Not All Protestant Denominations Are Declining

[Monica]

i found this to be interesting. Anyone ever heard of the American Baptist Church of the West? ( ABCW)

Not All Protestant Denominations Are Declining.

The Amercian Bapitst Churches of the West, 220 congregations in Northern California and Northwest Nevada have gone from twenty percent of their congregations growing to over seventy percent since 1997.

(PRWEB) November 4 2003--Not All Protestant Denominations Are Declining. The American Baptist Churches of the West, 220 congregations in Northern California and Northwest Nevada is experiencing major renewal. This region, one of thirty-five American Baptist Churches-USA regions, prior to 1997 had less than twenty percent of its congregations growing. Most were small, aging, and declining in people and missions dollars. That world has changed. Since 1997 over seventy percent of the congregations are growing. Average worship attendance is up from 30,000 to over 41,000. Average attendance per congregation has increased from 100 people to 188. Mission giving is up twenty-five percent and between $1.1-1.5 million new dollars have been raised. A focus on mission, vision, leadership and intentional change strategies has created a new climate of hope and growth.

In "Hit the Bullseye" a book recently published by Abingdon Press, Dr. Paul Borden, Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of the West, both tells the story of change and develops the principles, strategies, and tactics behind the change process. He describes how denominational leaders, pastors, and congregations became accountable for change and growth. Pastors have ceased being chaplains and become leaders. A mission and vision led organization has replaced an institutional bureaucracy. Inept traditional organization structures have been discarded and new behaviors adopted that demand accountability and allow risk.

Many smaller congregations have doubled or tripled in worship attendance. Some larger congregations have more than doubled and now average over two thousand in worship each week. Congregations are once again influencing community life. Local churches are finding the resources to serve towns, counties, and cities, as well as fund overseas missions efforts. Most congregations realize they exist primarily for those yet to attend rather than for themselves.

Mainline Protestant denominations are declining in people and dollars. The experience of the American Baptist Churches of the West is just the opposite. Its leaders have decided to think and act differently. The results are growth in resources and a vision to serve more people.

The American Baptist Churches of the West is a 501C3 organization. It is one of the thirty five regions affiliated with the American Baptist Churches-USA.

###

Region Administrator: Pam Breen

American Baptist Churches of the West

2420 Camino Ramon, Suite 140

San Ramon, California 94583

925-277-3980

www.ABCW.org

[PedroX]

It (American Baptist Church of the West) is just a subset of the American Baptists. ABs tend to be more liberal baptists, especially compared to the cousins, the Southern Baptists. I briefly belonged to an American Baptist church, years ago.

peace...

[foundsheep]

Its a cancer.

[vianney]

Its a cancer.

And we wonder why ppl here get so defensive?

Nevermind <_<

[Katholikos]

Way to go, Baptists! If people aren't attracted to your organization, change its principles, tactics, and strategies. The organization conforms to the people -- people don't conform to the Truth. That's exactly the way Jesus intended that His Church should function, don'tchaknow. 'Truth' is flexible, don'tchaknow.

But Baptists, like all Protestant denominations, have only part of the Truth (the part they borrowed from the Catholic Church).

Here's a partial list of Baptist denominations:

Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

American Baptist Association

American Baptist Churches of the U.S.A.

Baptist Bible Fellowship

Baptist General Conference

Baptist International Missions

Baptist Mid-Missions

Baptist Missionary Association of America

Baptist World Alliance, McLean, VA, founded in 1905

Bethel Ministerial Association

Central Baptist Association

Conference on Evangelizing Black America

Conservative Baptist Association of America

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Duck River (and Kindred) Associations of Baptist (Baptist Church of Christ)

Fundamental Baptist Fellowship

General Association of Regular Baptist Churches

General Baptist

General Association of the Evangelical Baptist Church, Inc.

Landmark Baptist

National Association of Free Will Baptists

National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.

National Baptist Convention USA

National Missionary Baptist Convention of America

National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A.

North American Baptist Conference

Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.

Reformed Baptist

Separate Baptist in Christ (General Association of Separate Baptists)

Seventh Day Baptist General Conference

Southern Baptist Convention

United Baptist

United Free Will Baptist

World Baptist Fellowship

And now, add American Baptist Church of the West if it split from the ABA or the ABCs of the U.S.A.

I used to have a list of over 200 Baptist denominations, but I lost it in the Great Computer Crash of 2002. Can anyone help me rebuild my list? All contributions gratefully received.

Baptist motto: "The important thing for a Christian is to find a Church he can be comfortable in" . . . as long as it isn't Catholic!

JMJ Likos

Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

[Katholikos]

P.S. I forgot to include my favorite: Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptist.

[M.SIGGA]

Its a cancer.

Cancer is something that kills. The New Age BS that is all over America is a cancer. They are still good Christian people who do a lot of good and lead people to Christ.

Edited November 14, 2003 by M.SIGGA

[Seatbelt Blue]

Cancer is something that kills. The New Age BS that is all over America is a cancer. They are still good Christian people who do a lot of good and lead people to Christ.

Ah, but truly, the cancer is the division itself rather than the constituents. They are the result of self-deception; the fundamental heresy of Protestantism is the rejection of authority.

We spend too much time refuting sola fides, sola scriptura, and the like; we need to focus on establishing the Church as the pillar and foundation of truth, and the rest will fall into place.

If we can demonstrate the Church to have supreme and perfect teaching authority, everything else stems from that.

[hyperdulia again]

in the south we have a denom called primitive baptists, they believe in the real presence and by some odd thought process think they're the church christ started.

[Paladin D]

This is no joke, last Tuesday I passed by a church in a small town in North Carolina. Guess what it was called?

Brimstone Baptist Church

It was extremely small, like a size of a street corner barber shop. I just thought it was hilarious, not in a mocking way though. :lol:

Edited November 15, 2003 by Paladin D

[hyperdulia again]

pie jesu domine (sweet lord jesus)!

[Paladin D]

pie jesu domine (sweet lord jesus)!

Notice how sweet in Latin, is pie in English. :lol:

[hyperdulia again]

**

[Anna]

Pal & Hyper,

You're too funny! :lol:

[Paladin D]

Notice how sweet in Latin, is pie in English. 

DOH!!!! I messed up, it should be the other way around...

"Notice how pie in Latin, is sweet in English. "