Mississippi Baptist Convention

Mississippi Baptist Convention building in Jackson, Mississippi

The Mississippi Baptist Convention (MBC or MBSC) is an autonomous association of Baptist churches in the state of Mississippi. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Formed in 1836, it was one of the original nine state conventions to send delegates to the first Southern Baptist Convention, organized in 1845.^[1]

Early history[]

Prior to statehood, Baptist congregations near Natchez organized themselves in September 1807 into an association at Bethel church on Bayou Sara, although the previous year at Salem church six churches had met for the same purpose.^[2] The Mississippi Baptist Association adopted 'articles of faith & gospel order',^[3] and published their proceedings the following years with many references to Thomas Mercer and David Cooper.^[4]

A second organization followed by the title of convention. The first Mississippi Baptist Convention lasted just five years, from February 1824, when it first met at Bogue Chitto Church in Pike County, to 1829, after meeting so much resistance that it was agreed that it be disbanded in 1828.^[5]^[6]

The second convention was formed on December 23–4, 1836. Its first president was Ashley Vaughan and its first corresponding Sscretary S. S. Lattimore. Lattimore was still its president in 1852. The corresponding secretary that year was W. J. Denson, and the Recording Secretary was J. T. Freman.^[7]

In 1857, the convention established a newspaper, The Mississippi Baptist, with J. T. Freeman as its editor.^[8]

In the same year, the convention expressed its opinion on the abolition of slavery, saying that it was an attempt "to detract from the social, civil, and religious privileges of the slave population".^[9] Baptist churches in the state had been practicing segregation for some years. The Convention had reported in 1938 "that some few of our Churches, and some of our Methodist friends, have adopted the plan of holding separate meetings for the blacks; and that such a course is general attended with an increased interest among them".^[10]

Women's societies were some of the largest financial supporters of the convention in the early 19th century. In 1875, the convention formally recognized women's organizations.^[10]

Affiliated organizations[]

- the state newspaper

Retreat centers[]

Affiliated colleges and universities[]

References[]

^ Chad Brand and David E. Hankins (2006). One Sacred Effort: The Cooperative Program of Southern Baptists. B&H Publishing Group. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-0-8054-3163-6.
^ Leavell, Z.T. and Bailey, T.J. (1904). A complete history of Mississippi Baptists from the earliest times. Jackson, Mississippi: Mississippi Baptist Publishing Company. v. 1, pp. 37-38.Internet Archive website Retrieved 19 July 2019.
^ Boyd, J.L. (1971). "Mississippi Associations". Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press. v. 2 p. 876.
^ Ibid, 38-39.
^ Walter Brownlow Posey (1957). The Baptist Church in the lower Mississippi Valley, 1776–1845. University of Kentucky Press. pp. 74, 126, 141.
^ Richard Aubrey McLemore (1971). A history of Mississippi Baptists, 1780–1970. Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. p. 78.
^ Carey Crane (1853). "North Carolina". In John Lansing Burrows (ed.). American Baptist register, for 1852. American Baptist Publication Society.
^ Albert Henry Newman (1901). A century of Baptist achievement. American Baptist publication society. pp. 273.
^ Edward Nelson Akin (1983). "Mississippi". In Samuel S. Hill (ed.). Religion in the southern states: a historical study. Mercer University Press. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-86554-045-3.
^ ^a ^b Randy J. Sparks (2001). Religion in Mississippi. Heritage of Mississippi series. Vol. 2. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 65, 93, 158. ISBN 978-1-57806-361-1.

External links[]

Mississippi Baptist Convention Board