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== Baptist Denominations ==

== Baptist Denominations ==

Baptists generally lack a religious hierarchy, tradition, or texts other than the [[Bible]], and they stress [[evangelical]] work.  

Baptists generally lack a religious hierarchy (like that of Catholicism and mainline denominations, where a "headquarters" makes decisions for the local congregations), tradition, or texts other than the [[Bible]], and they stress [[evangelical]] work.  

Baptist denominations include the more [[liberal]] [[American Baptist Churches USA]], based in northern states, and the much larger [[conservative]] [[Southern Baptist Convention]] (SBC). It is the largest non-Catholic denomination in the U.S. and has congregations in every state.  Since its founding in 1845, the SBC has grown to over 16 million members in more than 42,000 churches in the United States.  The SBC sponsors about 5,000 home missionaries serving the United States, Canada, Guam and the Caribbean, as well as another 5,000 foreign missionaries at work in 153 countries.

Baptist denominations include the more [[liberal]] [[American Baptist Churches USA]], based in northern states, and the much larger [[conservative]] [[Southern Baptist Convention]] (SBC). It is the largest non-Catholic denomination in the U.S. and has congregations in every state.  Since its founding in 1845, the SBC has grown to over 16 million members in more than 42,000 churches in the United States.  The SBC sponsors about 5,000 home missionaries serving the United States, Canada, Guam and the Caribbean, as well as another 5,000 foreign missionaries at work in 153 countries.