Venture Church Network

Christian association of churches in the United States

Venture Church Network

Classification| Protestant
Orientation| Baptist
Theology| Evangelical
President| David Whitaker[1]
Region| United States
Origin| 1947
Separated from| Northern Baptist Convention
Other name(s)| Conservative Baptist Association of America (1947–2021)

Venture Church Network (formerly known as the Conservative Baptist Association of America) is a Baptist Christian association in the United States with each local congregation being autonomous and responsible for their own way of functioning.

## History

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The first organization of Conservative Baptists was the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society (CBFMS), now called WorldVenture, formed in Chicago, in 1943. What became the Venture Church Network was organized in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1947 as the Conservative Baptist Association of America. The Conservative Baptist Association emerged as part of the continuing Fundamentalist–Modernist Controversy within the Northern Baptist Convention. The forming churches were fundamentalist/conservative churches that had remained in cooperation with the Northern Baptist Convention after other churches had left, such as those that formed the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. At the 1946 NBC meeting, the old convention made it clear that it would not allow a competing missionary agency to operate within it. Churches withdrew, forming the new association, and hundreds of others withdrew in the following years. The conservatives were in the majority in Minnesota and Arizona, and the Northern Baptists lost those state agencies.[2] The New Testament Association of Independent Churches and the Conservative Baptist Fellowship, which renamed itself the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship and is now the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International, split from the Conservative Baptists in the 1960s.[3] On February 16, 2021[4] the association announced it was changing its name to Venture Church Network because the name Conservative Baptist “no longer connects with what it was originally intended to communicate”.[5]

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Baptists

Background

* Christianity
* Protestantism
* English Dissenters

Theology

* Confessions of faith
*     * Second London Confession of Faith (Particular Baptist)
* Orthodox Creed (General Baptist)

* Doctrines
*     * Baptist covenant theology
* Regenerate Church
* Credobaptism
* Sola scriptura
* Sola fide
* Priesthood of all believers
* Soul competency
* Autonomy of the local church

Key figures

* List of Baptists
*     * John Smyth
* Thomas Helwys
* John Murton
* Edward Barber
* Hugh Evans
* Roger Williams
* John Clarke
* Samuel Loveday
* Thomas Lambe
* John Spilsbury
* John Griffith
* Hanserd Knollys
* Henry Lawrence
* John Bunyan
* Henry Danvers
* Henry Denne
* William Kiffin
* Thomas Grantham
* Benjamin Keach
* Paul Palmer
* John Gill
* William Johnson
* William Carey
* Andrew Fuller
* Daniel Taylor
* Shubal Stearns
* John Leland
* Isaac Backus
* Charles Spurgeon
* Joseph Angus
* Luther Rice
* James Boyce
* Gavin Ortlund

Organizations

* Denominations
* Baptist World Alliance
* American Baptist Churches USA

Christianity portal

* v
* t
* e

## Constituents

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The movement presently supports three national agencies - Venture Church Network, WorldVenture (formerly CBFMS, then CBInternational), and Missions Door (formerly Conservative Baptist Home Mission Society, then Mission To The Americas). These agencies have omitted the word "baptist" from their names, and it is notable that the four associated educational institutions listed below, likewise have omitted "baptist" from their names also.[6]

Conservative Baptists cooperate with affiliated institutions of higher learning as well as youth and women's ministries. Each local Conservative Baptist church is an autonomous organization in voluntary affiliation with each other through regional associations.

## Reorganization

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Until a structural reorganization began in early 2004, Venture Church Network was a network of churches and ministries, committed to evangelization and church planting. In 2003, its membership comprised over 1200 churches representing over 200,000 church members.

Following the dissolution of an Organization Task Force after an unsuccessful attempt to unite the national agencies in a single structure and vision, Venture Church Network was reorganized as “a covenantal fellowship of Regional Associations of Conservative Baptist churches, which have joined together to make the most of the God-given strengths of each member Region for a common purpose.” [7] In 2005 new bylaws were adopted whereby regional associations of local churches are the only members of Venture Church Network; the local churches themselves are members of the regional associations and no longer have any direct participation in the national organization. The regional directors and their boards, as representatives of their member churches, are organizationally and relationally bound through the Covenant of the Regions.[8] The regional directors comprise the Venture Church Network Board, representing the interests of the regions and the member churches of the regions. Venture Church Network is led by a leadership team consisting of the eight regional directors, director of chaplaincy and president (Board Chairman). As of 2021, the staff of Venture Church Network listed on its website were limited to the President, a Director of Chaplaincy, an associate director of Chaplaincy, and an Executive Assistant.

## International ties

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Venture Church Network maintains fellowship and relationship with World Venture, Missions Door and networks of churches in other countries of the world through CBGlobal, which has a board consisting of national organization leaders but no staff of its own.[9]

## Associated educational institutions

[edit]

* Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon; San Jose, California; Sacramento, California[1]
* Denver Seminary, Denver, Colorado [2]
* Arizona Christian University, Glendale, Arizona [3]
* New England Bible College, South Portland, Maine [4]

## References

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1. ^ "Staff". Venture Church Network.
2. ^ History of CBs by Bruce Shelley Archived 2011-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ “The Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International.” In The Nick of Time - Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Accessed January 27, 2015. http://www.centralseminary.edu/resources/nick-of-time/the-fundamental-baptist-fellowship-international Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine.
4. ^ "Special Announcement from our President". Venture Church Network. 2021-02-16. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
5. ^ Whitaker, David (February 16, 2021). "Venture Church Network: a new name" (PDF). Venture Churches. p. 2. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
6. ^ Lillian Kwon: "What's in a Church Name?" (December 10, 2006) The Christian Post; https://www.christianpost.com/news/what-s-in-a-church-name.html
7. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-08. Retrieved 2014-03-07.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-08. Retrieved 2014-03-07.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. ^ "History". CBGlobal. Retrieved 2023-05-17.

