Changes

Although Baptists organized within a denomination will have a "headquarters" facility, it generally exists solely to foster and assist [[evangelical]] work both at home and abroad; it will not dictate doctrine or policy (unlike Catholicism, Orthodox, or many mainline denominations).  

Although Baptists organized within a denomination will have a "headquarters" facility, it generally exists solely to foster and assist [[evangelical]] work both at home and abroad; it will not dictate doctrine or policy (unlike Catholicism, Orthodox, or many mainline denominations).  

The most well known Baptist denomination is the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] (SBC), which despite its name has congregations in every state.  It is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.  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. In 1979, the beginnings of a theologically conservative resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention as the result of a struggle for control of the denomination between moderates and conservatives.<ref>[https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/25-years-ago-conservative-resurgence-got-its-start/ 25 years ago, conservative resurgence got its start], ''Baptist Press'', 2004</ref> In 2022, Pastor Tom Ascol, president of the Institute for Public Theology and Founders Ministries, has been nominated for the SBC presidency by a group of conservative Baptists to combat the denomination's '[[woke]] drift'.<ref>[https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-702305 Southern Baptists nominate Tom Ascol to combat 'woke drift'], ''Jerusalem Post'', MARCH 25, 2022</ref>

The most well known Baptist denomination is the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] (SBC), which despite its name has congregations in every state.  It is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.  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. In 1979, the beginnings of a theologically conservative resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention as the result of a struggle for control of the denomination between moderates and conservatives.<ref>[https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/25-years-ago-conservative-resurgence-got-its-start/ 25 years ago, conservative resurgence got its start], ''Baptist Press'', 2004</ref> In 2022, Pastor Tom Ascol, president of the Institute for Public Theology and Founders Ministries, has been nominated for the SBC presidency by a group of conservative Baptists to combat the denomination's '[[woke]] drift'.<ref>[https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-702305 Southern Baptists nominate Tom Ascol to combat 'woke drift'], ''Jerusalem Post'', MARCH 25, 2022</ref> Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas was elected however and he ran on a platform of strengthening ties between the SBC’s more than 47,000 churches and restoRING civility among the SBC's members when discussing differences.<ref>[https://christianindex.org/stories/sbc-presidential-candidates-discuss-reasons-theyre-in-the-race,24083 SBC presidential candidates discuss reasons they're in the race], The Christian Index, 2022</ref>

 

More African-Americans belong to the National Baptist Convention, with 7.5 million members, than to any other church body. Others are members of the smaller but more liberal Progressive National Baptist Convention, which has over 2000 churches and a total membership of 2.5 million.

There are numerous smaller bodies, usually with long histories, such as the Calvinistic Baptists, General Baptists, Primitive Baptists, Old Regulars, Two Seeders, [[Free Will Baptist]]s, Landmarkeans (named after landmarks of doctrine), and Seventh Day Baptists (a very small group that, like the Seventh Day Adventists, holds to Saturday worship as Biblical).<ref>Leonard (2005)</ref>

There are numerous smaller bodies, usually with long histories, such as the Calvinistic Baptists, General Baptists, Primitive Baptists, Old Regulars, Two Seeders, [[Free Will Baptist]]s, Landmarkeans (named after landmarks of doctrine), and Seventh Day Baptists (a very small group that, like the Seventh Day Adventists, holds to Saturday worship as Biblical).<ref>Leonard (2005)</ref>