Chicagoland Baptists, A hallmark of Baptist belief is that each church is autonomous. We don’t have presbyteries or bishops that possess authority over multiple congregations. But autonomy doesn’t mean isolation. Historically, Baptist churches have voluntarily cooperated together to do things they couldn’t do on their own. And before there were state or national conventions, Baptists in America banded together in local associations based on firsthand familiarity with each other and the ministry needs of the area. There are over 30 local associations within the IBSA, and over 1100 in the SBC. The health of the larger organizations depends on strong relationships between churches down on the ground laboring next to each other.
February 2021
February 2021
February 2021
Chicagoland Baptists, A hallmark of Baptist belief is that each church is autonomous. We don’t have presbyteries or bishops that possess authority over multiple congregations. But autonomy doesn’t mean isolation. Historically, Baptist churches have voluntarily cooperated together to do things they couldn’t do on their own. And before there were state or national conventions, Baptists in America banded together in local associations based on firsthand familiarity with each other and the ministry needs of the area. There are over 30 local associations within the IBSA, and over 1100 in the SBC. The health of the larger organizations depends on strong relationships between churches down on the ground laboring next to each other.