The Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC or GBSC) is an autonomous association of Baptist churches in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Formed in 1822, it was one of the original nine state conventions to send delegates to the first Southern Baptist Convention, organized in 1845.
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Early history
The convention was formed at the instigation of Adiel Sherwood, who drew up a resolution to be presented (by Charles J. Jenkins, since Sherwood was, at the time, an outsider in Georgia Baptist circles) at the Sarepta Baptist Association meeting, held on the 21–24 October 1820 at Van's Creek Church near Ruckersville. The text is at right. The underlined portion was an insertion by Jenkins. Sherwood's original text read simply "to sister associations in this State". Sherwood was assisted the Convention's formation by Jesse Mercer, who was to be the Convention's first president, and who helped to write its constitution. Mercer had earlier helped to form the General Committee of Georgia Baptists, in 1803, and the Powelton Conferences at the turn of the century, which had foundered over concerns that its stated goal of "the increase of union among all real Christians" indicated open communion, and possible union of Baptists with Pedobaptists, leading to its dissolution in 1810.
In June 1822, delegates from the Georgia and Ocmulgee Baptist associations met at Powelton in Powelton Baptist Church and agreed upon the constitution of what was then called The General Association. In the 1823 session, the Sarepta association, which, ironically, in 1821 had reversed its position on the necessity for a state convention, and which had not sent a delegation to the 1822 meeting, sent corresponding delegates to the General Association, meeting again in Powelton. Sarepta was not to become a full member for some two decades. Delegates were also sent by the Sunbury association, which joined the General Association, meeting this time in Eatonton, in 1824; by the Yellow River association, in 1825; by Augusta (and by several auxiliary societies, which were that year, by a constitutional amendement, allowed to join) in 1826; and by the Flint River association in 1827 (when the convention met in Washington). From 1826 to 1838, twenty-six auxiliary societies sent delegations to the Convention. This growth stopped when the Primitive Baptists separated from the missionary Baptists; and instead, from 1835 to 1845, the Convention saw a growth in the number of Baptist associations joining it, with fourteen associations joining during that period. When the General Association met in Monticello in 1828, it resolved to change its name to the General Convention (formally: The Baptist Convention for the State of Georgia).
In April 1861, the Convention met in Athens. Like other churches, conventions, and conferences, it aligned itself politically with the Confederacy, passing the following resolutions on the 29th:
Whereas, Abraham Lincoln is attempting, by force of arms, to subjugate these States, in violation of the fundamental principle of American liberty;
therefore,
Resolved, by the members of the Baptist Convention of the State of Georgia, That we consider it to be at once a pleasure and a duty to avow that, both in feeling and principle, we approve, indorse, and support the government of the Confederate States of America.
Resolved, That while this Convention disclaims all authority, whether ecclesiastical or civil, yet as citizens we deem it a duty to urge the union of all the people of the South in defence of the common cause, and to express the confident belief that in whatever conflict the madness of Mr. Lincoln and his Government may force upon us, the Baptists of Georgia will not be behind any class of our fellow-citizens in maintaining the independence of the South by any sacrifice of treasure, or of blood.
This resolution preceded a similar resolution, passed in May the same year by the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Savannah, where approximately one half of the delegates were Georgians, approving of the Confederacy.