In the late 1700's and early 1800's, as Baptists began to organize and expand, they formed missionary societies to spread the Christian lifestyle to others. These mission societies led to other organizational structures that would eventually define the denomination of Southern Baptists.
By the 1830's tension began to mount between Northern and Southern Baptists.
One issue that severely divided the Baptists was slavery. Northern Baptists believed God would not condone treating one race as superior to another, while Southerners said that God intended for races to be separate. Southern state Baptists began complaining that they weren't receiving money for missions work. The Home Mission Society declared that a person could not be a missionary and wish to keep his slaves as property. As a result of this division, Baptists in the South met in May of 1845 and organized the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
The Civil War and Civil Rights From 1861 through 1865, the American Civil War disrupted all aspects of Southern society, including the church. Just as Southern Baptists fought for independence for their local churches, so the Confederacy fought for individual states' rights. In the Reconstruction period after the war, Southern Baptists continued to maintain their own identity, expanding rapidly throughout the region.
Although the SBC broke from the North in 1845, it continued to use materials from the American Baptist Publication Society in Philadelphia. Not until 1891 did the SBC form its own Sunday School Board, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Providing standard literature for all Southern Baptist churches had a strong unifying effect, solidifying the Southern Baptist Convention as a denomination.
During the American civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, the SBC took no active role, and in some locales strongly opposed racial equality. However, in 1995, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Southern Baptist Convention, at its national meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, SBC leaders adopted a resolution on racial reconciliation.
The resolution condemned racism, acknowledged the SBC's role in supporting slavery, and affirmed the equality of all people on scriptural grounds. Further, it apologized to African-Americans, asking their forgiveness, and pledged to eradicate all forms of racism from Southern Baptist life.
One issue that severely divided the Baptists was slavery. Northern Baptists believed God would not condone treating one race as superior to another, while Southerners said that God intended for races to be separate. Southern state Baptists began complaining that they weren't receiving money for missions work. The Home Mission Society declared that a person could not be a missionary and wish to keep his slaves as property. As a result of this division, Baptists in the South met in May of 1845 and organized the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
The Civil War and Civil Rights From 1861 through 1865, the American Civil War disrupted all aspects of Southern society, including the church. Just as Southern Baptists fought for independence for their local churches, so the Confederacy fought for individual states' rights. In the Reconstruction period after the war, Southern Baptists continued to maintain their own identity, expanding rapidly throughout the region.
Although the SBC broke from the North in 1845, it continued to use materials from the American Baptist Publication Society in Philadelphia. Not until 1891 did the SBC form its own Sunday School Board, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Providing standard literature for all Southern Baptist churches had a strong unifying effect, solidifying the Southern Baptist Convention as a denomination.
During the American civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, the SBC took no active role, and in some locales strongly opposed racial equality. However, in 1995, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Southern Baptist Convention, at its national meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, SBC leaders adopted a resolution on racial reconciliation.
The resolution condemned racism, acknowledged the SBC's role in supporting slavery, and affirmed the equality of all people on scriptural grounds. Further, it apologized to African-Americans, asking their forgiveness, and pledged to eradicate all forms of racism from Southern Baptist life.
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