Classification Evangelicalism Associations 21 Origin 1846 | Theology Baptism Region Atlantic Canada | |
Headquarters Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada | ||
The Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC), formerly known as Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches (CABC), is an association of Baptist Churches in the eastern provinces of Canada. The offices of the CBAC are located in Saint John, New Brunswick. The union is one of four components of Canadian Baptist Ministries.
Contents
History
The Baptist Convention of the Maritime Provinces was founded in 1846. The Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada was formed in 1905-1906 as the United Baptist Convention of the Maritimes by a union of Free, or Free Will Baptists and Calvinistic or Regular Baptists. The Regular Baptist and Free Will Baptist congregations wrote a statement of faith and polity called the "Basis of Union" with which both groups could agree. With the addition of Newfoundland to Canada in 1949, the name was changed to the United Baptist Convention of the Atlantic Provinces. Many of these churches still carry "United Baptist" in their official name. In 2001, the name was changed to the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches. In 2016, the name was changed to the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada.
Since 1944 CBAC has been one of the partners in the Canadian Baptist Federation (now known as Canadian Baptist Ministries).
Organization
The largest regional union in Canada, in 2003 the CBAC consists of over 62,000 members in 538 churches and 21 associations across the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island). The CBAC is subdivided into nine regions for local cooperation. According to Article I of the Constitution of the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches, it is "composed of those bodies which have agreed to work together upon the basis of the historic Baptist position that the Bible is the all-sufficient ground of faith and practice".
Library and Archives
Crandall University houses the Baptist Heritage Center whose 300 artifacts preserve the material history of Atlantic Baptists, the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada, and its predecessor organizations. The collection and archives includes objects used in worship services, furniture, musical instruments, church building architecture pictures and printed material.
Acadia University also houses the Baptist Archives which maintains records of Baptist churches in Atlantic Canada along with their governing organization, the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC). This includes, but is not limited to Minute books of the Church and their Boards, Committees, and organizations (Women’s Missionary Society, Sunday School, etc); Annual reports; Bulletins; Membership lists; Correspondence; Histories. http://archives.acadiau.ca/atlbapArchives