Unto These Hills

 The Florida Baptist Association was formed in 1843 by ten churches who seceded from the Ocklockonnee Baptist Association in Georgia. The Ocklockonnee Association passed resolutions against mission societies, seminaries, bible or tract societies, Sunday Schools etc, and demanded at all its churches cease any support of those things. Ten churches "seceded" and formed the Florida Association. There is no information that I have found on the doctrines of the Ocklockonnee Association. However the churches that left it to form the Florida Association had all the hallmarks of Non Calvinist doctrine. They were founded on "liberty of conscience" and compared themselves to the American Revolution, so there is a hint that maybe they differed from their mother association, who they called "dictatorial". The first act of the Florida Association was to establish correspondence with the Bethel Association in Georgia, which no doubt, was a Non Calvinist association. You ...

 The Alachua Baptist Association was the fourth association in Florida and was formed in 1847.  I won't be concentrating too much on Florida, because it was very late in having many Baptists, Methodists or Presbyterians, since it was controlled by Spain until 1819. Being anything other than Roman Catholic was against the law. So I will only report on the first four associations which were Suwannee, Florida, West Florida and Alachua. I will have articles on all but Suwannee, as no records still exist that I know of. There original Articles of Faith of the Alachua Association are as follows;    CONSTITUTION AND DECORUM OF THE ALACHUA ASSOCIATION, FLA. 1847 1. We believe in one only true and living God, and that there is a trinity of persons in the Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God. 2.We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, and the only rule of faith and pra...

 The West Florida Baptist Association was formed in 1847 and was the third association formed in the state of Florida. I won't be concentrating too much on Florida, because it was very late in having many Baptists, Methodists or Presbyterians, since it was controlled by Spain until 1819. Being anything other than Roman Catholic was against the law. So I will only report on the first four associations which were Suwannee, Florida, West Florida and Alachua. I will have articles on all but Suwannee, as no records still exist that I know of. Most of Florida's early Baptist churches belonged to associations in Georgia at first. The Suwannee Baptist Association was the first in the state, but disappeared fairly quickly after declaring itself to be anti mission. I will assume by this declaration that it was Calvinist, or hyper Calvinist if you prefer. Articles of Faith for the West Florida Association are as follows: 1) We believe in the existence of only one true and living God: and ...

 The Western Union Baptist Association was founded in Kentucky in 1834. Originally founded as "Union United Baptist Association", the word "West" was added when it was found that another association existed under the same name. This association still exists as an active association in the Southern Baptist Convention.The original Articles of Faith are as follows: 1st-We believe in one only and true God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, equal in power, essence and glory, one True, Eternal God. 2nd-We believe in the fall of Adam and his inability to recover himself by any creative power. 3rd-We believe that sinners are justified through and by the righteous- ness of Jesus Christ imputed to them. -4th-We believe we have no right to commune with any but legally baptiz- td church members and that irnmersion is the only mode. 5th-We believe in the resurrection of the just and unjust, and that the enjoyment of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal, 6...

 The Madison Baptist Association in Indiana was formed in 1833 from churches in the Coffee Creek Association. Coffee Creek had grown very large, and it was decided to divide the association, with those on the east side of the Indianapolis Railroad forming the new, Madison Association. The Madison Association has been found to be Non Calvinist from its inception. In the "Indiana Baptist History" 1808-1908 by W.T. Stott, published in Franklin, Indiana, page 159 we find the following;  " The churches of this Association, in common with those of others , was obliged to meet the heresies of Predestinarianism on the one hand, and those of Campbellism on the other; but there was no general departure from established Baptist doctrines . From the first the missionary spirit was present and operative". Here we can see yet another Baptist association that regarded "Predestinaraianism" (Calvinism) as heresy , along with Campbellism.  We can also see that by the phras...

  The King's Mountain Baptist Association was formed in 1850-51 from churches seceding from the Broad River (NC) Association. Two reasons are give for organizing the King's Mountain Association.  1) The large bounds of the Broad River, making it very difficult for all churches to participate in meetings, and 2) "That those churches who hold forth a general atonement are regarded as too evangelical for the more predestinarian churches." ( Petition for Peaceful Division of the Broad River Churches , 1849) We see in the minutes of 1851 the following; " The foregoing reasons, coupled with a desire to be more conveniently situated and with a belief that greater zeal, and energy with a corresponding religious effort, will accompany the separation, have induced us to make the experiment: and we are not without hope that all the advantages and desirable results will be more than realized: that our churches will feel greater responsibility and do more to spread the gosp...