Primitive Baptists

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Primitive Baptists

Black Primitive Baptists

Covenanted Baptist Church of Canada

National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A.

Primitive Baptists–Absolute Predestinarians

Primitive Baptists–Moderates

Primitive Baptists–Progressive

Black Primitive Baptists

Current address not obtained for this edition.

Until the Civil War, blacks were members of the predominantly white Primitive Baptist associations and worshipped in segregated meeting houses. After the Civil War, blacks were organized into separate congregations, and associations were gradually formed. In North Alabama, the Indian Creek Association was formed as early as 1869. Among the leaders was Elder Jesse Lee. He was ordained after the war, and in 1868, organized the Bethlehem Church in Washington, Virginia. In 1877, he became the moderator of the newly formed Second Ketoctin Association.

Doctrine and practice of the Black Primitive Baptists are like those of the Regulars. The Black Primitive Baptists are known for their practice of line singing. They have no periodical. The Primitive Messenger, partially underwritten by Elder W. J. Berry, editor of Old Faith Contender, lasted only four years in the early 1950s.

Membership

Not reported. In the early 1970s there were 43 associations which averaged approximately five churches per association and 20 members per church. There are approximately 3,000 members.

Covenanted Baptist Church of Canada

Current address not obtained for this edition.

The Covenanted Baptist Church of Canada traces its roots to Daniel McArthur, a young Presbyterian of Cowal, Scotland. Converted in the early nineteenth century, he began preaching with great success. However, his Bible study led him to become a Baptist and he was baptized and ordained a minister by Elder McFarland of Edinburgh. Among McArthur’s converts was Dougald Campbell, who migrated from North Knapdale, Scotland to Aldboro, Elgin County, Ontario in 1818. He joined with the regular Baptists and was ordained. A few years later, however, Campbell felt the Baptists were departing from the strict Calvinism of his Scottish heritage, and he withdrew to organize the Covenanted Baptist Church of Canada. By the 1850s there were five congregations in Aldboro, Dunwick, Lobo, Ekfurd, and Orford (Duart), all in Ontario.

The Covenanted Baptists fellowshipped with no other groups until the mid-1850s, when copies of the American Primitive Baptist periodical Signs of the Times arrived in Canada. Gilbert Beebe, editor of the periodical, was the leading voice of Primitive Baptists in the northern United States. Correspondence led to the visit of Elder William McColl, who had been ordained by Beebe, and other Primitive Baptists in Dundas, Ontario. McColl’s visit was followed by that of Beebe and other prominent elders, and fellowship between the two churches was established. Fellowship with the Absolute Predestinarians continues to this day.

The Articles of Faith of the Covenanted Baptists affirms belief in the Trinity, Jesus Christ as lord and redeemer, righteousness that saves as imputed to the sinner by God’s grace, absolute predestination, free and permanent election, the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures, and believers’baptism by immersion. In keeping with their position on predestination, the articles disallow preaching that includes a general call for sinners to repent and respond to the Gospel. The attendance at meetings of other religious groups is frowned upon.

Membership

There are less than 100 members in several churches in Ontario.

Sources

Hassell, Cushing Briggs. History of the Church of God. Middletown, NY: Gilbert Beebe’s Sons, 1886.

National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A.

c/o Elder Ernest Ferrell, President, PO Box 7451, Tallahassee, FL 32314

Around the turn of the century, there was a movement among the Black Primitive Baptists to organize a national convention. In 1906, Elders Clarence Francis Sams, George S. Crawford, James H. Carey, and others called on their colleagues to join them in a meeting at Huntsville, Alabama, in 1907. Eighty-eight elders from seven Southern states responded. In organizing the convention, of course, the members departed from a main Primitive Baptist concern—that there should be no organization above the loose associations that typically cover several counties.

Doctrinally, the National Primitive Baptist Convention follows the Regular Primitive Baptists. The Convention’s creeds profess belief in the “particular election of a definite number of the human race.” Footwashing is practiced. The organization is congregational, and at the local level there are two offices: pastor (elder) and deacon or deaconness (mother). The convention meets annually and sponsors Sunday schools and a publishing board.

Membership

In 2002, there were 1,565 churches and 600,000 members.

Periodicals

The New Clarion, PO Box 7463, Tallahassee, FL 32314.

Sources

National Primitive Baptist Convention. www.natlprimbaptconv.org.

Discipline of the Primitive Baptist Church. Tallahassee, FL: National Primitive Baptist Publishing Board, 1966.

Primitive Baptists–Absolute Predestinarians

No central headquarters.

