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The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is the largest religious denomination in the world.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the Southern Baptist Convention is the world's largest Baptist organization and the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, it is the second-largest Christian body overall within the U.S., not the largest religious denomination globally.
The formation of the SBC in 1845 was primarily due to disagreements over missionary funding models.
Answer: False
Explanation: The formation of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845 was primarily precipitated by significant disagreements over the institution of slavery and the appointment of missionaries who were enslavers, rather than solely over missionary funding models.
The name 'Great Commission Baptists' was adopted by the SBC in the 19th century to reflect its mission focus.
Answer: False
Explanation: The descriptor 'Great Commission Baptists' was adopted by the SBC in 2012, not the 19th century, as an alternate name to reflect its mission focus and potentially distance itself from historical associations.
Roger Williams founded the first Baptist church in the Southern colonies in 1638.
Answer: False
Explanation: Roger Williams founded the first Baptist church in British America in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1638, not in the Southern colonies.
The First and Second Great Awakenings saw traveling Baptist preachers expand congregations in the Southern United States.
Answer: True
Explanation: During the 18th and 19th centuries, traveling Baptist preachers were instrumental in expanding Baptist congregations throughout the Southern United States during the First and Second Great Awakenings.
Baptists played a minimal role in advocating for religious freedom during the American Revolution.
Answer: False
Explanation: Baptists played a significant role in advocating for religious freedom during the American Revolution, actively campaigning for the disestablishment of state churches and influencing figures like Thomas Jefferson.
Disagreements over states' rights, not slavery, were the primary cause for the SBC's formation in 1845.
Answer: False
Explanation: While states' rights were a broader context, the primary cause for the SBC's formation in 1845 was the fundamental disagreement over the institution of slavery and its implications for missionary appointments.
By the mid-19th century, Northern Baptist preachers largely supported slavery, while Southern ministers opposed it.
Answer: False
Explanation: By the mid-19th century, Northern Baptist preachers increasingly opposed slavery, while many Southern ministers defended it, leading to the denominational split.
Before the Civil War, Black congregations within white-dominated associations were fully integrated with equal seating.
Answer: False
Explanation: Before the Civil War, Black congregations within white-dominated associations typically experienced segregated seating, and white control over Black religious meetings often increased, particularly after events like Nat Turner's Rebellion.
After the Civil War, most Black Baptists chose to remain within existing white-dominated denominational structures.
Answer: False
Explanation: Following emancipation, most Black Baptists established independent congregations and denominations, seeking to practice Christianity without white supervision, rather than remaining within existing white-dominated structures.
The adoption of the 'Great Commission Baptists' descriptor aimed to distance the denomination from its historical ties to slavery.
Answer: True
Explanation: The adoption of the 'Great Commission Baptists' descriptor in 2012 was partly intended by some leaders to help distance the denomination from its historical associations with slavery and white supremacy.
The SBC was founded in Augusta, Georgia, by Baptists from the Southern United States.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention was indeed founded in Augusta, Georgia, in 1845 by Baptists residing in the Southern United States.
What is the primary reason cited for the Southern Baptist Convention's separation from the Triennial Convention in 1845?
Answer: Disagreements over the institution of slavery and the appointment of missionaries who were enslavers.
Explanation: The primary catalyst for the Southern Baptist Convention's separation from the Triennial Convention in 1845 was the profound disagreement over the institution of slavery and the practice of appointing missionaries who were enslavers, alongside issues of mission support and representation.
What historical event led to the formation of the first Baptist church in British America by Roger Williams?
Answer: The establishment of the colony of Rhode Island
Explanation: The establishment of the colony of Rhode Island, specifically the founding of Providence by Roger Williams, provided the context for the establishment of the first Baptist church in British America in 1638.
What is the historical significance of the SBC's name, including the 'Southern' designation?
Answer: It reflects its origins among Baptists in the Southern United States, a region where slavery was entrenched.
