| Baptist Union of Southern Africa | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | BUSA |
| Classification | Evangelical Christianity |
| Theology | Baptist |
| Associations | Baptist World Alliance,Evangelical Alliance of South Africa |
| Headquarters | Roodepoort,South Africa |
| Origin | 1877 |
| Congregations | 537 |
| Members | 36,591 |
| Missionary organization | Missions Board |
| Aid organization | Deed of Love Ministry |
| Seminaries | 2 |
| Official website | baptistunion |
TheBaptist Union of Southern Africa is aBaptistChristian denomination inSouth Africa. It is affiliated with theBaptist World Alliance and theEvangelical Alliance of South Africa. The headquarters is inRoodepoort in Gauteng province.
The Baptist Union of Southern Africa has its origins in the first Baptist churches inSalem, Eastern Cape and inGrahamstown founded in 1823 by William Miller, an EnglishBaptist pastor.[1] The first ordained Baptist preacher to travel to South Africa was William Davies, who was sent by theBaptist Missionary Society in England. He arrived in 1832 and ministered in Grahamstown for a short period. Work in Kariega, about 16 miles from Grahamstown, began in 1834. A German settlement around 1860 brought the first German Baptist work led by Carsten Langheim. A German pastor, Carl H. Gutsche, baptized J. D. Odendall, who founded the first Dutch-speaking Baptist church in South Africa in 1886. TheBaptist Union was founded in 1877 by four English-speaking churches and one German-speaking church.[2] TheSouth African Baptist Missionary Society was formed in 1892.[3] Black Baptist churches united to form theBantu Baptist Church in 1927, under the auspices of theSouth African Baptist Missionary Society.
According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 537 churches and 36,591 members.[4]
In 1951, the Baptist Union establishes theBaptist Theological College of Southern Africa inRandburg and theCape Town Baptist Seminary in 1974 inCape Town.[5]
The Convention has amissionary organization, Missions Board.[6]
It has a humanitarian organization, Deed of Love Ministry.[7]
The Baptist Union of Southern Africa comprises a number of associations and networks. Each association or network is made up of a number of autonomous local churches which prescribe to Christian tenets of belief and Baptist distinctives and hold voluntary membership with an association.
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