Regular Baptists are "a moderatelyCalvinistic Baptist denomination that is found chiefly in the southern U.S., represents the original English Baptists before the division intoParticular and General Baptists, and observesclosed communion andfoot washing", according to Merriam Webster.^[1] This definition describesOld Regular Baptists, not those who formed as a result of theFundamentalist-Modernist controversy.

The most prominent Regular Baptist group is theGeneral Association of Regular Baptist Churches. While the termRegularBaptist was originally a reference to theParticular Baptists, it came to be used more loosely as a synonym fororthodox. TheBaptist Bulletin of theGARBC defines them simply as groups who believe "orthodox,Baptist doctrine" and "affirm the rule or measure of the Scripture."^[2][a] As compared toGeneral Baptists orFree Baptists, Regular Baptists were strict in their beliefs, and also called Strict or Hard-shell Baptists.^[2] To be a Regular Baptist church in theGARBC is to hold to distinctive baptistic ecclesiology and interpret the Bible literally.

The term Regular Baptists developed in America from English immigrants who had been influenced by theParticular andGeneral Baptists churches that were established in England.^[2] According to Stuart Ivison and Fred Rosser: "By 1638 there were also congregations of ‘Particular’ Baptists, who held that the Atonement was of particular application, i.e., for the sake of the elect only."^[2] TheFree Baptists, however, believed that all people could reap the benefits of atonement.^[2] This meant, particularly for the western pioneers, that individuals that werebaptized were allowed to become church members and takecommunion.^[2]

The number of Regular Baptists began to increase over the number ofFree Baptists after the establishment of the Philadelphia Baptist Association (PBA) in 1707, which in 1742 developed aconfession of faith.^[2][b] The influence and mission program of the Philadelphia Baptists shifted many of theFree Baptists to Regular Baptists.^[2] John Asplund traveled the United States and created the first comprehensive list of Baptist denominations in the United States in 1790 entitledAnnual Register of the Baptist Denomination in America. He found that the greatest number of Baptist churches at that time were Regular Baptist churches.^[2]

In the 1800s, the termRegular Baptist came to describe theFree Baptists.^[2] This was a surprising change as the termregular initially described the opposing position to theFree Baptists (i.e., particular atonement). This happened as a result of the strict view ofcommunion they took which held that individuals must be baptized prior to partaking of the Lord's Table.^[2]

Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, theNorthern Baptist Convention included individuals who were adopting the higher-critical theories of German theologians.^[3] This caused many to separate from the convention and to form several groups of conservative, Fundamentalist Baptists. During this, the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches was born.^[4] Their designation as Regular Baptists was unrelated to the dispute over general and particular atonement.^[2]

There are still a number of organizations that are considered Regular Baptists, but the degree of strictness regarding atonement beliefs may vary across Regular Baptists churches today.^[2]

• Old Regular Baptists is a group formed in Kentucky in 1825 from the New Salem Association of United Baptists, which was formed in Kentucky in 1825. After several name changes, its name has been Old Regular since 1892. They practicefoot washing and observe closed communion.^[2]
• The Sovereign Grace Association of Old Regular Baptist Churches of Jesus Christ conducts many of the practices of the Old Regular Baptists, but consider themselves more conservative.^[2]
• TheGeneral Association of Regular Baptist Churches — organized in 1932 by conservative and fundamentalist churches withdrawing from the Northern Baptist Convention (nowAmerican Baptist Churches).^[2] Today, there are more than 1,200 churches in their association.^[5] Unlike other Regular Baptist groups, they are primarily in the North, they do not practicefoot washing as an ordinance, and they take no position oncalvinism.^[6][7] They manage and operateRegular Baptist Press, the publishing arm of their association.^[8] They are headquartered inElgin, Illinois.^[9]

The term Regular Baptists denotes churches with strict, orthodox Baptist beliefs.^[2] In 1928, the Union of Regular Baptist Churches was formed in Hamilton, Ontario. It was succeeded in 1957 by theAssociation of Regular Baptist Churches of Ontario, Canada, which continues to uphold closed communion teaching and practice.^[2]