Explanation: The designation 'Southern' in the Southern Baptist Convention's name is historically significant as it directly reflects its founding in 1845 by Baptists from the Southern United States, a region where the institution of slavery was deeply entrenched, leading to its schism from Northern Baptists.
Baptism by immersion is considered essential for salvation within the Southern Baptist Convention.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention regards baptism by immersion as a significant public, symbolic act of obedience and testimony of faith, distinct from and not a requirement for salvation.
The Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) is a binding creed that all SBC churches must strictly adhere to.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) serves as a statement of general theological perspective and essential beliefs for the SBC, but it is not considered a binding creed that all churches must strictly adhere to in the same manner as some other denominations.
Southern Baptists observe only one ordinance: believer's baptism.
Answer: False
Explanation: Southern Baptists observe two ordinances: believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper (Communion).
The SBC teaches that baptism is a requirement for salvation.
Answer: False
Explanation: The SBC teaches that baptism is a symbolic act of obedience and a public testimony of faith, distinct from and not a requirement for salvation.
The SBC views the Lord's Supper as a literal reenactment of Christ's sacrifice.
Answer: False
Explanation: The SBC views the Lord's Supper as a symbolic act commemorating Christ's death and anticipating His return, not as a literal reenactment.
What does the SBC consider baptism to be?
Answer: A public, symbolic expression of faith through complete immersion, separate from salvation.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention regards baptism as a public, symbolic act of obedience and a testament to a believer's faith, performed exclusively by immersion. It is considered distinct from the process of salvation.
Which of the following is one of the two ordinances observed by Southern Baptists?
Answer: Communion (Lord's Supper)
Explanation: Southern Baptists observe two ordinances: believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper (Communion). These are considered symbolic acts of obedience and testimony.
What does the SBC doctrine of 'soul competency' emphasize?
Answer: Each person's individual accountability before God and responsibility for their faith.
Explanation: The doctrine of 'soul competency' within the Southern Baptist Convention emphasizes each individual's direct accountability before God and their personal responsibility for their faith and interpretation of scripture, aligning with the principle of the priesthood of all believers.
What is the SBC's general theological orientation?
Answer: Evangelical
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention is broadly characterized by its evangelical theological orientation, emphasizing conversionist beliefs and practices rooted in Protestant Baptist principles.
How does the SBC view the Bible's authority?
Answer: As divinely inspired and the ultimate authority, without error in original manuscripts.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention views the Bible as divinely inspired and the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. This includes adherence to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy, asserting its freedom from error in its original manuscripts.
What is the SBC's position on the 'priesthood of all believers'?
Answer: It asserts that every believer has direct access to God.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention affirms the doctrine of the 'priesthood of all believers,' which posits that every believer has direct access to God and the autonomy to interpret Scripture, thereby emphasizing individual spiritual responsibility.
How does the SBC view the Lord's Supper?
Answer: As a symbolic act commemorating Christ's death and anticipating His return.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention views the Lord's Supper through a memorialist lens, considering it a symbolic act of obedience wherein believers commemorate Christ's death and anticipate His return. Individual congregations determine the frequency and practice of communion.
Under the SBC's congregational polity, national associations have direct administrative control over local churches.
Answer: False
Explanation: The SBC operates under a congregational polity, which means local churches are autonomous and independent, and national associations do not possess direct administrative control over them.
The Cooperative Program is the SBC's system for churches to collectively fund ministries.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Cooperative Program is indeed the Southern Baptist Convention's unified system for churches to pool resources and collectively fund denominational ministries.
The International Mission Board (IMB) focuses on church planting within the United States.
Answer: False
Explanation: The International Mission Board (IMB) focuses on global missions and church planting outside the United States, while the North American Mission Board (NAMB) handles domestic efforts.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) is primarily focused on providing spiritual counseling after disasters.
Answer: False
Explanation: Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) primarily focuses on providing essential services such as food, water, and repairs following disasters, often working alongside secular relief organizations, while also sharing the Gospel.
Which of the following is NOT one of the primary mission agencies supported by the SBC?
