Union Baptists is a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

Christian denomination A Christian denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity that comprises all church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadership, theological doctrine, worsh ...

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 ...

History

It trace their origin to the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, or war between the northern and southern

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 Baptist Primitive Baptists – also known as Hard Shell Baptists, Foot Washing Baptists or Old School Baptists – are conservative Baptists adhering to a degree of Calvinist beliefs who coalesced out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 19th c ...

s 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 Lansing is a town in Ashe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 126 at the 2020 census. History The town of Lansing was incorporated May 16, 1928. Lansing has one stop sign (a single three-way intersection at Hwy. 194 an ...

, 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

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

s, and some churches and associations still consider themselves "Union Baptists". There seems to be no doctrinal distinction between Union Baptists and

Regular Baptist Regular Baptists are "a moderately Calvinistic Baptist sect that is found chiefly in the southern U.S., represents the original English Baptists before the division into Particular and General Baptists, and observes closed communion and foot washi ...

s. 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

s and

Old Regular Baptist The Old Regular Baptist Religious denomination, denomination is one of the oldest in Appalachia with roots in both the Regular Baptists, Regular and Separate Baptists of the American Colonies and the Particular Baptist of Great Britain. This group ...

s, 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 Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. 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 Billy Jim Leonard (born 20 March 1946) is an American historian of religion. Bill Leonard was born on 20 March 1946 in Decatur, Texas to a salesman, Marvin R. Leonard, and his wife Lavelle, who worked as a secretary. After he turned ten, Leonard ...

, editor * ''Encyclopedia of Religion in the South'', Samuel S. Hill, editor * ''Giving Glory to God in Appalachia'', by Howard Dorgan {{US baptist denominations Religious organizations established in 1867 Baptist denominations in North America Baptist Christianity in North Carolina Christianity in Appalachia Evangelical denominations in North America