View source for United American Free Will Baptist Conference

{{Infobox Christian denomination
| name               = United American Free Will Baptist Conference
| image              = UAFWB emblem.png
| imagewidth         = 
| caption            = 
| main_classification = [[Western Christian]]
| orientation        = [[Protestant]]
| theology           = [[Baptist beliefs|Baptist]]
| polity             = [[Congregationalist polity|Congregationalist]] and [[Episcopal polity|episcopal]]
| leader_title       = General Bishop
| leader_name        = K. R. Brown
| associations       = 
| area               = 
| headquarters       = [[Lakeland, Florida]]
| territory          = North America
| founder            = 
| founded_date       = 1968
| founded_place      = Lakeland, Florida
| separated_from     = [[United American Free Will Baptist Church]]
| merger             = 
| separations        = 
| congregations      = 26
| members            = 
| other_names        = 
| website            = {{URL|https://uafwbc.com/}}
| footnotes          = 
| parent             = 
}}
The '''United American Free Will Baptist Conference''' ('''UAFWBC''') is a predominantly [[African-American]], [[Free Will Baptist Church|Free Will Baptist]] denomination founded in the [[United States]].

==History==
{{Baptist}}

Prior to [[Emancipation Proclamation|emancipation]], [[Slavery in the United States|black slaves]] and [[Free negro|free blacks]] were members of predominantly [[White American|white]], Free Will Baptist congregations in the United States. The first black Free Will Baptist minister was Robert Tash, ordained in 1827.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The UAFWBC Story |url=https://uafwbc.com/the-uafwbc-story/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=United American Freewill Baptist Conference, Inc. |language=en-US}}</ref> African-Americans organized their first separate congregation in 1867 at Snow Hill in [[Greene County, North Carolina]], the first annual conference in 1870, and the first association in 1887.<ref name=":0" /> The General Conference of United Free Will Baptists was formed in 1901. The United American Free Will Baptist Conference, was created in 1968 under the leadership of O. L. Williams of Lakeland, Florida, resulting from a division in the parent [[United American Free Will Baptist Church]].<ref>''The Twelve Tribe of Baptists in the USA'', Wardin, p. 85</ref><ref>''Dictionary of Baptists in America'', Leonard, p. 273</ref> 

In 2007 the United American Free Will Baptist Conference had seventy-five congregations with approximately 11,200 members, mostly in [[Florida]], but also in [[South Carolina]], [[Louisiana]], and [[Arkansas]].<ref>''The Twelve Tribe of Baptists in the USA'', Wardin, p. 85</ref> In addition to the annual meeting of the general conference, there are six regional conferences that meet annually: South Carolina Annual Conference, Louisiana/Arkansas Annual Conference, East Florida Annual Conference, West Florida Annual Conference, the South Florida "A" Annual Conference, and South Florida "B" Annual Conference.

== Organization ==
The United American Free Will Baptist Conference is led by its general bishop,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our General Bishop |url=https://uafwbc.com/founding-fathers/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=United American Freewill Baptist Conference, Inc. |language=en-US}}</ref> an executive board, and college of bishops.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Leadership |url=https://uafwbc.com/our-leadership/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=United American Freewill Baptist Conference, Inc. |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Doctrine ==
The United American Free Will Baptists have an affirmation of faith, based upon the [[Nicene Creed|Nicene]] and [[Apostles' Creed|Apostles']] creeds; the denomination also adopts a [[church covenant]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://uafwbc.com/about/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=United American Freewill Baptist Conference, Inc. |language=en-US}}</ref> Additionally, the UAFWBC contains an extensive doctrinal statement.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Doctrine |url=https://uafwbc.com/our-doctrine/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=United American Freewill Baptist Conference, Inc. |language=en-US}}</ref> While [[Congregational polity|congregationalist]], the denomination's offices are structured as bishops or elders, and deacons; and the denomination has female pastors.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*''Baptists Around the World'', by Albert W. Wardin, Jr., 1995
*''Dictionary of Baptists in America'', [[Bill J. Leonard]], editor, 1994
*''International Circle of Faith Colleges and Seminaries''
*''The Twelve Tribe of Baptists in the USA'', by Albert W. Wardin, Jr., 2007

==External links==
*[http://uafwbc.com United American Free Will Baptist Conference.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081120072459/http://icof.net/UAFWBBC/index.html United American Free Will Baptist Bible College]

{{US baptist denominations}}
{{black church}}

[[Category:Free Will Baptist movement]]
[[Category:Lakeland, Florida]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1968]]
[[Category:Baptist denominations in the United States]]
[[Category:Historically African-American Christian denominations]]
[[Category:Baptist denominations established in the 20th century]]


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