| General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions (Triennial Convention) | |
|---|---|
 Seal of theAmerican Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS), established in 1814. | |
| Classification | Mainline Protestant |
| Theology | Baptist |
| Polity | Congregationalist |
| State conventions & regional associations | 33 |
| Region | United States |
| Origin | May 1814 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania |
| Separations | Southern Baptist Convention (1845) |
| Defunct | May 17, 1907 (reorganized asAmerican Baptist Churches USA) |
| Missionary organization | American Baptist Missionary Union American Baptist Home Mission Society |
TheTriennial Convention, formally theGeneral Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions, was the oldestBaptistdenomination in theUnited States existing from 1814 to 1907. In that year, the Triennial Convention was reorganized into the currentAmerican Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA).
The origins of the Triennial Convention date back to thecolonial period, with the immigration of English and Welsh Baptist settlers toNew England and the founding ofRhode Island Colony. Following an array of theological paths, Baptist churches were founded across America, most notably theFirst Baptist Church of Providence, in 1638. Although operating more independently, the early American Baptist churches were often unified for mutual cooperation and support in missionary activity. In the 18th century, following the church polity of the British Baptists, they established the first regional associations in America for fellowship, support, work, and education, later resulting in the founding ofBrown University in 1764.
After theSecond Great Awakening and theAmerican Revolution, Baptists convened anassembly inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, in 1814, and established the Triennial Convention mainly for foreignmissions. The denomination assembled every three years, hence it was named "Triennial" Convention. Other Baptist societies were developed within the convention for various missional interests, including Home Missions, Publications, and later Education. In a controversy overslavery and missions policy, the Southern associations and state conventions split from the Triennial Convention in 1845 and founded theSouthern Baptist Convention, before theCivil War. The schism left the Convention largelyNorthern in its composition of churches and membership.
Distinguished from other Christian and Protestant traditions by their commitment tocredobaptism andhigh local church autonomy, the Baptist tradition have been present in the United States sinceRoger Williams founded theFirst Baptist Church in America inProvidence, Rhode Island, in 1638. Baptist churches were soon found elsewhere incolonial America. TheFirst Baptist Church of Boston was founded in 1665, andPennepack Baptist Church inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, was organized in 1688. The founding ofFirst Baptist Church ofCharleston, South Carolina, in the late 1690s marked the spread of Baptists to the South.[1]: 90 [2]: 14
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Baptists began forming regional associations and societies to foster cooperation in missionary, benevolent, and educational work, such as the founding ofBrown University.[2]: 19 Associations could determine their own standards for fellowship and offer advice to churches, but local congregations governed themselves and ordained their own ministers. The first permanent Baptist association in America was the Philadelphia Association, established in 1707.[1]: 90
TheSecond Great Awakening inspired the establishment of foreign missions agencies to spread the Christian religion throughout the world. In 1810, theCongregationalists established theAmerican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Two years later, the Congregationalist Board sentAdoniram Judson, Jr. (1788–1850),Ann Hasseltine Judson (1789–1826), andLuther Rice to India. Upon arrival, however, the three missionaries repudiatedinfant baptism and became Baptists under the influence of British missionaryWilliam Carey (1761–1834), a founder of Britain'sBaptist Missionary Society.[2]: 19–20
Carey and the three American missionaries mobilized Baptists in America to support the Judsons' planned mission trip toBurma. Their efforts led to the establishment in 1814 of the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions.[3][4] The Convention was tasked with collecting funds from Baptist groups and individuals to support foreign missions.[2]: 20 The Convention was called "Triennial" because the national body assembled every three years. Members of the denomination were called American Baptists or Triennial Baptists.[5] At the Triennial Convention's first assembly between May 18 and 25, 1814,Richard Furman was elected president, theBaptist Board for Foreign Missions was created, and the denomination sent missionaries to China, Africa, and South America. Otherstate conventions, regional associations, and societies were being established, such as the Baptist General Tract Society (later renamedAmerican Baptist Publication Society) in 1824 and theHome Mission Society in 1832.[2]: 21 The various societies held their own conventions during sessions of the Triennial Convention.[1]: 91
