| Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship | |
|---|---|
 Full Gospel Baptist Seal | |
| Abbreviation | FGBCF, FGBCFI |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Baptist |
| Theology | |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | Council of Bishops |
| Presiding Bishop | Joseph W. Walker III |
| Founder | Paul S. Morton |
| Origin | 1992 |
| Separated from | National Baptist Convention |
| Separations | Global United Fellowship |
| Congregations | 10,000 |
| Members | 2,000,000 |
| Official website | fullgospelbaptist |
TheFull Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship(FGBCF) orFull Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International(FGBCFI) is a predominantlyAfrican-American,CharismaticBaptist denomination established byBishop Paul Sylvester Morton—aGospel singer and formerNational Baptist pastor.[1] Founded as a response to traditionalblack Baptists upholdingcessationism, Full Gospel Baptists advocate for the operation ofPentecostal/Charismatic Christian spiritual gifts,[2] while also holding to traditional Baptist doctrine.
Reminiscing early Baptist Christianity's acceptance of thebishopric being synonymous with thepastorate withincongregationalist tenets per the1689 Baptist Confession of Faith (as Baptists originated in 1609 from theChurch of England, which schismed with theRoman Church—both upholding thehistoric episcopacy),[3] Full Gospel Baptists developed apresbyteral-episcopal polity not found in the historic black Baptist denominations while maintaining congregationalist distinctives.[4]
The FGBCF was reported to have over 10,000 active members in 1993 and 20,000 in 1995;[5] in 1997 it claimed 1 million members and 5,000 churches throughout the United States.[1] As of 2020, they reported having approximately 2 million members;[6] in 2023, Full Gospel Baptists had approximately 10,000 churches.[7] Churches aligned with Full Gospel Baptists may affiliate with otherChristian denomination, and aren't required to change their names.[4] Headquartered inAtlanta,Georgia, the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship is led by Bishop Joseph W. Walker III, ofNashville, Tennessee as the Full Gospel Presiding Bishop, who was appointed to succeed Bishop Morton upon his retirement.[8]
The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship was established byBishop Paul S. Morton Sr. in 1994 withinNew Orleans,Louisiana,[2] though it began as a movement within theNational Baptist Convention, USA in 1992.[5] From 25,000 to 30,000 attended the first conference of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship in 1994.[9]
Exploring the gifts of the Holy Spirit against traditionallycessationist Baptist pastors and laymen within the National Baptist Convention,National Baptist Convention of America, and theProgressive National Baptist Convention,[1] alongside establishing anepiscopal Baptist governance, Morton and those affiliated with the fellowship "were lovingly advised to resign their posts with the NBCUSA before they were kicked out."[1] National Baptist leadership feared the movement would develop into a separate denomination, urging members to either remain within the convention or leave;[10] the National Baptist Convention's then-president, Rev.Henry J. Lyons, disapproved of the movement's belief in tongues and divine healing.[4] In 1995, Bishop Morton left the National Baptist Convention, USA following the controversies among traditional black Baptists.[10]
Attracting some of the largest churches by membership from the oldest black Baptist denomination—the NBC USA—New Birth Missionary Baptist Church became a notable affiliate before leaving the fellowship during BishopEddie Long's pastoral tenure after multiple controversies surrounding their leadership at New Birth.[11] Eddie Long was consecrated a bishop by Paul Morton in the 1994.[12][13]
In 2013, Bishop Morton announced his intent to resign as Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.[14] He appointed Bishop Joseph W. Walker III inNashville, Tennessee as successor.[8] Walker, born inShreveport, Louisiana and serving as one of the founding fathers of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, assumed presiding office in 2015 and BishopNeil Ellisschismed through establishing theGlobal United Fellowship after resigning and losing the election to succeed Morton.[15][16]
Embracing a mixture ofcongregationalist,presbyterian, andepiscopal polity, Full Gospel Baptists as a collective are governed by the Full Gospel Baptist Council of Bishops. The presiding bishop is the head clerical and executive leader of the fellowship, exercising authority along with other episcopates to provide administration. Full Gospel Baptists ordain and consecrate a significant number offemale pastors and bishops as well, although the majority of their clergy is still male. Its women clergy operate an organization called the Daughters of the Promise, or Full Gospel International Women's Fellowship.[17]
Like most Baptist denominations, Full Gospel Baptists upholdTrinitarianism,biblical infallibility,believer's baptism; andcongregational autonomy.[18]: 12 However, in addition to traditional Baptist doctrine, the fellowship also believes in Pentecostal-Charismatic doctrines such asspeaking in tongues,laying on of hands,divine healing, andprophecy.[18]: 13–14 Likewise, the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship places special emphasis on practicingholiness, orChristian sanctification;[2] overall, their theological distinctives tend to merge with the separate Protestant tradition ofWesleyan-Arminian theology.
Within the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, its bishops claimapostolic succession through Bishop Morton's consecrator, the excommunicated Roman CatholicGeorge Augustus Stallings. Stallings consecrated Morton in March 1993.[19][20] Relieved of religious duties within the Roman Catholic Church, the concept of "valid but illicit" ordinations guaranteed Stallings episcopacy andhistoric claims remaining valid to whoever recognized it as such.[21][22] Apostolic succession though, according to Roman andAnglican churches however, effects the power and authority to administer the sacraments except for baptism and matrimony;[22] and it pertains to continuity of theuniversal teaching, preaching, governing, ordination, and grace.[23] Additionally, the Roman Catholic Church, considering the sacraments descending fromIndependent Catholics andOld Catholics as valid but illicit dependent upon the doctrine ofex opere operato, does not recognize the sacrament ofholy orders for women into the presbyterate or episcopacy; thereby rendering women as invalidly ordained and consecrated through Roman Catholic succession; and the varying theological continuity amongst Baptists male bishops' claims to succession as disputed.[24][22]
Established in 1994, our essence is best captured by the phrase 'The Right to Choose', that freedom is based on the belief that the Gospel of Jesus Christ must be promoted by recognizing the free expression of the gifts of the Spirit as a viable part of the Body of Christ. The Fellowship is convinced that the choice to exercise these spiritual gifts is imperative for the local New Testament Church to fully function as the dynamic organism God has intended.
A particular church, gathered and completely organized according to the mind of Christ, consists of officers and members; and the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church (so called and gathered), for the peculiar administration of ordinances, and execution of power or duty, which he intrusts them with, or calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world, are bishops or elders, and deacons. ( Acts 20:17, 28; Philippians 1:1 )
Bishop Walker currently serves as the International Presiding Bishop in the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, International. In July 2013, he was chosen to succeed the founding International Presiding Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr.
More than two decades ago, when he was consecrated as a bishop in a growing coalition of churches, Eddie Long said he and his cadre of youthful ministers were seen as something of a joke among more traditional black churches.
So what happens when a priest leaves the priesthood? Since Holy Orders is a character sacrament, once it has been validly received, it never is invalidated for any reason whatsoever. Granted, a cleric– deacon, priest, or bishop– may be freed from the clerical state and dispensed from the promise of celibacy by the proper authority. He may no longer have the obligations or the privileges to function as a cleric, but nevertheless he remains a cleric. Commonly, this practice is called laicization, meaning "returned to the state of the laity." (Code of Canon Law, #290-293.) Even though the cleric has been laicized and no longer functions as a deacon, priest, or bishop, he still has the sacramental character of Holy Orders. Technically, if he were to perform a sacrament in accord with the norms of the Church, that sacrament would indeed be valid. However, the sacrament would be illicit, meaning he violated Church law and would be culpable for this infraction since he no longer has the faculties to function as a priest.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
