SPRING RIVER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (AR) NOT CALVINIST

 The Spring River Baptist Association was formed in 1829 in Arkansas. It's first churches had belonged to the Bethel United Baptist Association in Missouri, a proven Non Calvinist association. The Bethel Association had grown very large, and it was agreed that the churches that lay over the Arkansas border would form a separate association. Bethel's information can be read here. 

I have not been able to find why the Spring River did not adopt the "United Baptist" label. It seems they had a strong Separate Baptist sentiments, as they refused to adopt the ordinary practice of having artciles of faith. Instead they made a clearly Separate Baptist statement which said the following:

  “We agree to adopt the New Testament for our Articles of Faith, the rule of our practice and our hope of eternal life, the rule by which to try all members, to try all causes between brother and brother, to preach and hold as the eternal, substantial and unchangeable rules to govern in the church of the Lord Christ in hope of immortality.”

If you know anything about Baptist history, then you know that no Regular Baptist would be satisfied with such a statement. Although there were what is considered today to be Non Calvinists among them, they still were adamant about having articles of faith, whereas Separate Baptists, regardless of doctrinal persuasion, were more reluctant.

We can safely conclude that the Spring River Association were Non Calvinist, as their split from the Bethel Association was not over any doctrinal issues, and no Calvinistic associaiton would dare leave out of their doctrinal statement their belief of particular election.

This info is found in Churches and Associations in Arkansas by Robert Ashcraft, 2006 pg. 512-513


 


 

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