Answer: Global Mission Board (GMB)
Explanation: The primary mission agencies supported by the SBC are the International Mission Board (IMB) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB). The Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) is a significant auxiliary organization. The 'Global Mission Board (GMB)' is not listed as one of the primary or auxiliary mission agencies.
What is the 'Cooperative Program' within the SBC?
Answer: A unified system for collecting and distributing funds to support denominational ministries.
Explanation: The Cooperative Program is the Southern Baptist Convention's unified mechanism for churches to collectively contribute funds, which are then distributed to support a broad spectrum of regional, national, and international ministries, including missions and theological education.
Which organization is responsible for North American evangelism and church planting within the SBC?
Answer: North American Mission Board (NAMB)
Explanation: The North American Mission Board (NAMB) is the primary organization within the Southern Baptist Convention responsible for evangelism and church planting efforts across the United States and Canada.
What is the significance of the Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) in relation to the SBC?
Answer: It organizes major annual missions offerings like the Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon offerings.
Explanation: The Woman's Missionary Union (WMU), an auxiliary organization to the SBC, plays a crucial role in facilitating significant annual missions offerings, including the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions.
Which of the following is one of the six theological seminaries directly supported by the SBC national convention?
Answer: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, located in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the six theological institutions directly supported by the national convention of the Southern Baptist Convention.
What is the role of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC)?
Answer: Addressing social and moral concerns and engaging with public policy.
Explanation: The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) is tasked with addressing social and moral concerns from a Baptist perspective, actively engaging with public policy on issues such as religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and marriage, and offering guidance on complex ethical matters.
What does the SBC's congregational polity mean for local churches?
Answer: They are autonomous and independent entities.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention's congregational polity signifies that local churches are autonomous and independent entities, free from administrative or ecclesiastical control by national, state, or local associations.
The conservative resurgence aimed to regain control of the SBC's leadership and emphasize biblical inerrancy.
Answer: True
Explanation: The conservative resurgence within the SBC was characterized by efforts to regain control of denominational leadership and to reassert theological principles, particularly biblical inerrancy.
There is significant debate within the SBC regarding the growing influence of Calvinism.
Answer: True
Explanation: The influence of Calvinism within the SBC is a subject of ongoing debate, with a notable portion of pastors identifying with Calvinist or Arminian perspectives, and concerns raised about Calvinism's increasing presence.
The 'conservative resurgence' within the SBC primarily focused on asserting which theological principle?
Answer: Biblical inerrancy
Explanation: The conservative resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention, primarily active from the late 1970s through the 1990s, centered on reasserting conservative theological principles, most notably the doctrine of biblical inerrancy, which posits that the Bible is without error in its original manuscripts.
The Whitsitt controversy in the late 19th century centered on debates about:
Answer: The historical practice of immersion among English Baptists.
Explanation: The Whitsitt controversy, which transpired between 1896 and 1899, primarily revolved around academic debates concerning the historical consistency of immersion practices among English Baptists, challenging established Landmarkist views.
How has the SBC's membership trended in recent decades?
Answer: Significant decline since around 2007.
Explanation: In recent decades, the Southern Baptist Convention has experienced a notable decline in membership, particularly since approximately 2007, with recent years showing significant drops attributed to factors such as an aging demographic and decreased participation among younger generations.
What was the main point of contention in the 'Landmark controversy' within Baptist history?
Answer: Church authority, succession, and the nature of the church.
Explanation: The 'Landmark controversy' within Baptist history primarily centered on debates concerning church authority, the concept of apostolic succession, and the fundamental nature of the church itself.
The SBC's stance on glossolalia (speaking in tongues) has seen changes, including:
Answer: The International Mission Board lifting a ban on its practice for missionaries in 2015.
Explanation: While historically not considered normative, the Southern Baptist Convention's stance on glossolalia (speaking in tongues) saw a change when the International Mission Board (IMB) lifted its ban on the practice for missionaries in 2015, though it is still not taught as a normative practice.
