International Baptist Convention
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The International Baptist Convention is an association of English-speaking churches and missions in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
The International Baptist Convention (English Speaking) has its roots in the Association of Baptists in Continental Europe (ABCE) and mission work by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Two Baptist churches in Germany, Immanuel in Wiesbaden and Bethel in Frankfurt, formed the ABCE circa 1959. Beginning in 1961, the Foreign Mission Board of the SBC sent a missionary couple to work with these churches. Some churches from England joined the ABCE in 1964, and the name was changed to the European Baptist Convention (EBC). The first EBC churches were started to minister to U.S. military personnel stationed in Europe. The name was changed to International Baptist Convention after the body expanded outside Europe.
Churches of the International Baptist Convention hold as important the following beliefs - the triune Godhead; Jesus Christ as the only Savior; the Bible as the inspired Word of God; personal faith in Christ; the priesthood of each believer; baptism by immersion for believers only; and religious liberty. The official IBC statement of faith is the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message.
Presently, over one-third of the IBC churches are composed of mostly military personnel, but there is a growing "international" membership. The president (Oct. 2003) is Richard L. Blake. Membership in the Convention is open to all churches that "willingly seek to implement" the principles and practices of the IBC Constitution. Over 65 churches in 22 countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates) are affiliated with the International Baptist Convention. Possessing an ecumenical outlook, most of the IBC churches probably cooperate with other Baptist bodies in their respective countries. Due to a change of mission strategies in the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, the IBC currently partners with International Baptist Church Ministries, a non-profit corporation headquartered in Richardson, Texas.
