Progressive Baptists
Progressive Baptists are a Baptist Progressive Christian movement particularly committed to social justice in the Church and in society. These commitments include defending freedom of religion, rights of indigenous peoples, the African American Rights, women's rights and LGBTQ rights.
.jpg)
History
Freedom of religion and Indigenous rights
In 1612, Baptist minister Thomas Helwys published A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity, a plea for freedom of religion in England. <ref>Stephen R. Holmes, Baptist Theology, T&T Clark, UK, 2012, p. 112-120</ref> In 1635, Baptist minister Roger Williams was thus banished from Massachusetts for his positions in favor of separation of church and state, freedom of religion and Indigenous rights, which led him into conflicts with the colony's pastors and magistrates. <ref> William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 608</ref> He bought land from the Native Americans and founded the city of Providence in 1636, as well as the Rhode Island, where he became governor. In 1657, he welcomed Quakers suffering religious persecution in Massachusetts. <ref> Peter C. Holloran, Historical Dictionary of New England, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2017, p. 417</ref>
African Americans rights
Many Baptist leaders were involved in abolitionism in the United States of the 19th century. <ref> William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2021, p. 302 </ref> In 1843, abolitionist Baptist pastors of Massachusetts met at Boston Tremont Temple and founded the American and Foreign Mission Society in opposition to slavery in the South. <ref> W. Glenn Jonas Jr., The Baptist River: Essays on Many Tributaries of a Diverse Tradition, Mercer University Press, USA, 2008, p. 31-32</ref> In 1872, the Society merged with the American Baptist Missionary Union of the American Baptist Churches USA. <ref> William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 15</ref> In 1957, Baptist leaders lead by pastor Martin Luther King Jr. founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at Ebenezer Baptist Church of Atlanta for African Americans rights and the end of racial segregation in the United States. <ref> Christian Smith, Disruptive Religion: The Force of Faith in Social Movement Activism, Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2014, p. 35</ref><ref>Timothy J. Williams, Evangelical Christians are on the left too, theconversation.com, USA, October 17, 2016</ref>
Women's rights
In 1815, a Free Baptist Church in New England ordained the first Baptist woman minister, Clarissa Danforth. <ref> Rosemary Skinner Keller, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Marie Cantlon, Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America, Volume 1, Indiana University Press, USA, 2006, p. 294</ref> In 1900, Nannie Helen Burroughs founded the Women's Convention of the National Baptist Convention, USA and campaigned for women's rights, such as women in the workforce and right to vote. <ref> Immanuel Ness, Encyclopedia of American Social Movements, Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2015, p. 331</ref> In 1965, the American Baptist Churches USA adopted a resolution affirming gender equality and the ordination of women in churches. <ref> Robert E. Johnson, A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2010, p. 372</ref>
Rights of LGBTQ people
In May 1972, members of the American Baptist Churches USA founded American Baptists Concerned for Sexual Minorities and campaigned for LGBTQ rights. <ref> Bill J. Leonard, Baptists in America, Columbia University Press, USA, 2005, p. 242</ref> In 1978, President Jimmy Carter, also a deacon of the First Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. (American Baptist Churches USA), urged California voters to reject the Briggs Initiative, aimed at banning LGBTQ people from teaching in public schools. <ref> Matt Lavietes, Carter was the first president to move the needle, albeit slowly, on gay rights, nbcnews.com, December 30, 2024 </ref> In 1992, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, celebrated the first blessing of same-sex union in a Baptist Church. <ref> Jeff Brumley, 30 years later, North Carolina Baptist church recalls its journey to affirm same-sex unions, baptistnews.com, March 8, 2022 </ref> In 1993, members of the American Baptist Churches USA founded the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists in San Jose, California. <ref>William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 603</ref> (The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists merged with the Affirming Network of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in 2024.<ref>Jeff Brumley, AWAB and CBF’s Affirming Network merge, Baptist News Global, USA, June 17, 2024</ref>) In 1996, Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, California ordained the first openly gay Baptist minister, Randle R. Mixon. <ref> Andrew Gardner, Binkley: A Congregational History, Univ. of Tennessee Press, USA, 2023, p. 111</ref> In 2004, Coretta Scott King, founder of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, affirms her support for same-sex marriage at an academic conference at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>In November 2022, Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA, added sexual orientation to its anti-discrimination policy, allowing the hiring of openly LGBTQ employees. <ref> Yonat Shimron, Eastern University on hold from CCCU after dropping ban on LGBTQ faculty, religionnews.com, November 14, 2022 </ref>