Baptist General Association of Virginia
Encyclopedia
The Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) is an umbrella organization of Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

 churches founded in 1823. The BGAV has been characterized as a moderate association. More than 1,400 Baptist churches affiliate with the BGAV.

History of the BGAV

Baptists have been in Virginia since the American Revolution, but had not organized as cooperating churches, preferring the independece common among Baptists. Not until June 3, 1822 was a formal Association formed, and then only “To propagate the Gospel and advance the Redeemer's Kingdom throughout the State.” It also emphasized that the work would be done while “not infringing the rights of individuals or churches.”

The BGAV emphasized missions from the beginning. At the first general meeting on June 7, 1823, the Association agreed to fund two church planting missionaries at $30 a month for two years. Technically the BGAV only meets once annually, and relies on the Virginia Baptist Mission Board (VBMB) to administer the missions and provide continuing support to participating churches.

Relationships with other organizations

Virginia and Texas are unique among Southern Baptists
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...

, having established two separate state coordinating bodies, both adhering to the Southern Baptist Convention. Within Virginia, several churches left the BGAV in September 1996 to create a rival Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV); since their first meeting of 158 churches in 1997, the SBCV has grown to represent over 500 churches, which is one-third the size of the BGAV's 1400 churches.
Since the BGAV does not prevent its member churches from dually aligning with another Baptist group, some of its members may also affiliate with the more conservative SBCV, though the BGAV and SBCV often disagree on priorities.

The BGAV joined the Baptist World Alliance
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...

 in 2004 after the Southern Baptist Convention pulled out of the alliance. At the time, BGAV Executive Director John V. Upton, Jr., said, "Virginia Baptists have been a part of the BWA since its beginning in 1905. Our membership up to this point had been through the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The decision of the SBC to leave the BWA has automatically removed our membership. In this annual meeting Virginia Baptists have overwhelmingly voted to maintain that historic and strategic relationship." The BGAV contributes more to the Baptist World Alliance
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...

 (BWA) than does any convention or union in the world.

In 2006, the BGAV received some Georgia Baptist churches requesting affiliation across the border. The move is unusual for Southern Baptist churches which almost universally affiliate with conventions in their states or region. But it represents a growing interest in denominational links by affinity rather than geography, say some observers.

Seminary partnerships

The BGAV partners to some degree with several seminaries
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...

 throughout the United States, some of which also partner with the SBC, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a Christian fellowship of Baptist churches formed in 1991. Theologically moderate, the CBF withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention over philosophical and theological differences, such as the SBC prohibition of women serving as pastors. The Cooperative...

, or other groups. These seminaries are:
  • Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond
    Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond
    Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond is a free-standing seminary in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded in March 1989 by Virginia Baptists related to the Southern Baptist Alliance and Baptist General Association of Virginia...

  • Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
    Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
    Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary is one of six official Southern Baptist seminaries. The main campus is located in Mill Valley, California.- History :...

  • John Leland Center for Theological Studies
    John Leland Center for Theological Studies
    The John Leland Center for Theological Studies is a Christian institution of higher education, comprising a seminary and a school of ministry. The center offers classes in Falls Church, Virginia, and at several satellite locations throughout Virginia...

  • Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
    Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
    Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is one of six official seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary also houses an undergraduate college, Midwestern Baptist College, SBC. Although the seminary focuses...

  • New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
    New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
    The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is a private, non-profit institution of higher learning affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, located in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first institution created as a direct act of the Southern Baptist Convention. Missions...

  • Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
    Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
    The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...

  • Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
    Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
    Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention , created to meet a need in the SBC's East Coast region. It was voted into existence on May 19, 1950 at the SBC annual meeting and began offering classes in the fall of 1951 on the original campus of Wake...

  • Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
    Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
    Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention...


External links

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