By 1840, Baptists were in every state and territory as well as missions around the world.[6]: 62–3 Alongside theMethodists, Baptists had grown to be one of the two largest denominations in the United States.[2]: 24 Nevertheless, there were Baptists who opposed efforts to establish missions boards and denominational agencies as unbiblical. These Baptists became known as "anti-mission" orPrimitive Baptists, while those who supported organized missionary work became known asMissionary Baptists.[2]: 21 As early as 1838,African-American Baptists began organizing their own independent associations and conventions. Immigrants, such as Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and German Americans, also formed their own Baptist denominations along ethnic lines rather than affiliate with theAnglo-American oriented Triennial Convention.[6]: 62–3
The Triennial Convention attempted to take no stated position onslavery. This moderate position allowed bothabolitionists and slavery supporters to remain in the denomination. The majority of Triennial Baptists in theNortheast opposed slavery, while the growing number of Triennial Baptists in theSoutheast supported slavery.[citation needed]
In 1843, the abolitionists in the Northeast founded the Northern Baptist Mission Society in opposition to slavery.[6]: 62–3 In 1844, the Home Mission Society refused to ordain James E. Reeve ofGeorgia as a missionary because he was put forward as a slaveholder. They refused to decide on the basis of slavery. In May 1845, inAugusta, Georgia, the Southern ecclesiastical bodies, composed by slavery supporters, split from the Triennial Convention and established theSouthern Baptist Convention (SBC) in the South. After the division, the Triennial Convention became largerly northern, with the abolitionists, and the Northern Baptist Mission Society was dissolved. Authorization was given to rename the Foreign Missions Board as theAmerican Baptist Missionary Union. William Bullein Johnson joined the Southern Baptist Convention.[5]: 349
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Triennial Convention took no official position onevolution. This moderate position accepted both the Bible andscience, allowingFundamentalists andModernists to remain in the denomination. The Modernists in theurban Northeast accepted the position, while the Fundamentalists in therural Northeast rejected the position but stayed in the Triennial Convention.[7] The Triennial Convention supported theSocial Gospel movement, but not the more radical ideas ofWalter Rauschenbusch (1861–1918) and otherChristian Socialists.[6]: 629, 652 In 1888, the Triennial Convention formed theAmerican Baptist Education Society to organize support for affiliated schools, colleges, and seminaries.[3][8]
On May 17, 1907 in Washington, D.C., the Triennial Convention organized the American Baptist Education Society, theAmerican Baptist Home Mission Society, theAmerican Baptist Missionary Union, and the American Baptist Publication Society into its new structure: theNorthern Baptist Convention. Governor ofNew York,Charles Evans Hughes (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948, served since 1907) (Republican) was elected the first president of the Northern Baptist Convention, while continuing his job as Governor.[3] 29th President of the United States,Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923, served March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923) (Republican) was a Northern Baptist by upbringing, faith, and self-identification, but he was a member of theMasonic Lodge.[9] The Triennial Convention, now under the new structure of the Northern Baptist Convention, was renamed asAmerican Baptist Convention in 1950, and asAmerican Baptist Churches, USA in 1972.[3][10]
The Triennial Convention had thePhiladelphia Confession of Faith of 1742 as one of its official confessions of faith, but didn't force local churches to subscribe it. The Philadelphia Confession was a revision of theSecond London Confession of Faith of 1689. The Second London Confession is aParticular Baptist creedal statement heavily inspired by theWestminster Confession of Faith. The Philadelphia Confession differed from the Second London one only by the addition of two new articles. One of the new articles allowed the singing ofhymns as well as the traditionalPsalms. The other madelaying on of hands (Confirmation) after baptism optional.[2]: 16 ThePhiladelphia Confession affirmed the following:
The Triennial Convention also had the New Hampshire Confession of Faith of 1833. The New Hampshire Confession was drafted byJohn Newton Brown, D.D. (1803–1868), and other ministers, and was adopted by the New Hampshire Baptist Convention.[11] The controversy of those days wasfree will versuspredestination.[citation needed] While the New Hampshire Confession is shorter than the Philadelphia Confession, it affirms the Philadelphia Confession.[citation needed] The New Hampshire Confession states that "[Humans] by voluntary transgression fell from the holy and happy state [they were created]" and that "We believe that Election [predestination] is the eternal purpose of God, according to which he graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners".[11] However, many saw the New Hampshire Confession as accepting free will.[citation needed] TheFree Will Baptists in the Northeast and West accepted the confession, while Calvinist Baptists in the Southeast rejected the confession but remained in the Triennial Convention.[citation needed]
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