beliefs and Practices
Baptists follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as identified in the New Testament of the Bible. They fully accept the Bible as the ultimate authority in all matters of faith. They believe that its human authors were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, giving its words the same authority as if spoken directly by God. While various Baptist groups may differ on how to apply those words in some situations, they agree that final authority rests in the word of God as expressed in the Bible.
Contemporary Baptists continue to be divided between the Calvinistic belief in predestination and the Arminian approach of free will. However, Baptists generally agree that baptism should be an act of free will, undertaken only when a person is capable of making an independent profession of faith in Jesus as their savior. They believe in full immersion baptism and do not generally accept the sprinkling or partial immersion baptism practiced in some other Christian denominations. They trace this practice to the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist as recorded in several books of the New Testament.
Infant baptism is generally not practiced. This is because Baptists do not hold the belief prominent in many other Christian traditions that baptism is essential to salvation. Instead of seeing it as a requirement for getting to heaven, Baptists see baptism as an act of obedience and a public means of expressing their faith.
Baptists hold a similar view of communion, a ritual intended to represent the Last Supper of Jesus with his followers before his crucifixion. In the Baptist tradition, communion is a means to honor and remember this meal but not to replicate it. They do not belief in transubstantiation, the belief that the bread and wine used in communion becomes the literal body and blood of Christ. Instead, Baptists believe that receiving communion is an occasional act of obedience and respect offered to Jesus. It is not seen as a requirement for salvation, and all are welcome to participate in the celebration of communion in most Baptist Churches.
Bibliography
Anderson, Meg. “National Baptist Convention (1895- )” Black Past, 29 Mar. 2009, www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/national-baptist-convention-usa-inc-1895/. Accessed 14 June 2019.
Casanova, Amanda. “The Most Well-Known Protestant Denomination: 10 Things Everyone Should Know about Baptists.” Christianity.com, 27 Apr. 2018, www.christianity.com/church/denominations/the-most-well-known-protestant-denomination-10-things-everyone-should-know-about-baptists.html. Accessed 14 June 2019.
Jordan, Lewis. G. “The Formation of the National Baptist Convention.” Negro Baptist History, U. S. A. National Baptist Publishing Board, 1930.
“National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.” Association of Religious Data Archives, www.thearda.com/Denoms/D‗1077.asp. Accessed 14 June 2019.
“National Baptist Convention, USA. Inc.” National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., 2019, www.nationalbaptist.com. Accessed 14 June 2019.
“National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.” World Council of Churches, 2019, www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/national-baptist-convention-usa-inc. Accessed 14 June 2019.
“The Origins and Development of Baptist Thought and Practice.” American Baptist Churches, USA, www.abc-usa.org/what-we-believe/our-history/. Accessed 14 June 2019.