{{Short description|Baptist denomination in the United States}} {{Distinguish |American Baptist Association}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2015}} {{Infobox Christian denomination | name = General Association of Regular Baptist Churches | image = | imagewidth = | caption = | main_classification = Protestant | orientation = Baptist | theology = Fundamentalist Evangelical | polity = Congregationalist | headquarters = Arlington Heights, Illinois | founder = | founded_date = {{Start date|1932|05|18}} | founded_place = Chicago | separated_from = Northern Baptist Convention | merger = | separations = | associations = | area = United States | congregations = 1,200 + | members = 132,900 (2005) | hospitals = | primary_schools = | secondary_schools = | tertiary = | seminaries = | website = {{URL|https://www.garbc.org/}} | other_names = Regular Baptist Ministries | footnotes = }}
{{Baptist}} {{distinguish|General Association of Baptists}} The '''General Association of Regular Baptist Churches''' (GARBC), established in 1932 is an Independent Baptist Christian denomination in United States, retaining the name "Regular Baptist". The association's home office is located in Elgin, Illinois.
== History ==
The impact of modernism on the Northern Baptist Convention (now called the American Baptist Churches USA) led to the eventual withdrawal of a number of conservative and fundamentalist churches. The Baptist Bible Union (BBU) of 1923 was the forerunner to the GARBC. The final meeting of the BBU in 1932 in Chicago was the first meeting of the GARBC.<ref> William H. Brackney, ''Historical Dictionary of the Baptists'', Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 242</ref>
The Association publishes '''Regular Baptist Press''', a church education curriculum and the association's bimonthly magazine, the '''''Baptist Bulletin'''''.
In 2018, the GARBC had over 1,200 member churches.
According to the 2008 ''Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches'', the GARBC reported having 1,383 churches and 132,900 members in 2005.<ref>[http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1389.asp] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207133952/http://www.thearda.com/denoms/D_1389.asp |date=December 7, 2009 }} Data from the National Council of Churches' 2008 ''Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches''</ref> Membership is concentrated in the Midwest. The states with the highest membership rates are Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio.<ref>[http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1389_d.asp] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411105626/http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1389_d.asp |date=April 11, 2010 }} Data from the 2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study</ref>
== Organization ==
The GARBC follows a "fellowship" model rather than a denominational model. Each member church is free to act independently in all matters. The home office of the GARBC holds no controlling power over member churches. The purpose of the association is for fellowship between churches of like faith and practice.
==See also== *Baptist Distinctives
==Sources== *''Baptists Around the World'', by Albert W. Wardin, Jr. *''Dictionary of Baptists in America'', Bill J. Leonard, editor
==References== <references/>
==External links== *[http://www.garbc.org/ GARBC Web Site] *[http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1389.asp Profile of the GARBC on the Association of Religion Data Archives website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207133952/http://www.thearda.com/denoms/D_1389.asp |date=December 7, 2009 }}
{{US baptist denominations}} {{Evangelicalism in the United States}}
Category:General Association of Regular Baptist Churches Category:Independent Baptist denominations in the United States Category:Organizations based in Illinois Category:Christian organizations established in 1932 Category:Baptist denominations established in the 20th century Category:Evangelical Christian fundamentalist denominations Category:Christian denominations founded in the United States