Union Baptists

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Union Baptists trace their origin to the American Civil War, or war between the northern and southern United States. Baptist churches and associations, especially in border states, were rent asunder by this national conflict. Tensions over secession, war and reconstruction, as well as the fact that Primitive Baptists did not allow members to hold membership in secret societies, combined to incubate the Union Baptists. Many pro-Union Primitive Baptists joined Union Leagues, and were expelled from their churches and associations. The Mountain Union Association, formed in 1867 at Silas Creek church near Lansing, North Carolina, was the first "Union" Baptist association. The Mountain Union Association was instrumental in helping former slaves organize the New Covenant Association of Wilkes County in 1868.

This distinction, at least in name, has persisted in the Appalachias, and some churches and associations still consider themselves "Union Baptists". There seems to be no doctrinal distinction between Union Baptists and Regular Baptists. The Union Baptists mirror many traits of other Appalachian primivistic sects, such as feet washing, river baptisms, and impromptu chanted sermons. But they are also less Calvinistic and more evangelical than groups such as Primitive Baptists and Old Regular Baptists, and promote Sunday Schools and revivals. Most of the churches do not use musical instruments (though some do), and singing is strictly congregational. The old practice of lining hymns is reserved for use preceding communion and feet washing.

Three associations - Original Mountain Union, Primitive and Union - have about 3300 members in 36 churches. The geographical distribution of these churches is in 8 counties in Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

There are no known surviving distinct groups of "Union" Baptists in other border states.

External links

Pleasant Grove (Union Baptist) Church

References

A History of the Ashe County, North Carolina, and New River, Virginia, Baptist Associations, by J. F. Fletcher
Dictionary of Baptists in America, Bill J. Leonard, editor
Encyclopedia of Religion in the South, Samuel S. Hill, editor
Giving Glory to God in Appalachia, by Howard Dorgan

Baptist denominations in the United States

Alliance of Baptists American Baptist Association American Baptist Churches USA Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America Baptist Bible Fellowship International Baptist General Association of Virginia Baptist General Convention of Texas Baptist Missionary Association of America Central Baptist Association Christian Baptist Church of God Church of Christ, Instrumental Conservative Baptist Association of America Conservative Baptist Association of the Southeast Continental Baptist Churches Converge Cooperative Baptist Fellowship District of Columbia Baptist Convention Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals Free Will Baptist Church Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International General Association of Baptists General Association of General Baptists General Association of Regular Baptist Churches General Six-Principle Baptists Independent Baptist Independent Baptist Church of America Independent Baptist Fellowship International Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America Institutional Missionary Baptist Conference of America Liberty Baptist Fellowship Missionary Baptists National Association of Free Will Baptists National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. National Baptist Evangelical Life and Soul Saving Assembly of the U.S.A. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A. New England Evangelical Baptist Fellowship North American Baptist Conference Northern Baptist Convention Old Regular Baptists Old Time Missionary Baptist Original Free Will Baptist Convention Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church Primitive Baptists Primitive Baptist Conference of New Brunswick, Maine and Nova Scotia Primitive Baptist Universalist Progressive National Baptist Convention Reformed Baptists Separate Baptists Separate Baptists in Christ Seventh Day Baptists Silver Bluff Baptist Church Southern Baptist Convention Southwide Baptist Fellowship Sovereign Grace Baptists Transformation Ministries Triennial Convention Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists Union Baptists United American Free Will Baptist Church United American Free Will Baptist Conference Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches World Baptist Fellowship

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