• Union Baptists — a strand of Regular Baptists that owes its origin to theCivil War. Churches and associations, especially in border states, were rent asunder by this national conflict. Tensions over secession, war and reconstruction, as well as the fact that Primitive Baptists did not allow members to hold membership in secret societies, combined to incubate the Union Baptists. Many pro-Union Primitive Baptists joined Union Leagues and were expelled from their churches and associations. The Mountain Union Association, formed in 1867, was the first "Union" Baptist Association. Unlike other areas, this distinction, at least in name, has persisted, and some churches and associations consider themselves "Union Baptists". There seems to be no doctrinal distinction between Union Baptists and Regular Baptists. Three associations — Original Mountain Union, Primitive and Union — have about 3300 members in 36 churches. Mitchell River Union Baptist Association may still be in existence.
• Regular Baptists — found in 5 local associations; much like the Old Regular Baptists, and located in the same region, but more open to changes in worship and lifestyle. Churches have allowed notated hymnals, Sunday Schools, revivals and even instrumental music. Three associations, mostly inNorth Carolina, are in correspondence — Little River, Little Valley and Mountain Union (708 members in 15 churches in 1999). Two others are in isolated areas and not connected to the first three — East Washington inArkansas (1560 members in 10 churches in 1999) and Enterprise inOhio,Kentucky and bordering areas (4288 members in 63 churches in 1999).^{[citation needed]}
• Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada — although the FEBCC is not generally considered Regular Baptist, some churches of this Fellowship still carry Regular Baptist as part of their name, especially inBritish Columbia. Three of four major bodies forming and entering the FEBCC from 1953 to 1965 were Regular Baptist.^[10]
• Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) — Many Baptist churches were once Regular Baptist Churches. The CBOQ exists to equip churches and leaders to engage with their mission from God in their community.^{[citation needed]}

• Thomas andNancy Lincoln, PresidentAbraham Lincoln's parents, were members of the Licking-Locust Association of Regular Baptists in Kentucky.^[2]
• Taylor I. Record, an Indiana state legislator, was a Regular Baptist.^[11]

• Primitive Baptists

Informational notes

Citations

Further reading

• Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion (August 19, 1996).Memory and Hope: Strands of Canadian Baptist History. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press.ISBN 978-0-88920-267-2.
• Kevin Bauder (2012).Baptist Distinctives and New Testament Church Order. Regular Baptist Press.ISBN 978-1-60776-583-7.
• Kevin Bauder; Robert Delnay (2014).One in Hope and Doctrine: Origins of Baptist Fundamentalism 1870—1950. Regular Baptist Press.ISBN 978-1-60776-660-5.
• Achilles Coffey; Thomas J. Carr (1877).A Brief History of the Regular Baptists, Principally of Southern Illinois. Martin.
• Howard Dorgan (November 1990).Giving Glory to God in Appalachia: Worship Practices of Six Baptist Subdenominations. Univ. of Tennessee Press.ISBN 978-0-87049-666-0.
• Howard Dorgan (August 1, 2001).The Old Regular Baptists of Central Appalachia: Brothers and Sisters in Hope. Univ. of Tennessee Press.ISBN 978-1-57233-160-0.
• Samuel S. Hill; Charles H. Lippy; Charles Reagan Wilson (2005).Encyclopedia of Religion in the South. Mercer University Press.ISBN 978-0-86554-758-2.
• Bill J. Leonard (August 14, 2012).Baptists in America. Columbia University Press.ISBN 978-0-231-50171-2.
• James R. Mathis (2004).The Making of the Primitive Baptists: A Cultural and Intellectual History of the Antimission Movement, 1800-1840. Psychology Press.ISBN 978-0-415-94871-5.
• James Harvey Oliphant (2006).Principles and Practices of the Regular Baptists. Elder Harold Hunt.
• Rufus Perrigan (1961).History of Regular Baptist: And Their Ancestors and Accessors. Rufus Perrigan.
• John J. Ruhlman (1976).A History of Northwest Regular Baptists: the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, 1939-1975. Regular Baptist Press.
• Joseph M. Stowell (1949).Background and History of the General Association of Regular Baptists.
• Paul N. Tassel (1991).Quest for Faithfulness: the Account of a Unique Fellowship of Churches. Regular Baptist Press.ISBN 0-87227-152-8
• Albert W. Wardin (1995).A Look at Baptists Around the World. Florida Baptist Historical Society.
• Terry Wolever (January 1, 2014).A Noble Company, Volume 4: Biographical Essays on Notable Particular-Regular Baptists in America. Particular Baptist Press.ISBN 978-1-888514-46-9.

• Baptist movements
• Reformed Baptist movement

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