The Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC), incorporated as the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., is a
mainline predominantly
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
Baptist denomination emphasizing
civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
and
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...
. The headquarters of the Progressive National Baptist Convention are in
Washington, D.C.
)
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Since its organization, the denomination has member churches outside the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, particularly in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
and
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. It is a member of the
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, usually identified as the National Council of Churches (NCC), is the largest ecumenical body in the United States. NCC is an ecumenical partnership of 38 Christian faith groups in the Uni ...
and the
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the largest international Baptist organization with an estimated 51 million people in 2022 with 246 member bodies in 128 countries and territories. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA account ...
.
History
The Progressive National Baptist Convention formed in 1961 after civil-rights-oriented Baptist ministers, led by
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
, failed to replace
Joseph H. Jackson, the long-time head of the
National Baptist Convention (NBC USA).
The older group stood aloof from the
civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
which was often led by local Baptist ministers; the National Baptist Convention (NBC USA) often preached spiritual salvation rather than political activism. The dissidents nominated
Gardner C. Taylor
Gardner Calvin Taylor (June 18, 1918 – April 5, 2015) was an American Baptist preacher. He was admired for his eloquence as well as his understanding of Christian faith and theology. He became known as "the dean of American preaching". He learne ...
as president of the NBC USA. After a fist fight between reformers and
stand-patters, in which one elderly minister was accidentally killed, Jackson's supporters won. King was ousted from the NBC USA and his goal of using the united power of the black Baptist community to promote civil rights came to nothing.
His defeat prompted the formation of the new predominantly African American Baptist denomination.
Thirty-three delegates from 14 states gathered at Zion Baptist Church in Cincinnati to discuss the issue.
The vote to organize passed by one vote.
L. Venchael Booth, pastor of Zion Baptist in Cincinnati, was the unheralded founder of the movement as documented by former ''
Christianity Today
''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...
'' associate editor Edward Gilbreath. The convention was originally formed as the "Progressive Baptist Convention" and word "National" was added to the name in 1962. The convention has grown from the original founding numbers to member congregations throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
.
Following a path of political activism, the Progressive National Baptist Convention supported groups such as the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...
(NAACP) and methods such as
affirmative action. Famous civil rights leaders who were members of the PNBC include Martin Luther King Jr.,
Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Elijah Mays (August 1, 1894 – March 28, 1984) was an American Baptist minister and American rights leader who is credited with laying the intellectual foundations of the American civil rights movement. Mays taught and mentored many in ...
,
Ralph Abernathy
Ralph David Abernathy Sr. (March 11, 1926 – April 17, 1990) was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was ordained in the Baptist tradition in 1948. As a leader of the civil rights movement, he was a close friend and ...
,
Wyatt Tee Walker
Wyatt Tee Walker (August 16, 1928 – January 23, 2018) was an African-American pastor, national civil rights leader, theologian, and cultural historian. He was a chief of staff for Martin Luther King Jr., and in 1958 became an early board memb ...
, and Gardner C. Taylor. The Progressive National Baptist Convention bills the "progressive concept" as "fellowship, progress, and peace."
The Progressive National Baptist Convention celebrated its 50th Annual Session in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, in August 2011. The PBNC has partnered with the predominantly white mainline
American Baptist Churches in the US since 1970.
In 1995, one study asserted the convention had 741 affiliated churches, while another claimed they had over 2,500,000 members in 2,000 churches. A number of the churches are dually aligned with the National Baptist Convention (NBC USA) and American Baptist Churches in the USA. In 2020, the Baptist World Alliance reported the convention's membership declined to 1,500,000 members in 1,362 churches.
In 2022, the Progressive National Baptist Convention elected Jacqueline A. Thompson as second vice president, which made her the first woman to hold an elected leadership role in the Progressive National Baptist Convention.
Beliefs
The Progressive National Baptist Convention recognizes the
ordination of women
The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordina ...
, a practice not widely followed by Baptist groups.
Likewise, the Progressive National Baptist Convention allows locally autonomous congregations to determine policy regarding same-sex marriages, and the PNBC has not taken an official stance on the issue, leaving room for diversity of opinion.
See also
*
Christianity in the United States
Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the United States. Estimates from 2021 suggest that of the entire US population (332 million) about 63% is Christian (210 million). The majority of Christian Americans are Protestant Christians (14 ...
Notes
Further reading
* William Booth, ''A Call to Greatness: The Story of the Founding of the Progressive National Baptist Convention'',
* Gilbreath, Edward, The Forgotten Founder, Christianity Today, Vol. 46, No. 3, 11 March 2002
* Albert W. Wardin, Jr., ''Baptists Around the World'',
*
Bill J. Leonard, editor, ''Dictionary of Baptists in America'',
* Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, & Craig D. Atwood, ''Handbook of Denominations'',
* National Council of Churches, ''Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches''
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Historically African-American Christian denominations
Baptist denominations in the United States
Members of the World Council of Churches
Christian organizations established in 1961
Baptist denominations established in the 20th century
Members of the National Council of Churches
1961 establishments in Ohio