American Baptist Churches USA
Officialemblem of the American Baptist Churches USA
Abbreviation	ABCUSA
Classification	Mainline Protestant
Orientation	Moderate toconservative, but with diverse tendencies.
Theology	Baptist
Polity	Congregationalist polity
General Secretary	Rev. Dr. Gina C. Jacobs-Strain
President	Rev. Nikita G. McCalister
Regions	33
Associations	National Council of Churches; Baptist World Alliance
Region	United States of America
Language	No official language, but mostlyEnglish-speaking
Liturgy	MostlyHigh-church
Headquarters	King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Origin	May 17, 1907 (1907-05-17) (Reorganization of theTriennial Convention) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Merger of	Triennial Convention related boards (1907)
Absorbed	Free Will Baptist General Conference (1911)
Separations	General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (1932) Conservative Baptist Association of America (1947)
Congregations	4,892[1]
Members	1,107,206[2]
Missionary organization	International MinistriesAmerican Baptist Home Mission Society
Tertiary institutions	16
Seminaries	10
Other names	Triennial Convention (1814–1907) Northern Baptist Convention (1907–1950) American Baptist Convention (1950–1972)
Official website	www.abc-usa.org

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TheAmerican Baptist Churches USA, abbreviated asABCUSA, is amainline Protestantdenomination in theUnited States, and part of theBaptist tradition.^[3][4][5][6] The American Baptist Churches is the reorganization from 1907 of theTriennial Convention, established in 1814. It is rooted in the early English and Welsh Baptist settlers in America, especially with the foundation ofRhode Island Colony, tracing its history to theFirst Baptist Church in America, established byRoger Williams in 1638. The Triennial Convention became theNorthern Baptist Convention in 1907, which was renamed as theAmerican Baptist Convention from 1950 to 1972. The ABCUSA headquarters is located inKing of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The American Baptist Churches cooperates with theBaptist World Alliance, theBaptist Joint Committee, and theWorld Council of Churches.

Although the denomination is consideredmainline Protestant, one of theSeven Sisters of American Protestantism, varying theological and missional emphases may be found among its congregations, includingevangelical,conservative, andcharismatic orientations.^[7] In 2025,Pew Research Center published theReligious Landscape Survey, estimating that 1 percent of US adults, or 2.6 million people, self-identify as adherents of the American Baptist Churches USA.^[8]

The American Baptist Churches USA have their origins in the First Baptist Church inProvidence, Rhode Island, now theFirst Baptist Church in America, founded in 1638 by the ministerRoger Williams.^[9][10] Regarded by the more dogmaticCongregationalists of theMassachusetts Bay Colony as aheretic for his views, Williams was banished into theNew England wilderness where he,John Clarke, and his Congregationalists and Baptists followers created the settlement ofProvidence and later, the colony ofRhode Island. Williams is credited with being the pioneer of bringing the Baptist tradition to America, the founder of the state of Rhode Island, and the first highly visible public leader in America to call for theseparation of the Church from state.

Operanting under acongregationalist polity, Baptist churches in America existed autonomously from one another, following an array ofProtestant theological paths, but were often unified in their missions to evangelize. In the 18th century, they established the first Baptist regional associations in America for fellowship, support, work, and education, resulting in the founding ofBrown University inRhode Island, in 1764. The Philadelphia Baptist Association, headquartered inAndorra, at Andorra Baptist Church, was one of these regional associations and it is considered the oldest Baptist regional association still in existence in the United States, linked to the founding of Brown. With theSecond Great Awakening, evangelical missions led to the establishment of the nationalTriennial Convention in 1814, a collaborative organization by local churches, regional associations, and state conventions to organize, fund, and deploy missionaries.^[11] Some used thePhiladelphia Confession of Faith and theNew Hampshire Confession as guides to faith. The modern-day ABCUSA is the continuation of the Triennial Convention, as a renewed version or reorganization in its structure. Through the Triennial Convention, a number of mission-oriented societies were formed, including theAmerican Baptist Foreign Mission Society (1814),American Baptist Home Mission Society (1832), American Baptist Publication Society (1841), and the American Baptist Education Society (1888).

In May 1845, the majority of Baptist churches in theSouth split from the Triennial Convention largely in response to the decision of its delegates to ban slave holders from becoming ordained missionaries. They went to found their own organization: theSouthern Baptist Convention (SBC).^[12] The Triennial Convention was structured loosely and offered local churches full autonomy, in contrast, however, was the SBC that had a more centralized organizational structure for carrying on missionary and benevolent work, a more traditional characteristic of Baptist ecclesiastical polity. The Triennial Convention continued to work through the separate cooperating societies for missions and benevolence.

In 1882, May Jones became the first ordained female minister in the convention.^[13]

The Northern Baptist Convention was organized in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 1907.^[14]Charles Evans Hughes, thenGovernor of New York and laterChief Justice of the United States, served the body as president.

