American Baptist Association (1905 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: BaptistReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The American Baptist Association grew out of the "landmark" movement among Southern Baptists in the 1850s. The movement, which emphasized the role of the local church, was led by James R. Graves and J. M. Pendleton. The movement remained unorganized until 1905, when some churches from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and churches outside of the SBC formed a landmark denomination, called the General Association. A merger of two landmark associations in 1924 created the American Baptist Association.
Official Site: https://www.abaptist.org/
Interactive Timeline: Baptist Family Interactive Timeline
Connections: American Baptist Association
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
Maps: American Baptist Association1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 American Baptist Association States (2020)1 [View all States]
Top 5 American Baptist Association Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland County, AR | 7 | 1,628 | 215.63 |
| 2 | Prairie County, AR | 6 | 1,120 | 135.23 |
| 3 | Grant County, AR | 12 | 2,120 | 118.05 |
| 4 | Pike County, AR | 7 | 1,050 | 103.23 |
| 5 | Hot Spring County, AR | 19 | 3,316 | 100.36 |
Top 5 American Baptist Association Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malvern, AR Micro Area | 19 | 3,316 | 100.36 |
| 2 | Pine Bluff, AR Metro Area | 24 | 5,592 | 63.73 |
| 3 | Batesville, AR Micro Area | 15 | 3,154 | 57.13 |
| 4 | Somerset, KY Micro Area | 11 | 3,386 | 52.07 |
| 5 | Minden, LA Micro Area | 7 | 1,578 | 42.69 |
American Baptist Association, Members (1931 - 2009)2
American Baptist Association, Ministers & Churches (1931 - 2009)2
American Baptist Association, Trends (1931 - 2009)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 116,562 | ||
| 1933 | 263,484 | 2,662 | |
| 1935 | 263,484 | 1,734 | 2,662 |
| 1936 | 115,022 | 1,064 | |
| 1937 | 2,662 | ||
| 1946 | 115,022 | ||
| 1948 | 245,861 | 2,272 | |
| 1951 | 286,691 | 2,105 | |
| 1956 | 600,000 | 2,350 | 3,000 |
| 1957 | 630,000 | 2,172 | 3,025 |
| 1958 | 630,000 | 2,300 | 3,045 |
| 1959 | 647,800 | 2,350 | 3,073 |
| 1960 | 648,000 | 2,365 | 3,091 |
| 1961 | 650,800 | 2,385 | 3,117 |
| 1962 | 653,000 | 2,405 | 3,131 |
| 1963 | 655,200 | 2,425 | 3,151 |
| 1964 | 719,100 | 2,525 | 3,196 |
| 1965 | 726,112 | 3,150 | 3,227 |
| 1966 | 731,000 | 3,175 | 3,247 |
| 1968 | 745,620 | 3,195 | 3,262 |
| 1969 | 782,902 | 3,309 | 3,274 |
| 1970 | 786,536 | 3,512 | 3,286 |
| 1971 | 790,000 | 3,312 | 3,295 |
| 1972 | 869,000 | 3,368 | 3,321 |
| 1973 | 955,900 | 3,338 | 3,336 |
| 1974 | 1,003,695 | 3,651 | 3,361 |
| 1975 | 1,071,000 | 4,070 | 3,570 |
| 1978 | 1,350,000 | 5,870 | 4,500 |
| 1979 | 1,500,000 | 5,425 | 5,000 |
| 1980 | 1,500,000 | 5,700 | 5,000 |
| 1981 | 1,500,000 | 5,700 | 5,000 |
| 1982 | 225,000 | 1,641 | |
| 1983 | 225,000 | 1,641 | |
| 1986 | 250,000 | 1,760 | 1,705 |
| 1996 | 250,000 | 1,760 | 1,705 |
| 1998 | 275,000 | 1,760 | 1,760 |
| 2000 | 275,000 | 1,760 | 1,760 |
| 2009 | 100,000 | 1,600 | |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
