The American Baptist Association (ABA) is an association of independent Landmark-type Baptist churches fellowshipping to carry out missions, benevolence and education. Though numerous churches and some organizations use the terms Landmark and Landmark Baptist in their name, there is no identifiable sub-group of Baptists known as the Landmark Baptist Church. ... A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church. ...

Though the American Baptist Association (distinct from the American Baptist Churches in the USA) was organized in 1924, the ABA stems from an independent "New Testament Church" movement, also known as Landmarkism. This movement is Baptistic in teaching, and is based on the history of Baptist churches stemming from those that existed during Christ's ministry. See Baptists. The American Baptist Churches in the USA (ABCUSA) is a group of Baptist churches within the United States; headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Baptist churches are part of a Christian movement often regarded as an Evangelical, Protestant denomination. ...

The Baptist movement in America began with Roger Williams in Rhode Island in the early 17th Century. Independent and Baptist churches spread from New England through New York and Pennsylvania, to the Midwest and some Southern states. As the "New Testament Church" movement spread to the Virginias and the Carolinas, some churches decided to convene regularly for missionary and governmental policy-making, others holding to local church authority. These boards or conventions, gave rise first to the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions and later to the Southern Baptist Convention. Roger Williams could mean Roger Williams (puritan) Roger Williams (soldier) Roger Williams, a 17th century English theologian, co-founder of Rhode Island. ... State nickname: The Ocean State, Little Rhody Official languages None Capital Providence Largest city Providence Governor Donald Carcieri (R) Senators Jack Reed (D) Lincoln Chafee (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 50th 4,005 km² 32. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States cooperative ministry agency serving missionary Baptist churches around the world. ...

The modern formation of the American Baptist Association thus goes back to the mid 19th century. It involved a series of controversies rising within what, by the mid 1800's, was termed the Northern and Southern Baptist Conventions. Northern independent and Baptist churches (though including many churches in the geographic South), preached what would soon be termed Landmarkism. This was considered by these churches' leaders to be a restoration of Baptist theological and governmental principles. Important to early development of Landmarkism were leaders such as James R. Graves, James M. Pendleton, and Amos C. Dayton. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Landmarkism is a ecclesiological viewpoint held by some Baptists concerning the origin and nature of the church. ...

The Cotton Grove Resolutions, adopted at a meeting at the Cotton Grove Baptist Church (near Jackson, Tennessee) in 1851, were probably the first systematized expression of Landmarkism, though all the tenants existed among Baptists in some form or another prior to them. Logical application of Landmark emphases on "local church only" and "the Great Commission given to the church" led toward dissatisfaction with SBC structure and programs (such as Mission Boards). Conflicts between Landmarkers and non-Landmarkers were behind at least four important Baptist controversies in the late 1800's – Gospel Missions, the Whitsitt controversy, the "Hayden" Controversy in Texas, and the "Bogard" Controversy in Arkansas. Jackson is a city located in Madison County, Tennessee. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

The two state controversies led to the organization of two new state associations - the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) of Texas in 1900 and the State Association of Missionary Baptist Churches in Arkansas in 1902. Soon Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Louisiana would follow. The Texas association formed its own foreign mission work, but others desired to see a national organization for Landmark Baptists. Some of these organized the General Association of Baptists in the United States of America in 1905. The General Association never garnered full support of Landmark Baptists. ... 1900 (MCM) is a common year starting on Monday. ... State nickname: The Natural State Other U.S. States Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Governor Mike Huckabee (R) Senators Blanche Lincoln (D) Mark Pryor (D) Official language(s) English Area 137,732 km² (29th)  - Land 134,856 km²  - Water 2,876 km² (2. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Oklahoma is a state of the United States, lying mostly in the southern Great Plains, and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... State nickname: Pelican State Official languages English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last official government census, but probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) Senators Mary Landrieu (D) David Vitter (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 31st 134,382 km² 16 Population  - Total... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Southern Baptist Churches eventually decided that the standing boards or conventions were necessary to the efficient ministries of its participants, and made them permanent and binding bodies. Some local associations that withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention still remain aloof from any national organization.

A move for unification of the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas and the General Association came to fruition at Texarkana, Texas in 1924. The BMA of Texas continued as a state organization. The General Association adjourned 'sine die,' and was replaced by the newly formed American Baptist Association (ABA). The ABA has steadily grown, but also suffered a serious setback in 1950 with a schism that led to the formation of two new general bodies – the North American Baptist Association (now Baptist Missionary Association of America) and the Interstate & Foreign Missionary Baptist Associational Assembly of America (now Interstate & Foreign Landmark Missionary Baptist Association of America). Other churches withdrew and remain independent. The famous post office on state line in Texarkana TX/AR Texarkana is a city located in Bowie County, Texas and is situated in East Texas. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Adjournment sine die (from the Latin, without day) occurs when an organized bodys existence terminates. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Baptist Missionary Association of America (BMAA) is a fellowship of autonomous Baptist churches for the purpose of benevolence, Christian education, and missions. ... Organized in 1951 as the Interstate and Foreign Missionary Baptist Associational Assembly of America, this group is now known as the Interstate and Foreign Landmark Missionary Baptist Association of America. ...

