American Baptist Churches USA in the context of "First Baptist Church in America"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about American Baptist Churches USA in the context of "First Baptist Church in America"

Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: American Baptist Churches USA

The American Baptist Churches USA, abbreviated as ABCUSA, is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States, and part of the Baptist tradition. The American Baptist Churches is the reorganization from 1907 of the Triennial Convention, established in 1814. It is rooted in the early English and Welsh Baptist settlers in America, especially with the foundation of Rhode Island Colony, tracing its history to the First Baptist Church in America, established by Roger Williams in 1638. The Triennial Convention became the Northern Baptist Convention in 1907, which was renamed as the American Baptist Convention from 1950 to 1972. The ABCUSA headquarters is located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The American Baptist Churches cooperates with the Baptist World Alliance, the Baptist Joint Committee, and the World Council of Churches.

Although the denomination is considered mainline Protestant, one of the Seven Sisters of American Protestantism, varying theological and missional emphases may be found among its congregations, including evangelical, conservative, and charismatic orientations. In 2025, Pew Research Center published the Religious Landscape Survey, estimating that 1 percent of US adults, or 2.6 million people, self-identify as adherents of the American Baptist Churches USA.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<

👉 American Baptist Churches USA in the context of First Baptist Church in America

The First Baptist Church in America, also known as the First Baptist Meetinghouse, is the oldest Baptist church in the United States. The Church was founded in 1638 by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island. The present church building was erected between 1774 and 1775 and held its first meetings in May 1775. It is located at 75 North Main Street in Providence's College Hill neighborhood. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA.

↓ Explore More Topics
In this Dossier

American Baptist Churches USA in the context of Congregational polity

Congregational or congregationalist polity is a system of ecclesiastical polity in which every local church is completely independent and ecclesiastically sovereign. Its first articulation in writing is the Cambridge Platform of 1648 in New England. The name comes from Congregationalism, a Protestant tradition descended from English Puritanism, a 16th and 17th century Reformed Protestant movement in the Church of England.

Major Protestant Christian traditions that employ congregational polity include Congregationalists, Pentecostals, and most modern Evangelical Baptist churches. Some ecclesiastical bodies that have congregational polity includes the Congregational Methodist Church, the American Baptist Churches USA, the United Church of Christ (with a mix of Presbyterian polity), and many others.

↑ Return to Menu