North American Baptist Conference
The North American Baptist Conference ( NABC ) ( German: North American Baptist Conference ) is an association of Baptists German origin living in the United States and Canada.
The history of the NABC began 1839. This year, Konrad Anton Fleischmann founded a missionary work among German immigrants in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Fleischmann came from Switzerland. Because of his Bible studies, he came to the view that only the baptism because of a personal confession of faith is a valid baptism. Like other free Kirchler he also took an ecclesiology in which the community of believers in Jesus Christ was at the center. These beliefs led him to the Baptists. He joined them in 1843 and founded the first German Baptist church. Founding place was Philadelphia ( Pennsylvania).
1845 was formed by the NABC independently as a standalone Baptist Church Southern Baptist Convention.
Further developments
Other German communities during the following years and decades in Illinois, Missouri, New York and Wisconsin. 1851 invited the German Baptists to a Conference of Ministers and Helpers of German Churches of Baptized Christians Benthic, usually called Baptists in Philadelphia, which was followed in 1859 a second meeting in Springfield (Illinois ). Meanwhile, a first German Baptist church was formed in Canada (Ontario). It was founded by the German - Americans August Rauschenbusch. 1865 came in Wilmot (Ontario) establishing the NABC - predecessor The General Conference of German Baptist Churches in North America. Since 1944, this association reflects the new name. Official language of the German Church Federation is English since that date.
In the early 1960s the Progressive National Baptist Convention of the North American Baptist Conference split off.
Organization
The NABC is the only American church covenant, which is cross-border organized.
Subdivision
The NABC is divided in 20 regional associations. This delegate depending on the size deputies to the three -yearly general conferences.
Church leadership
The General Conference is to be understood as management of the NABC and delegated certain tasks to an executive committee. Administrative headquarters are Oakbroke Terrace ( Illinois).
Statistics
About two -thirds of the NABC communities are located in the United States, one-third in Canada.
Overall belong to the NABC 64565 members (excluding children and friends ) in 444 congregations.
Pastor training
The NABC operates two theological institutions:
- The North American Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls ( South Dakota ) / USA
- The Taylor University College and Seminary in Edmonton (Alberta) / Canada.
Foreign Mission
The NABC also has its own missionary society. 2003 worked around 70 missionaries outside the United States and Canada.