Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies
General Association of General Baptists
General Association of General Baptists
100 Stinson Dr.
Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
United States
Attesting Officer
Media Contact
36.804001, -90.457756
Similar in doctrine to those General Baptists organized in England in the 17th century, the first General Baptist churches were organized on the Midwest frontier following the Second Great Awakening. The first church was established by the Rev. Benoni Stinson in 1823 at Evansville, Ind.
Stinson's major theological emphasis was general atonement - Christ tasted death for every man. The group also allows for the possibility of apostasy. It practices open Communion and believer's baptism by immersion.
Called "liberal" Baptists because of their emphasis on the freedom of man, General Baptists organized a General Association in 1870 and invited other "liberal" Baptists (e.g., "Free Will" and Separate Baptists) to participate.
The policy-setting body is composed of delegates from local General Baptist churches and associations. Each local church is autonomous but belongs to an association. The group currently consists of more than 60 associations in 16 states, as well as associations in the Philippines, Guam, Saipan, Jamaica, Honduras, and India. Ministers and deacons are ordained by a presbytery.
The denomination operates Oakland City University in Oakland City, Indiana, and Nursing Homes in Illinois and Missouri. General Baptists belong to the Baptist World Alliance, the North American Baptist Fellowship and the National Association of Evangelicals.
Membership
| Full Communicants | Average Attendance | Other Members | Total Inclusive Members | Total Churches | Membership Calculation Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61,040 |
32,641 |
61,040 |
1,154 |
||||
| 2009 | 45,721 |
45,721 |
900 |
|||||
| 2007 | 46,242 |
46,242 |
562 |
|||||
| 2006 | 52,279 |
62 |
52,279 |
840 |
||||
| 2005 | 60,559 |
48 |
60,559 |
604 |
||||
| 2003 | 63,549 |
41 |
17,953 |
81,502 |
700 |
|||
| 2001 | 66,296 |
42 |
0 |
66,296 |
715 |
|||
| 1998 | 67,314 |
45 |
67,314 |
719 |
||||
| 1997 | 72,326 |
72,326 |
790 |
|||||
| 1996 | 67,581 |
67,881 |
830 |
|||||
| 1990 | 74,156 |
74,156 |
876 |
|||||
| 1989 | 73,738 |
73,738 |
872 |
|||||
| 1988 | 74,086 |
74,086 |
868 |
|||||
| 1987 | 73,515 |
73,515 |
879 |
|||||
| 1986 | 72,263 |
72,263 |
871 |
|||||
| 1985 | 73,040 |
73,040 |
875 |
|||||
| 1984 | 75,028 |
75,028 |
866 |
|||||
| 1983 | 75,133 |
75,133 |
860 |
|||||
| 1981 | 0 |
75,028 |
870 |
|||||
| 1980 | 74,159 |
74,159 |
894 |
|||||
| 1979 | 73,046 |
73,046 |
866 |
|||||
| 1977 | 0 |
72,000 |
867 |
|||||
| 1974 | 0 |
70,000 |
800 |
|||||
| 1973 | 70,000 |
70,000 |
834 |
|||||
| 1971 | 65,000 |
65,000 |
845 |
Clergy
| Serving Churches | Retired | Other Service to the Church | Total Clergy | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 995 |