The numerical strength of the American Baptist Association is in the Old Southwest – Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas – but there are several churches in California and Florida. Also there are several participating churches and missions in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio. Initially a midwestern and southern movement, now there are at least a few ABA participating churches in most of the United States. Mission work has expanded the association worldwide. In 2000, there were 225,479 members and 1,867 churches in the US. State nickname: The Natural State Other U.S. States Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Governor Mike Huckabee (R) Senators Blanche Lincoln (D) Mark Pryor (D) Official language(s) English Area 137,732 km² (29th)  - Land 134,856 km²  - Water 2,876 km² (2. ... State nickname: Pelican State Official languages English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last official government census, but probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) Senators Mary Landrieu (D) David Vitter (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 31st 134,382 km² 16 Population  - Total... Oklahoma is a state of the United States, lying mostly in the southern Great Plains, and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... ... State nickname: The Golden State Official languages English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 4. ... State nickname: Sunshine State Official languages English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Senators Bill Nelson (D) Mel Martinez (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 17. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Official languages English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Senators Richard Durbin (D) Barack Obama (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 4. ... State nickname: The Hoosier State Official languages English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Governor Mitch Daniels (R) Senators Richard Lugar (R) Evan Bayh (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 38th 94,321 km² 1. ... State nickname: The Show Me State Official languages English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City (largest metropolitan area is Saint Louis) Governor Matt Blunt (R) Senators Kit Bond (R) Jim Talent (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 21st 69,709 mi²; 180,693 km² 1. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Official languages None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Governor Bob Taft (R) Senators Mike DeWine (R) George V. Voinovich (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 8. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

The American Baptist Association has developed a distinctive structure, though similar in principle and covenant with some SBC organization. The ABA is more oriented to the local church. Most churches participate in local and state associations in addition to the national body. Churches support local, state, interstate, and foreign missionaries, a publishing house, several seminaries (each sponsored by a local church), youth camps, etc. A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students in religion, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ...

The ABA participating churches are evangelistic; and for the most part are still partisans for the Landmark view of ecclesiology. Most churches will not accept "alien" immersion (immersion performed by other than Baptists), offering the candidate for membership a "Scriptural Baptism," in picture ordinance of Christ's baptism by John the Baptist. This has the candidate participate in a remembrance ordinance which "sets according to Scripture," one's baptism. Certain candidates can be received by letter from other ABA or Baptistic, "New Testament" churches.

Each ABA participating church holds "Closed Communion", which usually limits participation in the Lord's supper to only the members of that church. This is in accordance to the scriptural ordinance practiced by Christ with the Apostles, at the Last Supper. As the Apostles and Christ had removed themselves from the rest of the disciples, so the local church congregation shows reverence for the ordinance, offering the Lord's Supper only to members, with the observance of respected guests. Those observing are offered invitation to join the local church, thus allowing their participation as eventual members, by the church's covenant.

Premillennialism is the dominant eschatological view, and all churches hold some shared principles of the Christian faith: Genesis account of Creation, the Atonement, the Trinity (though in ABA churches the Trinity is generally referred to as the "Triune" God, for the more specific reference to the three distinct natures of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, in One Creator); etc. They reject Calvinism. The ABA participating churches also hold to the inerrancy of the Bible, as the inspired word of God, through its authors. The Apocrypha and Psuedepigraphae are not generally recognized as Canon. The churches generally recommend the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible for English services and study. Some others use the New King James Version (NKJV), or the New International Version (NIV) Bibles. This article specifically relates to Premillennialism in Christian eschatology, for political millenarianism and other uses of the word see Millennialism Premillennialism in Christian eschatology is the interpretation of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation in the Bible which sees Christs second coming as occuring before or pre- his... Calvinism is a soteriological system of Christian theology advanced by John Calvin, a Protestant Reformer in the 16th century, and further developed by his followers, associates and admirers. ...

External links

• American Baptist Association Web Site
• Why We are Called Landmark Baptists
• ABA Doctrinal Statement

Sources

• Association minutes
• Baptist Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
• The American Baptist Association: A Survey and Census of Its Churches and Associations, by R. L. Vaughn
• Handbook of Denominations, by Frank S. Mead and Samuel S. Hill
• Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States, 2000, Glenmary Research Center