association of independent conservative Baptist churches in the United States, organized in 1932 after 22 Baptist churches withdrew from the Northern (later American) Baptist Convention. These churches withdrew because they felt that the Northern Baptists had embraced liberal theological modernism by accepting biblical criticism and attempting to make the church relevant to social problems. They also felt that the Northern Baptist Convention was assuming too much control over the local churches and thus threatening their independence.
The Regular Baptists accept conservative theological interpretations of the Christian faith, including the belief in Christ’s Second Coming. They require that the local churches in the General Association not participate in any cooperative church activities that include modernists. Church government is congregational; the General Association holds an annual convention.
In 2005 the group reported more than 130,000 members in nearly 1,400 congregations. Headquarters are in Schaumburg, Ill.
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