Social and Ethical Stances
The Southern Baptist Convention officially permits women to be ordained as pastors.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention officially maintains a male-only pastorate, adhering to a complementarian view of gender roles and citing biblical interpretations that preclude women from serving as pastors.
In 1995, the SBC issued an official apology for its historical defense of slavery and white supremacy.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 1995, the Southern Baptist Convention formally adopted a resolution apologizing for its historical positions on racial segregation and its past defense of slavery and white supremacy, marking a significant acknowledgment of its historical role in racism.
The SBC's stance on race began to shift significantly following the conservative resurgence in the late 1970s.
Answer: True
Explanation: While historical stances on race were deeply problematic, the conservative resurgence in the late 1970s and subsequent decades did lead to internal shifts and eventual official apologies concerning race within the SBC.
The SBC has consistently opposed abortion since its founding in 1845.
Answer: False
Explanation: The SBC's stance on abortion has evolved; while it now strongly opposes abortion, earlier resolutions in 1971 suggested more lenient laws under specific circumstances, indicating its opposition was not consistent from its founding.
The SBC officially supports the ordination of women to serve as pastors.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention officially maintains a male-only pastorate and does not support the ordination of women as pastors.
Following the 2015 Charleston church shooting, the SBC immediately called for the removal of the Confederate flag from all public spaces.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the SBC later passed a resolution calling for the cessation of flying the Confederate flag, this occurred nearly a year after the Charleston church shooting, not immediately.
Which of the following best describes the SBC's stance on same-sex marriage?
Answer: The SBC rejects the legitimacy of same-sex marriage, defining marriage exclusively between a man and a woman.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention officially rejects the legitimacy of same-sex marriage, defining marriage exclusively as a union between one man and one woman.
When did the Southern Baptist Convention formally apologize for its historical association with slavery and white supremacy?
Answer: 1995, marking a significant acknowledgment of its past.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention formally issued an apology for its historical association with slavery and white supremacy in 1995, representing the denomination's initial official recognition of racism's significant role in its history.
What is the SBC's official position on the role of women in pastoral leadership?
Answer: The SBC maintains a male-only pastorate, citing biblical interpretation.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention officially maintains a male-only pastorate, based on a complementarian view of gender roles and specific biblical interpretations that preclude women from serving in pastoral leadership positions.
The SBC's 1995 resolution apologizing for its past was a response to:
Answer: Its historical positions on racial segregation and defense of slavery.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention's 1995 resolution apologizing for its past was a direct response to its historical positions on racial segregation and its past defense of slavery and white supremacy.
What is the SBC's stance on Critical Race Theory (CRT) as declared by its seminary presidents in 2020?
Answer: CRT is considered 'unbiblical' and secular.
Explanation: In 2020, the six presidents of the SBC's seminaries jointly declared Critical Race Theory to be 'unbiblical' and secular, asserting that biblical principles should guide the approach to addressing racism.
What is the SBC's official stance on abortion?
Answer: Strongly opposed, viewing the unborn as a human being created in God's image from conception.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention officially holds a strong stance opposing abortion, asserting that the unborn are human beings created in God's image from the moment of conception, a position that has evolved from earlier resolutions.
What does the SBC affirm regarding the 'sanctity of life'?
Answer: Life begins at the moment of conception.
Explanation: Regarding the sanctity of life, the Southern Baptist Convention affirms that life commences at the moment of conception, asserting that a human being, created in God's image, enters existence at that point.
The SBC's position on LGBTQ+ issues includes:
Answer: Disfellowshipping churches that support LGBTQ+ inclusion since 1992.
Explanation: The Southern Baptist Convention's position on LGBTQ+ issues includes the disfellowshipping of churches that support LGBTQ+ inclusion, a policy in effect since 1992. Recent actions also indicate efforts to oppose same-sex marriage and 'transgender ideology'.
In 2017, the SBC officially denounced which movement associated with extremist ideologies?
Answer: The Alt-Right movement
Explanation: In 2017, the Southern Baptist Convention officially denounced the alt-right movement, taking a stance against ideologies associated with white supremacy and extremism.