|
NBCA HISTORY
Historian L. B. Jordan records that in 1880, there
were nearly two million former slaves in Baptist churches
which created a need for a national aggregation of
African-American Baptists. On Wednesday, November
24, 1880, one hundred fifty-one (151) messengers,
representing eleven states throughout the United States,
met at the First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama
and organized the Foreign Mission Baptist Convention
of the United States. The Reverend W. H. Alpine of
Alabama was elected as the first permanent president.
In 1886 the American National Baptist Convention was
organized in Saint Louis, Missouri, and in 1893 the
Baptist National Educational Convention was organized
in the District of Columbia.
There was the recognition for unification among our
African-American brothers and sisters; therefore,
on September 28, 1895, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the
Friendship Baptist Church, these three great conventions
united and formed the NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION,
making it the largest African-American Baptist organization
in America with a membership in the millions.
In order to carry out the mission of the National
Baptist Convention, three boards were created: The
Foreign Mission Board, the Home Mission Board out
of Little Rock, Arkansas; and the Educational Board
located in Washington, D.C. The preamble affirms:
“Whereas, it is the sense
of Colored Baptist of the United States of America,
convened in the City of Atlanta, Georgia, September
28, 1895, in the several organizations known as
‘The Baptist Foreign Mission Convention of
the United States of America,’ hitherto engaged
in mission work on the West Coast of Africa, ‘The
National Baptist Educational Convention,’
which has sought to look after the educational interest,
that the interest of the kingdom of God required
that the several bodies above named should unite
in one body. The Name of the new organization is
given as ‘The NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION
of the Unites States of America.’
Article II gives the objective as follows:
‘The objective of this convention shall be
to do mission work in the United States, in Africa,
and elsewhere abroad; to foster the cause of education
and to promote the publication and circulation of
religious literature.’”
Next Page
Contact the National Baptist
Convention of America, Inc. for questions or concerns
about this ministry and how you or your organization
can join us in spreading the Good News of Christ.
|
