WCBA's History
On October 28, 1887 a portion of the Western District Association met in convention for the purpose of organizing a new Association. Rev. W. C. Gilbert preached the introductory sermon from Exodus 14:15. The credentials committee, made up of J. H. Davis and J. B, Argo, reported 20 churches as making up the new association. They were: Palmersville, Tumbling Creek, Obion, Walnut Grove, New Hope, West Union, Pleasant Hill, Bible Union, Ralston, New Prospect, Mt. Pleasant, Pleasant View, Gospel Hill, Gleason, Russell Springs, Poplar Springs, Republican Grove, Concord, Enon, and Beech Springs.
The minutes of the first associational meeting state that the missionary efforts were to be ministered by a three-man executive board. Later, individuals were appointed and called “colporteurs.” Their job was to furnish religious and spiritual materials to churches and to encourage new church starts. As the new association grew and developed the need arose to have someone to direct and coordinate the overall missionary efforts of the cooperating churches. There have been 12 men to serve in that role since 1941. They have been given different titles over the years such as, “County Missionary,” “Superintendent of Missions,” and the present title, “Director of Missions.” The men serving in this role and the years of service are: J. G. Cooper, 1941-1942; R. J. Cooper, 1942-1945; A. B. Adams, 1946-1948; Russell Rogers, 1949-1950; William L. Knight, 1951-1952; A. B. Adams, 1953-1956; Robert L. Armour, 1957-1961; Melvin Howell, 1962-1964; Robert L. Newman, 1964-1976; James E. Humphreys, 1976-1980; Hershell Lindsey, 1980-1981; Richard L. Skidmore, 1982-1998; W. Wayne Perkins, 1999 to the present.
Today, the Association consists of 44 churches cooperating in a strong fellowship dedicated to reaching Weakley County and the world for Christ. We believe the Bible is our source of authority concerning spiritual things and are committed to the Word of God as His final revelation to mankind. We emphasize the Cooperative Program as the vehicle through which God channels our financial gifts to our state, nation, and world. We are also in agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message as amended at the 2000 Southern Baptist Convention.
HISTORY OF BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
IN AMERICA
(The following article is provided by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in support of the 300th anniversary of the Baptist Association in America. The article is written by two brothers, Dr. Stephen Parks and Dr. Lynn Parks. Stephen Parks serves as the chairman of the 2007 Celebration Taskforce for the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions for the Unity Baptist Association in East Texas. His brother, Lynn Parks is the Director of the Academic Programs at Texas State Technical College in Waco, Texas.)
Associations of Baptist churches began to form in England as early as 1626. In America, the first association of Baptist churches was formed in Philadelphia in 1707. The Charleston Association, formed in 1751, was the first association in the southern colonies. Associations were formed from a desire to establish doctrinal parameters and from a desire for fellowship with like-minded believers. Associations also provided advice on Baptist practices, helped churches find properly credentialed ministers, and occasionally disciplined ministers. Associations enabled churches in a particular geographical area to cooperate in mission, educational and benevolence ventures. For example, the Philadelphia Association started Brown University. The Philadelphia Association has served as the prototype or pattern for Southern Baptist associations and conventions since 1707.
By the late 1700s, associations were focusing more on mission work, and new Baptist churches were springing up all along the Atlantic seaboard, and even west of the Alleghenies. In 1792, in Nottingham, England, William Carey proposed to his association sending Baptist missionaries to "heathen" populations, and the "modern missionary movement" was born.
Eventually, Baptists realized the need for even larger networks to support expanding mission and benevolence projects. One avenue was to create missionary societies that received support primarily from individuals. The other avenue was to work through larger associations of churches. Three associations in South Carolina thus sent delegates to form the first state convention in 1821. By 1845, nine state conventions had been formed. On the national level, the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, built on a societal model, was formed in 1814. In 1832, the related American Baptist Home Mission Society was formed.
In 1845, the denomination landscape changed again. Southern Baptist reacted against the stand that the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions and the American Baptist Home Mission Society had begun to take against appointing slave owners as missionaries, and there was a perception that southern states were being slighted when it came to allocating money for missionaries. As a result, the Southern Baptist Convention was formed. Since that time, Southern Baptists have followed the model of cooperation established by associations rather than a societal model. (The Southern Baptist Convention voted in its 1995 annual meeting to adopt a resolution renouncing its racist roots and apologizing for its past defense of slavery.)
For over a century, Baptist work in America had been carried on by churches working together through associations. The advent of state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention caused many associations to focus on supporting the larger conventions. Many associations came to depend heavily on conventions during the hard times after the Civil War, and as a result, associations largely became promoters of convention initiatives, especially mission initiatives. Helping coordinate the cooperative mission efforts between the associations and the denomination were "missionaries" or "agents" who were the fore-runners of today's associational director of missions. The tendency towards more centralization was intensified when associations were left out of the funding mechanism of the Cooperative Program in 1925. Missionaries serving associations or districts were usually supported, at least in part, by the national or state conventions building a loyalty to promote their causes.
The 1963 Conference on Associational Missions at Gulfshore Baptist Assembly established the "associational missionary" as a full member of the denominational missionary team. The primary function of the associational missionary was to help coordinate the mission efforts within the churches of that association. The Conference also issued a statement affirming the autonomy of the association. Similarly, at the 1974 National Convocation on the Southern Baptist Association, there was discussion about returning the focus of the association to fellowship and cooperative efforts among churches in the association, rather than the association being primarily a promoter of convention initiatives. It was at this meeting that the "associational missionary" title was revised to "director of missions." Since these two meetings, many associations have experienced a renewed vitality in fellowship, meeting the needs of churches and local mission efforts.
From the small beginnings of five churches forming the Philadelphia Association in 1707, many new associations have formed, including over 1100 associations relating to the Southern Baptist Convention. For three centuries, the association has remained the most effective Baptist entity for doctrinal accountability, on-going mutual fellowship and encouragement, local mission and ministry efforts, and communication among churches. There is almost universal recognition that "if national and state conventions ever cease to exist, the local association will still be functioning."
Southern Baptist associations will be celebrating the 300th anniversary of the birth of associations in America in a variety of ways, including a Celebration Rally in San Antonio on June 10, 2007, preceding the SBC annual meeting. Dr. Paul Stripling has written a wonderful overview of ten major turning points in the history of associations called "Turning Points in the History of Baptist Associations in America." For more information on the Rally and the book, see the website: www.sbcadom.net.
[back to top]
 Email: wbaptist@frontiernet.net |