The purpose of the Northern Baptist Convention as a reorganization of the Triennial Convention was to bring about a consistent cooperation among the convention societies and Baptists bodies out of the mainstream organization then existing. It was the first step in bringing together Baptists in the North "with ties to the historic American Baptist mission societies in the nineteenth century."^[15] These had contributed to establishing many schools forfreedmen in the South after theAmerican Civil War, as well as working on issues of health and welfare. Many of their missionaries and members had worked as teachers in the South. In 1911, mostFree Will Baptist churches merged with it.

Due to the development oftheological liberalism in some affiliated seminaries, such asCrozer Theological Seminary, conservative seminaries have been founded by convention ministers, including theNorthern Baptist Theological Seminary inChicago in 1913 and theEastern Baptist Theological Seminary inPhiladelphia in 1925.^[16][17]

The name of the convention was changed in 1950 to the American Baptist Convention (ABC), and it operated under this name until 1972.^[18] It was the second step at bringing together on a national level Baptists with ties to the mission societies. The ABC was characterized from 1950 to 1966 with annual resolutions at its conventions having to do with thecivil rights movement and race relations.

Without exception, these resolutions were progressive and genuinely encompassing. They addressed both the need for individual change in attitude and action, and the need for broader social change that could only be instituted through political action.^[15]

As in many cases, the rhetoric of the annual assemblies was sometimes ahead of local activity, but the denomination gradually made progress. In 1964, it created the Baptist Action for Racial Brotherhood (BARB), which early the next year produced a pamphlet outlining actions for change in local churches. In 1968, the convention was challenged by "Black American Baptist Churchmen Speak To the American Baptist Convention," demands that challenged how the denomination had "conducted its business relative to black American Baptists."^[15]

The black churchmen said the convention had excluded them from decision-making positions, even while working with good intentions on behalf of black American Baptists. The following year,Dr. Thomas Kilgore Jr., pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Los Angeles, was elected the first black president of the convention. The 1968 assembly also voted to create the Study Commission on Denominational Structure (SCODS). Its recommendations changed the denomination in a variety of ways, after being adopted at the 1972 assembly.^[15]

To reflect its new structure, the convention in 1972 changed its name to the American Baptist Churches USA.^[18] Rather than relying on decision-making at the annual assembly by whichever churches happened to send delegates, the SCODS restructuring resulted in the following:

A General Board was composed of duly elected representatives from geographically designated districts. Three-fourths of those representatives would be elected by the American Baptist regional bodies; one-fourth would be elected as at-large representatives, or in the official terminology, "Nationally Nominated Representatives". These representatives would be "chosen so as to provide the necessary balance among the Representatives in respect of racial/ethnic inclusiveness, geographic area, age, gender, and desirable skills.^[15]

The American Baptists Churches USA has acongregationalist polity emphasizing local church autonomy. Local churches are organized into 33 regions; the ABCUSA General Board makes policy for the denomination's national agencies.^[19]

However, board resolutions are not binding on local congregations. Three-fourths of the representatives to the ABCUSA General Board are nominated and elected by the regions. One-fourth of the representatives are nominated by the ABCUSA Nominating Committee and are elected by the regions. The General Secretary of the ABCUSA executes the policies and decisions of the General Board. Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer was called as ABCUSA General Secretary on May 8, 2017.^[20]

A substantial portion of the ABCUSA consists ofhistorically and predominantly African American churches that may have joint affiliations with the ABCUSA and historic bodies such as theNational Baptist Convention or theProgressive National Baptist Convention.Abyssinian Baptist Church inNew York City is one of the many African American churches jointly affiliated with the ABCUSA and National Baptist Convention.^[21] Since 1970, the ABCUSA and Progressive National Baptists have officially partnered.^[22]

The ABCUSA consists of 33 regional associations and conventions:

The majority of the denomination's congregations are concentrated in theMidwest andNortheast United States.^[23]

In 1925, there were just over 1.4 million members.^[24] Membership peaked in the early 1980s at around 1.6 million. Since the beginning of the 21st century, membership began to decline and stagnate again, with the ABCUSA reporting 1,145,647 members in 5,057 churches at the end of 2017. According to a census published by the denomination in 2024, it claimed 4,802 churches and 1,107,206 members.^[25]

According to a study by thePew Research Center in 2014, 21% of its members were aged 18–29; 28% 30–49; 32% aged 50–64 and 19% aged 65 and older. While 51% of its membership wereBaby Boomers, theSilent Generation, and theGreatest Generation, the remainder wereGeneration X,older millennials, and younger millennials,^[26] making it slightly younger than theNational Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention.^[27][28] Approximately 40% of its membership were men and 60% were women, and the ABCUSA's churches were 73%non-Hispanic white, 10%non-Hispanic black or African American, 1%Asian, 11%Hispanic or Latino American, and 5% multiracial or other.