|||||
| 2009 | 800 |
|||||
| 2006 | 1,012 |
1,012 |
||||
| 2005 | 1,012 |
1,012 |
||||
| 2003 | 1,069 |
170 | 0 |
1,239 |
||
| 2001 | 1,133 |
0 | 192 |
1,325 |
||
| 1998 | 780 |
141 |
921 |
|||
| 1997 | 1,085 |
1,228 |
||||
| 1996 | 798 |
2,082 |
||||
| 1990 | 1,384 |
1,384 |
||||
| 1989 | 0 |
1,477 |
||||
| 1988 | 0 |
1,483 |
||||
| 1987 | 0 |
1,527 |
||||
| 1986 | 0 |
1,444 |
||||
| 1985 | 0 |
1,524 |
||||
| 1984 | 0 |
1,476 |
||||
| 1983 | 0 |
1,398 |
||||
| 1981 | 0 |
1,373 |
||||
| 1980 | 0 |
1,349 |
||||
| 1979 | 0 |
1,309 |
||||
| 1977 | 0 |
1,320 |
||||
| 1974 | 1,000 |
1,125 |
||||
| 1973 | 850 |
1,200 |
||||
| 1971 | 1,000 |
1,115 |
||||
| 1969 | 0 |
1,045 |
Education
| Total Schools | Staff | Pupils | Total Individuals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 900 |
|||||
| 2007 | 562 |
|||||
| 2006 | 840 |
|||||
| 2005 | 604 |
10,686 |
10,686 |
|||
| 2003 | 1,092 |
0 |
20,792 |
20,792 |
||
| 2001 | 715 |
0 |
23,824 |
23,824 |
||
| 1998 | 719 |
34,163 |
34,163 |
|||
| 1997 | 832 |
37,906 |
||||
| 1996 | 750 |
6,500 |
||||
| 1973 | 834 |
80,800 |
||||
| 1971 | 854 |
80,500 |
||||
| 1969 | 800 |
80,000 |
||||
| 1968 | 834 |
90,000 |
||||
| 1967 | 830 |
78,000 |
||||
| 1966 | 844 |
82,500 |
||||
| 1965 | 830 |
15,000 |
60,000 |
75,000 |
||
| 1964 | 814 |
5,830 |
55,400 |
61,230 |
||
| 1963 | 810 |
5,800 |
55,200 |
61,000 |
||
| 1962 | 805 |
5,800 |
55,200 |
61,000 |
||
| 1961 | 770 |
7,000 |
93,000 |
100,000 |
||
| 1960 | 760 |
10,000 |
100,000 |
110,000 |
||
| 1959 | 738 |
3,250 |
76,750 |
80,000 |
||
| 1958 | 750 |
3,250 |
76,750 |
80,000 |
||
| 1956 | 722 |
3,250 |
76,750 |
80,000 |
||
| 1955 | 700 |
3,250 |
66,750 |
70,000 |
Finance
| Total Benevolences | Total Financials | Total Giving | Local Expenses | Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | $4,151,370 |
$36,601,775 |
|||||
| 2009 | $4,087,132 |
$33,520,716 |
$2,105,841 |
$2,105,841 |
|||
| 2007 | $4,206,088 |
$31,385,133 |
$27,179,045 |
$27,179,045 |
|||
| 2006 | $2,048,570 |
$2,048,570 |
|||||
| 2005 | $5,080,612 |
||||||
| 2003 | $2,846,173 |
$35,428,127 |
$32,581,954 |
||||
| 2001 | $2,950,915 |
$36,372,128 |
$33,421,213 |
||||
| 1998 | $2,593,004 |
$35,134,293 |
$32,541,289 |
||||
| 1997 | $1,780,851 |
$29,874,795 |
$28,093,944 |
||||
| 1989 | $1,768,804 |
$24,896,639 |
$23,127,835 |
||||
| 1988 | $1,731,299 |
$22,949,350 |
$21,218,051 |
||||
| 1987 | $1,789,578 |
$22,640,405 |
$20,850,827 |
||||
| 1986 | $1,883,826 |
$21,627,091 |
$19,743,265 |
||||
| 1985 | $1,683,130 |
$20,199,382 |
$18,516,252 |
||||
| 1984 | $1,729,228 |
$19,328,397 |
$17,599,169 |
||||
| 1983 | $1,733,755 |
$19,017,014 |
$17,283,259 |
||||
| 1981 | |||||||
| 1980 | $1,547,038 |
$16,514,350 |
$14,967,312 |
||||
| 1979 | $1,218,763 |
$14,350,108 |
$13,131,345 |
||||
| 1977 | |||||||
| 1968 | $215,000 |
$3,215,000 |
$3,000,000 |
||||
| 1917 | $64,698 |