KING'S MOUNTAIN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (NC) NOT CALVINIST

  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 gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: that his disciples may be greatly increased:  that the churches may be filled with devoted converts: that the kingdom of our Lord may come with great power and glory, until all the kindred and people shall become the willing servants of our Lord."

It is clear from this statement, that the churches who withdrew from Broad River, were far more evangelical than the churches which remained in the old association. It is also pretty clear that by the statement "all the kindred and people shall become the willing servants of our Lord", that King's Mountain Baptists held to general atonement. This concurs with the statement from the "Petition for Peaceful Division of the Broad River Churches, 1849."

The Broad River clearly was an association mixed with Calvinists and Non Calvinists. This was an experiement that some United Baptists attempted, and in this case, it failed. Some churches "held forth a general atonement" while others were "predestinarian" Obviously, the general atonement churches must have been preaching as though anyone could be saved, and were evangelical and revivalistic, whereas the "predestinarians" did not feel the same urgency. This simply cannot be denied given the above statement. Being "too evangelical" it sounds like the King's Mountain churches were simply founding more churches, than their Calvinist counterparts. It would have been a little late in the game for there to be dissension concerning the missions controversy, although there may have been lingering feelings concerning it. The churches who withdrew from the Broad River Assn, had much larger memberships than those who remained in the Broad River. What can be proved, is that the King's Mountain Assn. adopted articles of faith that used the same phrasing as many other Non Calvinist associations such as here , here and here . Whenever the phrase "through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" is used in articles of faith, it denotes a rejection of regeneration before faith, as "belief of the truth" is what brings you into election, and the condition of belief is required for salvation. The articles of faith for the King's Mountain Association are as follows:

 ABSTRACT OF PRINCIPLES.
1. We believe in one only true and living God, the Father, Son
and Holy Ghost, three in one.


2. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
are the word of God, and the only true rule of faith and practice.


3. We believe in the doctrine of original sin.

4. We believe in man's impotency to recover himself from the
fallen state he is in by nature, by his own free will and holiness.


5. We believe in the doctrine of Election, through sanctification
of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.

6. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God, only
bv the merits of Jesus Christ. 


7. We believe the Saints shall persevere

in grace, and not finally fall away.


8. We believe that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances
of Jesus Christ, and that true believers are the only proper sub
jects ; and conscientiously do believe the true mode is immersion.


9. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, and general judgement


10. We believe that the joys of the righteous, and the punishment
of wicked will be eternal. 

11.We believe that no minister has a right to the administration
of the ordinances, only such as has been called of God as was Aaron,
and regularly baptized and approved of by the Church, and come under the imposition of hands by the Presbytery

12, We believe that none but believers have a right to the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord-s Supper 

As in other AoF that contain the phrase "through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth", the King's Mountain articles contain no reference to particular atonement, or irresistible grace. "Belief of the truth" is the affirmed "condition", thus no unconditional election. Free will is not denied, but affirmed, but that free will does not have the power to free us from bondage. It could be said that inability is affirmed, however the inability referred to is an inability to save ourselves, not an inability to see our lost condition and ask for salvation.

In the minutes of 1853, the Circular Letter was on the subject of "election". It is clear that the King's Mountain Association viewed election as having to do more with service and calling, than individual salvation. The Letter does define the two ways elections is used, both for service and salvation. Here are some quotes from that Letter and you can see them in the pics below.

"As regards the salvation of sinners,it (election) means God's eternal purpose that he had in himself before the world began. That through his son there might be a way opened, or made from earth to heaven, that through this way sinners might be saved." Sounds like election has more to do with making a way for sinners to be saved, rather than the choosing of some to be saved.

"For he (God) willeth not the death of any sinner, and though with long striving with such an individual after trying him with the various incitements which are best calculated to stir a rational creature and agitate an immortal mind, God may withdraw all the aids of the spirit and so give him over to hardness of heart and repobracy of mind to work out his own destruction with greediness." Here we see God "striving" with a "rational creature", not willing that any sinner should perish. Seems like a denial of total depravity, while also affirming that God aids  and "incites" sinners to repent and believe. This statement is definitely not one that affirms irresistible grace. This sounds so much like my own pastor growing up. He wouls say "Today is the day of salvation. Come while the Spirit is making your heart tender. if you keep refusing the Savior, there will come a time when he will bother you no more." I can remember after his remarks singing the old song "Almost Persuaded".


 

 







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