Part of a series on Baptists

Historical Background Christianity General Baptist Particular Baptist Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... General Baptist is a generic term for Baptists that hold the view of a general atonement, as well as a specific name of groups of Baptists within the broader category. ... The name Reformed Baptist does not refer to a distinct denomination but instead is a description of the churchs theological leaning. ...

Doctrinal distinctives Prima scriptura Sola scriptura Baptist ordinance Baptist offices Baptist confessions Autonomy of the local church Separation of church and state Main article: Baptist The Beliefs of Baptist Churchs are not totally consistent from one Baptist church to another, as churches do not have a central governing authority, unlike most other denominations. ... The Bible is considered as first or above all sources of divine revelation. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      This article is about theological concept. ... Baptists recognize only two ordinances—believers baptism and the Lords Supper (communion). ... Baptists generally recognize two Scriptural offices, those of pastor-teacher and deacon. ... 1600s 1644 First London Baptist Confession - revised in 1646 1651 The Faith and Practice of Thirty Congregations 1654 The True Gospel-Faith Declared According to the Scriptures 1656 The Somerset Confession of Faith 1655 Midland Confession of Faith 1660 The Standard Confession 1678 The Orthodox Creed 1689 Second London Baptist... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... Separation of church and state is one of the primary theological distinctions of the Baptist tradition. ...

Pivotal figures John Smyth Thomas Helwys John Bunyan Andrew Fuller John Gill Charles Haddon Spurgeon Samuel Sharpe John Smyth (1570 - c. ... Thomas Helwys, (c. ... John Bunyan. ... Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) was an eminent Baptist minister, born in Cambridgeshire, and settled at Kettering. ... John Gill (born at Kettering, Northamptonshire on November 23, 1697 and died October 14, 1771) was an English Baptist, Biblical scholar. ... Charles Haddon Spurgeon (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892) was Englands best-known and most-loved preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. ... Samuel Sharp, also called Daddy Sharpe (or Sam Sharp), he was a Deacon at the Burchell Baptist Church in Montego Bay, Jamaica, during the 19th century. ...

Major Baptist Associations American Baptist Baptist World Alliance Cooperative Baptist Fellowship National Baptist Convention Southern Baptist Convention Baptist Union of Great Britain Brazilian Baptist Convention ABCUSA American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a group of Baptist churches within the United States; headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. ... The Baptist World Alliance was formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London, England during the first Baptist World Congress. ... Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Inc. ... The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. ... The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based cooperative ministry agency serving Baptist churches around the world. ... Baptist Union of Great Britain - the oldest and largest national association of Great Britain. ... The Brazilian Baptist Convention or Convenção Batista Brasileira is the oldest Brazil. ... This box: view • talk • edit

History

Most Regular Baptists merged with the Separate Baptists near the beginning of 19th century. The party names were dropped in favor of United Baptists. The use of the name "Regular" has persisted among some Baptist groups, particularly among primitivistic sects that reject modern methods, including missionary and educational auxiliaries for the churches. Most Old Regular Baptists can be traced back to the New Salem Association of United Baptists (org. in eastern Kentucky in 1825). In 1854 the name was changed to "Regular United", to "Regular Primitive" in 1870, to "Regular Baptist" in 1871 and then in 1892 to "Old Regular." The minutes of New Salem Association in 1892 indicate that they feared the extremism of some predestinarians that tended toward teaching God is the author of sin. Those associations and churches that do not trace their lineage through the New Salem, such as Mountain, Mud River, Twin Creek and others, along with some churches that are in the larger associations, may have originated in the North District Association; or else like the Mud River churches originated from the Particular Baptist. Yet others have left Primitive Baptist and United Baptist Associations and found a home among the Old Regular Baptist. The word "old" was added to Regular Baptist soon after many Regular Baptist had joined and or began to correspond with mission boards, this was done to distinguish the Old (or original) Regular Baptist from the New School Baptist that had emerged throughout the United States.Old Regular Baptist have had several divisions through the years in the 1960's a debate started over when everlasting(eternal) life began,many Old Regular Baptist hold the same views as the Primitive Baptist others a more modifed Calvinism, this difference led to the light is life split that took place in the Union Association.This division soon spread to other associations brought on by the Union Association,resulting in the isolation of the Mud River Association,and the formation of the Bethel, other associations like the New Salem, chose not to divide over this issue,often churches and associations and even Elders are distingushed by which side of this debate they are on, those that hold to the doctrine that an individual is first begotten or quickened into life at the start of their travail, are called the "hard side"of Old Regular Baptist or the old school, those who hold that life starts at the end of their travail(repentance)are called the "soft shell side". Today the debate is still among the Old Regular Baptist along with when one receives faith,men and womens dress,the receiving of divorced members,the doctrinal differences over hope and knowledge.In the 1990's a debate arose in the Northern New Salem over one of it's member churches use of fermented wine in communion vs grape juice.A query was sent into the association by a sister church against the church that used wine, all evidence shows that the church that sent the query had not taken the proper steps according to Old Regular Baptist decorum, the Association then involved itself, failing to send the query back to the church that sent it,violated it's own order.This led to two member churches breaking fellowship with the Northern New Salem .The two member churches and one formed latter, lettered to the Original Mountain Liberty Association and was found by them to be orthodox and orderly and were dissmissed to form the Sovereign Grace Association in 1997. Regular Baptists are a diverse group of Baptists in the United States and Canada. ... Separate Baptists - an 18th century group of Baptists in the United States, primarily in the South, that grew out of the Great Awakening. ... 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. ... United Baptists - name of several diverse Baptist groups in the United States and Canada. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