Theologically, the Pew Research Center's 2014 study determined 83% of the ABCUSA believes in God with absolute certainty, and 15% believed fairly certainly; 73% believed religion was very important and 24% considered it somewhat important. About 42% of members attended churches at least once a week, while 41% attended once or twice a month; 16% seldom or never attend church. An estimated 69% prayed daily, and 19% prayed weekly. Among its membership, 48% read Scripture at least once a week, and 15% once or twice a month; 53% believe theBible should be taken literally, while 27% believe it is still theWord of God, yet should not be taken completely literally.^[26]

Several congregations of the American Baptist Churches USA affirm the historicNew Hampshire Confession of Faith.^[29][30] American Baptists believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and the final authority in matters of faith.^[31] The ABCUSA affirms theTrinity, that the one God exists as three persons in complete unity:God the Father,God the Son, andGod the Holy Spirit. They confessJesus Christ as Savior and Lord through whom those who believe can have fellowship with God. He died, taking on the sins of the world, and was resurrected, triumphing over sin and death.^[32]

ABCUSA churches recognize two ordinances/sacraments:believer's baptism and theLord's Supper. Baptism is by immersion, and those being baptized must be of an age to understand its significance. Believing in thepriesthood of all believers, the ABCUSA affirms the freedom of individual Christians and local churches to interpret scripture as the Holy Spirit leads them. The ABCUSA affirms theordination of women.^[32]

Homosexual issues have been a point of contention in the ABCUSA since the 1987 Biennial Meeting.^[33] In 1992, the ABCUSA General Board adopted a resolution that stated, "We affirm that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching."

Since 1995, regional conventions and associations of ABCUSA have carried outexcommunications of various churches which have become members of theAssociation of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists founded in 1993, an association favorable to the inclusion of homosexuals, a belief contrary to a resolution adopted by the denomination.^[34][35]

So far, at least seven regions in the ABCUSA (Evergreen, Wisconsin, Rochester-Genesee, Metro Chicago, Metropolitan New York, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia) support full inclusion of homosexuals into Baptist life.^[36] Many ABCUSA churches have also partnered with theAssociation of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, which formed at the 1993 Biennial Meeting.

However, several other ABCUSA regions and churches have opposed affirmation of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender identity. In 2004, the ABC Central Region reaffirmed the 1992 resolution.^[37] At its 2005 annual meeting, the West Virginia Baptist Convention, which had a history of proposing resolutions opposing liberal views on homosexual inclusion,^[33] narrowly rejected a proposal to withdraw from the ABCUSA over its refusal to discipline those regions that have supported homosexual-friendly policies.^[36] The Indiana-Kentucky region has also proposed a change in the denomination's bylaws that would prohibit the transfer of churches into another region if removed from the region because of the issue of homosexuality.^[36]

In 2006, American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest split from the convention due to the convention's laxity with churches on enforcing a 1992 resolution that opposes the inclusion of homosexual people and have been renamedTransformation Ministries.^[38] The convention responded that it wanted to respect the autonomy of local churches and that it did not want to carry outexcommunications.

Each local church is autonomous and permitted to perform same-sex marriages if they opt to do so.^[39] For example,Calvary Baptist Church (Washington, D.C.), affiliated with the ABCUSA, performs same-sex marriages.^[40] In 2013, an ABCUSA church inWashington, D.C., ordained the denomination's first openly transgender minister.^[41]

The ABCUSA has consistently allowed each congregation to determine whether or not to perform same-sex marriages, or ordain LGBT clergy.^[42] The ABCUSA General Board voted in 2005 to amend the declarationWe are American Baptists to define marriage as "between one man and one woman" and maintain that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Biblical teaching."^[42] However, the denomination has never officially adopted the board's statement, and has also stated, "We respect and will continue to respect congregational freedom on this issue".^[42]

The ABCUSA has 16 affiliateduniversities and colleges affiliated with it,^[43] and a number of home and foreign missionary societies such as theAmerican Baptist Home Mission Society andInternational Ministries. Among its universities and colleges, some are also dually-affiliated with theNational Baptists—a predominantly African American or Black Baptist denomination founded by freedmen and slaves. Additionally, there are 10 seminaries affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA:^[44]

• Andover Newton Theological School,Newton, Massachusetts, part ofYale Divinity from 2018
• Berkeley School of Theology (formerly called the American Baptist Seminary of the West),Berkeley, California
• Central Baptist Theological Seminary,Shawnee, Kansas
• Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School,Rochester, New York
• Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico,San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Morehouse School of Religion,Atlanta, Georgia
• Northern Seminary,Lisle, Illinois
• Palmer Theological Seminary,St. David's, Pennsylvania
• Shaw University Divinity School,Raleigh, North Carolina
• Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University,Richmond, Virginia

Includes Northern Baptists (1907–1950) and American Baptists (1950–present)

• Wayland Hoyt (1838–1910), minister and author
• John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), oil magnate and philanthropist
• Walter Rauschenbusch (1861–1918), theologian and pastor, key figure of theSocial Gospel andsingle tax movements
• Charles Evans Hughes (1862–1948),36th Governor of New York, 11thChief Justice of the United States, and first president of the Northern Baptist Convention
• Rev.Lena B. Mathes (1861–1951), educator, social reformer, ordained minister
• John D. Rockefeller Jr. (1874–1960), financier and philanthropist
• Tony Campolo (1935–2024) American sociologist, pastor, author
• Kamala Harris (b. 1964), Vice President of the United States

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Wikisource has the text of the 1921Collier's Encyclopedia articleNorthern Baptists.

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• American Baptist Historical Society
• Jessie M. Bright Collection atStuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, & Rare Book Library, Emory University

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