The smallest of the three larger groups of Primitive Baptists is composed of those who differ from the Regulars only on the issue of predestination. While all Primitive Baptists believe that God chose the elect before the foundation of the world, the “Absoluters,” as they are often called, believe that God decreed in himself from all eternity all things that will come to pass from the greatest to the smallest event. A lengthy exposition of their belief, including numerous scriptural references, is found annually in the Upper County Line Association Minutes. Only a few of the Absolute Predestinarians practice footwashing.

Most Absoluters are to be found in Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, and the Northeast. Among the periodicals reflecting the absolute predestination position were Zion’s Landmark issued in Wilson, North Carolina, and Signs of the Times, the oldest Primitive Baptist periodical, begun in 1832 and now issued from Danville, Virginia. Elder E. J. Berry has been a major force in Primitive Baptist circles for many years. He developed the Primitive Baptist Library in Elon College, North Carolina, and edits the Old Faith Contender.

Membership

Not reported.

Periodicals

Signs of the Times. Send orders to Rte. 1, Box 539, Beechwood Ln., Danville, VA 24541. • Old Faith Contender, Rte. 2, Elon College, NC 27244.

Primitive Baptists–Moderates

No central headquarters.

The largest single grouping of Primitive Baptists is composed of the moderate Calvinist Regulars. They are to be found throughout the South and Midwest, and are most heavily concentrated in North Carolina, Michigan, West Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. They believe in the depravity of man, often stated as the imputation of Adam’s sin to his posterity. The chosen are elected before the foundation of the world; are called, regenerated and sanctified, and are kept by the power of God. Good works are the fruits of faith and are evidence of salvation. In general, evangelism is not engaged in, since God will call his elect. Most practice footwashing. They oppose secret orders, missionary societies, Bible societies, theological seminaries, and related institutions, and will not fellowship with churches that are connected with those organizations.

Among the periodicals serving the Moderates are The Christian Pathway, monthly from Atlanta, Georgia; Baptist Witness, from Cincinnati; The Christian Baptist, from Atwood, Tennessee; and the Primitive Baptist, from Thornton, Arkansas. Besides publishing the Baptist Witness, Elder Lasserre Bradley, Jr., publishes the Primitive Baptist Directory, with more than 1,000 churches listed, and broadcasts the Baptist Bible Hour over stations in the South, Midwest, and California. Elder S. T. Tolley is compiling a library at Atwood, Tennessee.

Membership

Not reported.

Periodicals

The Christian Pathway. Send orders to c/o Elder Mark Green, PO Box 334, Booneville, AR 72927 • Baptist Witness. Available from Baptist Bible Hour, PO Box 17037, Cincinnati, OH 45217. • The Primitive Baptist. Available from Cayce Publishing Co., Thornton, AR 71766. • The Christian Baptist. Send orders to Box 168, Atwood, TN 38220.

Sources

Primitive Baptists. www.primitivebaptistchurches.com.

Berry, W. J. Tracing the True Worship of God. Elon College, NC: Primitive Publications, 1971.

Bradley, Lasserre, Jr. What Do Primitive Baptists Believe? Cincinnati, OH: Baptist Bible Hour, n.d.

Historical Facts on the Origin of “Campbellism.” Atwood, TN: Christian Baptist Library, n.d.

Lambert, Byron Cecil. The Rise of the Anti-Mission Baptists: Sources and Leaders, 1800-1840 New York: Arno Press, 1980.

Patterson, Beverly Bush. The Sound of the Dove: Singing in the Appalachian Primitive Baptist Churches. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1995.

Primitive Baptists–Progressive

c/o Pat McCoy, PO Box 69, Culloden, GA 31016

The most easily defined group of Primitive Baptists are the Progressives. In doctrine, Progressives are similar to the Regular or Reformed, but differ in the acceptance of innovative forms of congregational life. Included in the congregational life are sunday school, youth training, men’s brotherhoods and women’s auxiliaries, and youth camps. Beyond the local churches, the Primitive Baptist Foundation is a nonprofit corporation underwriting denominational projects: literature printing, retirement fund for pastors and widows, and evangelical support for churches. The Primitive Baptist Builders helps new and struggling churches to build and purchase. In the summer, bible conferences are held in Georgia and Indiana. The Lighthouse is a radio ministry heard in all parts of Georgia, eastern Alabama, South Carolina, north and west Florida, and internationally by short wave radio. Two Bethany homes—one for men in Millen, Georgia, and one for women in Vidalia, Georgia—serve senior citizens. Donetsk Ministry, Inc. is a mission outreach to Ukraine and Russia, supporting national pastors, missionaries, orphanages, and medical clinics.

Progressive churches are predominantly in Georgia, with scattered congregations in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Indiana, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Northern Virginia. A ministerial association functions among the non-association churches in Florida, Illinois, and Indiana. “The Minister’s School” meets three times per year. All ministers meet for intensive study of the scriptures. A music workshop is held annually for all church musicians and choirs.