Converge (United States)

Converge, formerly the Baptist General Conference (BGC) and

Converge
Converge Worldwide, is a Baptist Christian association of
churches in the United States. It is affiliated with the Baptist World (Baptist General
Alliance and the National Association of Evangelicals. The Conference)
headquarters are in Orlando, Florida. The current president of
Converge is John K. Jenkins.

History Classification Evangelical

Christianity
The Baptist General Conference grew out of the great revival of
Orientation Baptist
the 19th century, but its roots can be traced back to Radical Pietism
in Sweden.[1] In 1852 Gustaf Palmquist emigrated from Sweden to President John K.
the United States. Forty-seven days after his arrival, he and three Jenkins
others organized a Swedish Baptist church in Rock Island, Illinois. Associations Baptist World
Fredrik (F.O.) Nilsson, who was instrumental in leading Palmquist Alliance,
to Baptist views, arrived in America the next year with 21
National
immigrants. Some of these united with the Rock Island church,
while others organized a church at Houston, Minnesota. Nilsson Association
traveled widely, founding and strengthening churches. Anders of
Wiberg was another pioneer among these churches from 1852 until Evangelicals
1855, when he returned to Sweden as a missionary. It also had Region United
influence from and a partial connection with fellow Pietists and States
Radical Pietists of different denominational traditions within the
Headquarters Orlando,
Mission Friends movement.[2] [3][4] [5][6]
Florida, U.S.
Christian experience was a major emphasis among these Swedish Origin 1879
Baptists, and they prospered from the awakenings in the 19th
Separated from Lutheranism
century. Immigration, aggressive evangelism and conversion
through revivals brought rapid growth to the denomination. John Branched from Mission
Alexis Edgren founded the Swedish Baptist Seminary (now Bethel Friends
University) in Chicago, Illinois in 1871. [7] Congregations 1,346

In 1879, when the Swedish churches had grown to 65 in number, Members 324,163
they formed a General Conference. [8] The members of these Tertiary institutions Bethel
churches assimilated into American society and gradually lost their University
separate ethnic identity. By 1940, most churches were English-
speaking. In 1945, the Swedish Baptist General Conference Official website
converge.org
dropped "Swedish" from its name and became the Baptist General (https://conv
Conference of America.[9] Swedish Baptists had maintained an erge.org)
alliance with the American Baptist Publication Society, American
Baptist home and foreign missions, etc., and later the Northern Baptist Convention. Some Swedish Baptists
expected to merge with that body, but the groups moved toward different developments of theological
emphasis. The conservative Swedish Baptists pulled back from growing liberalism of the Northern
Baptists, and in 1944 formed their own Board of Foreign Missions. This moved them toward independent
existence, which they have maintained to the present.[1] From its beginning among Scandinavian
immigrants, the BGC has grown to a nationwide association of autonomous churches with at least 17
ethnic groups and missions in 35 nations.

The Baptist General Conference adopted the new movement name of Converge Worldwide in 2008, and
was renamed to Converge in 2015.[10]

Statistics
According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 1,346 churches and 324,163
members. [11]

Beliefs
The association has a Baptist confession of faith.[12] It is a member of the Baptist World Alliance. [13]

Schools
Converge operates the Bethel Theological Seminary and
Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minnesota near St. Paul.

Notable Members
John Piper - theologian, professor of biblical
studies at Bethel University, and pastor at
Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis).
Bob Merritt - former senior pastor of Eagle Brook
Church in suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minnesota.

References
1. Shantz, Douglas H. (2013). An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the
Dawn of Modern Europe. JHU Press. ISBN 9781421408804.
2. Gehrz, Christopher (2011-01-15). "Recovering a Pietist Understanding ofChristian Higher
Education: Carl H. Lundquist and Karl A. Olsson" (https://christianscholars.com/recovering-a
-pietist-understanding-ofchristian-higher-education-carl-h-lundquist-and-karl-a-olsson/).
Christian Scholar’s Review. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
3. "The Missional Church and Denominations" (https://ect.edu.in/library/index.php?p=fstream-p
df&fid=21&bid=26).
4. "Christian History" (https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/uploaded/ch132s.pdf) (PDF).
5. Phil Johnson, Mark Safstrom. "The Pietist Impulse in Christianity Conference at Bethel" (htt
p://www.pietisten.org/xxiv/1/pietist_impulse.html). www.pietisten.org. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
6. Gehrz, Chris (2018-08-02). "The Pietist Option for Baptists" (https://pietistschoolman.com/20
18/08/02/the-pietist-option-for-baptists/). The Pietist Schoolman. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
7. William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p.
65
8. Randall Herbert Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition,
Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 57
 9. George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States,
Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 188
10. William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2021,
p. 74
11. Baptist World Alliance, Members (https://www.baptistworld.org/member-unions/),
baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023
12. Converge, Our beliefs (https://converge.org/about/beliefs), converge.org, USA, retrieved May
5, 2023
13. Baptist World Alliance, Members (https://www.baptistworld.org/member-unions/),
baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023

Sources
Glenmary Research Center. Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States,
2000
McBeth, H. Leon. The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness
Olson, Adolf. A Centenary History as Related to the Baptist General Conference
Wardin, Albert W. Jr. Baptists Around the World

External links
Converge (https://www.converge.org/) - official website

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