The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC, org. 1932) is one of several Baptist groups in North America retaining the name "Regular Baptist".
The impact of modernism on the Northern Baptist Convention (now called the American Baptist Churches in the USA) led to the eventual withdrawal of a number of conservative and fundamentalist churches. The Baptist Bible Union (BBU, org. 1923) was the forerunner to the GARBC. The final meeting of the BBU in 1932 in Chicago was the first meeting of the GARBC.
The association endorses a fourfold mission:
- Champion Biblical Truth
- Impact the World for Christ
- Perpetuate a Baptist Heritage
- Advance the Association Churches
The GARBC follows a "fellowship" model rather than a denominational model. Each member church is free to act independently in all matters. The home office of the GARBC holds no controlling power over member churches. The purpose of the association is for fellowship between churches of like faith and practice.
The association's home office is located at 1300 North Meacham Road, Schaumburg, Illinois. On this site, Regular Baptist Press publishes church education curriculum and the association's monthly magazine, the Baptist Bulletin.
Rev. John Greening presently serves as the association's National Representative. In 2006, the GARBC had over 1,300 member churches. Among them is the First Baptist Church in the City of New York, whose original pastor baptized George Washington.
According to the 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the GARBC reported having 1,383 churches and 132,900 members in 2005. Membership is concentrated in the Midwest. The states with the highest membership rates are Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio.
Famous quotes containing the words general, association, regular, baptist and/or churches:
“Must I remind you that a chain is no stronger than its weakest link?”
—Jerome Cady, U.S. screenwriter, and Lewis Milestone. General Mitsubi (Richard Loo)
“In this great association we know no North, no South, no East, no West. This has been our pride for all these years. We have no political party. We never have inquired what anybody’s religion is. All we ever have asked is simply, “Do you believe in perfect equality for women?” This is the one article in our creed.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)
“It was inspiriting to hear the regular dip of the paddles, as if they were our fins or flippers, and to realize that we were at length fairly embarked. We who had felt strangely as stage-passengers and tavern-lodgers were suddenly naturalized there and presented with the freedom of the lakes and woods.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I am perhaps being a bit facetious but if some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the K.K.K. in the ‘20s, I would have a little more genuine American respect for their Christianity!”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“By 1879, seven churches of various denominations were holding services, which led the local Chronicle to comment, “All have but one religion and one God in common; it is the Crucified Carbonate.””
—Administration in the State of Colo, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)