### Sources

[edit]

* Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
* Dictionary of Baptists in America, Bill J. Leonard, editor
* Handbook of Denominations, by Frank Mead & Samuel Hill
* CBAmerica Official Web Site

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Missions Door
* WorldVenture
* CBGlobal

* v
* t
* e

Denominations of Baptists in the United States

* Alliance of Baptists
* American Baptist Churches USA
* Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America
* Baptist Bible Fellowship International
* Baptist General Association of Virginia
* Baptist General Convention of Texas
* Baptist Missionary Association of America
* Central Baptist Association
* Christian Baptist Church of God
* Church of Christ, Instrumental
* Continental Baptist Churches
* Converge
* Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
* District of Columbia Baptist Convention
* Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals
* Foundations Baptist Fellowship International
* Free Will Baptist Church
* Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
* Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association
* General Association of Baptists
* General Association of General Baptists
* General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
* General Six-Principle Baptists
* Independent Baptist
* Independent Baptist Church of America
* Independent Baptist Fellowship International
* Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America
* Institutional Missionary Baptist Conference of America
* Liberty Baptist Fellowship
* Missionary Baptists
* National Association of Free Will Baptists
* National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.
* National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
* National Baptist Evangelical Life and Soul Saving Assembly of the U.S.A.
* National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
* National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A.
* New England Evangelical Baptist Fellowship
* North American Baptist Conference
* Northern Baptist Convention
* Old Regular Baptists
* Old Time Missionary Baptist
* Original Free Will Baptist Convention
* Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church
* Primitive Baptist Conference of New Brunswick, Maine and Nova Scotia
* Primitive Baptist Universalist
* Progressive National Baptist Convention
* Separate Baptists in Christ
* Silver Bluff Baptist Church
* Southern Baptist Convention
* Southwide Baptist Fellowship
* Sovereign Grace Baptists
* Transformation Ministries
* Triennial Convention
* Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists
* Union Baptists
* United American Free Will Baptist Church
* United American Free Will Baptist Conference
* Venture Church Network
* Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches
* World Baptist Fellowship

* All baptist denominations
* Canada baptist denominations
* UK baptist denominations

* v
* t
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Evangelicalism in the United States

Churches|

| Baptist family|

* Southern Baptist Convention
* Independent Baptist
* Missionary Baptists
* Conservative Baptist Association of America
* Free Will Baptist
* General Association of Regular Baptist Churches

|

Lutheran family|

* Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
* Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Presbyterian family|

* Presbyterian Church in America
* Presbyterian Church USA

Pentecostal family|

* Assemblies of God USA
* Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
* Church of God in Christ
* Foursquare Church
* Pentecostal Church of God
* Pentecostal Holiness Church
* Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
* United Pentecostal Church International

Restorationist family|

* Churches of Christ
* Christian churches and churches of Christ

Congregationalist family|

* Conservative Congregational Christian Conference

Holiness family|

* Church of the Nazarene
* Wesleyan Church
* Free Methodist Church
* Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)

Keswickian family|

* Christian and Missionary Alliance

Reformed family|

* Christian Reformed Church in North America

Adventist family|

* Seventh-day Adventist Church

Nondenominational family|

* Association of Vineyard Churches
* Calvary Chapel Association

History|

* Azusa Street Revival
* Black church
* Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
* Fundamentalist–modernist controversy
* Great Awakening
* First Great Awakening
* Second Great Awakening
* Cane Ridge Revival
* Third Great Awakening
* Fourth Great Awakening
* Healing revival
* Los Angeles Crusade (1949)
* Revival of 1800

Thought|

* Baptism by fire
* Baptism with the Holy Spirit
* Believers' Church
* Biblical literalism
* Biblical inerrancy
* Biblical patriarchy
* Biblical womanhood
* Born again
* Christianity and abortion
* Christian Zionism
* Decision theology
* Evangelical theology
* Full Gospel
* Kingdom theology
* Quiverfull
* Second work of grace

Practices|

* Altar call
* Child preacher
* Contemporary worship
* Contemporary worship music
* Mourner's bench
* Open-air preaching
* Prayer warrior
* Revival meeting
* Camp meeting
* Tent revival
* Sinner's prayer

Forms|

* Bible church
* Megachurch
* Televangelism

Movements|

* Apostolic-Prophetic Movement
* Bapticostal movement
* Christian fundamentalism
* Evangelical left
* Exvangelical
* Jesus movement
* Post-evangelicalism
* New Apostolic Reformation
* Neo-charismatic movement
* Red-Letter Christians
* Seven Mountain Mandate
* Transformational Christianity

Institutions|

* Christianity Today International
* Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
* Evangelical Climate Initiative
* Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus
* Fuller Theological Seminary
* Moody Bible Institute
* National Association of Evangelicals
* National Religious Broadcasters
* Promise Keepers
* World Vision United States
* Youth for Christ

Major figures|

* Aimee Semple McPherson
* Billy Graham
* Billy Sunday
* C. I. Scofield
* Charles Grandison Finney
* Dwight L. Moody
* Franklin Graham
* Jerry Falwell
* Jonathan Edwards

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