 ===Faith and Practice== 

The theology of the group is "election by grace", as stated in the scripture "By Grace are ye saved through faith.While all Old Regulars preach "election by grace "a difference of opinion exists among them concerning election and predestination.Today depending on which group you hear preach, their doctrine ranges from absolute predestination to man being a free moral agent. The majority of Old Regular Baptist hold to a doctrine that is between these extremes, with absolutism the smallest minority.Some churches and associations would be in doctrinal sympathy with the Old Line Primitive Baptist others would be closer to the United Baptist. Churches form local associations by which they fellowship with one another. This fellowship is formally maintained by the associations electing "correspondents" to attend the meetings of the other associations. Preachers are God-called, not trained by man, and unpaid, and preach "improvisational" (often chanted) sermons. Baptism (in running water), the Lord's supper and feet washing are held to be ordinances. Shouting is a frequent occurrence at Old Regular meeting, particularly among the female membership. Conversion experiences may be a lengthy "process," beginning with an awakening to sin, through a period of conviction and travail of the soul, to repentance and belief. Baptism in early Christian art. ... The Lords Supper is a variation of the name and the service of The Last Supper or Eucharist. ... Feet washing is a religious rite observed as an ordinance by several Christian denominations. ...

Current status

The strength of Old Regular Baptists is in the Appalachias, particularly along the Kentucky and Virginia border, although Old Regular Baptist churches exist as far north as Michigan and as far south as Florida and several churches still exist in the state of Washington. Currently there are eighteen local associations: New Salem, Northern New Salem, Old Friendship, Old Indian Bottom, Philadelphia, Sardis, Union, Bethel, Friendship, Indian Bottom, Mountain, Mountain Valley, Original Mountain Liberty, Sovereign Grace, Thornton Union, Mud River, Solid Rock, Mountain II, Little Zion. The first seven on the list maintain "correspondence" with one another, while the remaining twelve exhibit various correspondence patterns, including three that have correspondence with the Primitive Baptists and two with the United Baptists. These eighteen associations and independent bodies [not lettered to an association] contain over 400 churches with over 11,000 members.Due to isolation and previous divisons an accurate membership is at this time unattainable. The folk singer Jean Ritchie was a member of the Old Regular Baptists in Kentucky. Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,774 sq mi (110,785 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Jean Ritchie (born 1922) is an American folk singer. ...

Current membership among associations:

Lined-Out Hymnody

One noted feature that has gained much attention to the Old Regular Baptists is their lined-out, non-instrumental, congregational hymnody. Old Regular Baptists: Lined-out Hymnody vol.1 and Songs of the Old Regular Baptists vol.2 by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings are notable in the folk music industry. Though Old Regular Baptists are not the only group to retain lined-out hymnody, theirs may be the purest, since it is the only form of singing used in their churches. According to Jeff Titon, "The leader sings the very first line, and the congregation joins in when they recognize the song. After that, the song proceeds line by line: the leader briefly chants a line alone, and then the group repeats the words but to a tune that is much longer and more elaborate than the leader's chant or lining tune." E. D. Thomas' Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1877) and Edward W. Billups' The Sweet Songster (1854) are two "words-only" hymn books preferred by these churches. It has been suggested that Folkways Records be merged into this article or section. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

References

• Dorgan, Howard. Giving Glory to God in Appalachia.
• Dorgan, Howard. The Old Regular Baptists of Central Appalachia.
• Leonard, Bill J., ed. Dictionary of Baptists in America.
• McCauley, Deborah. Appalachian Mountain Religion: A History.
• Radecki, Patricia Marie (1991). "The World in the Text and the Text in the World: A Study of Old Regular Baptist Discourse." A.D. thesis. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan.
• Wicks, Sammie Ann (1983). "Life and Meaning: Singing, Praying, and the Word Among the Old Regular Baptists of Eastern Kentucky." Ph.D. dissertation. Austin, Texas: The University of Texas at Austin.

External links

• Appalachian Music
• Blessed Hope Old Regular Baptist Church weekly worship services
• Historical Sketch
• History of Red Bush Old Regular Baptist Church
• Indian Bottom Association of Old Regular Baptists
• Information on Lined-Out Hymnody
• Old Regular Baptists
• Sovereign Grace Association of Old Regular Baptist