National Baptist Convention of America

International, Inc.
The National Baptist Convention of America
International, Inc., (NBCA Intl or NBCA) more National Baptist Convention of
commonly known as the National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc.
America or sometimes the Boyd Convention, is a
Christian denomination based in the United States. It is a
predominantly African-American Baptist denomination,
and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The
National Baptist Convention of America has members in
the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa. The
current president of the National Baptist Convention of
America is Dr. Samuel C. Tolbert Jr. of Lake Charles,
Louisiana.

History Emblem
Abbreviation NBCA
In 1915, leaders and pastors of the National Baptist
Type Western
Convention, USA, Inc. disputed the ownership and
Christian
operation of the independently-owned National Baptist
Publishing Board in Nashville, Tennessee. The National Classification Protestant
Baptist Publishing Board was founded and led by Rev. R. Orientation Baptist
H. Boyd out of concern with publishing companies
established and led by white Baptists. He did not have Polity Congregationalist
financial support from the NBC USA and financed it President Dr. Samuel C.
himself using real estate in Texas and assistance from the Tolbert Jr.
Southern Baptist Convention.[1]
General Secretary Rev. Shelton C.
The National Baptist Publishing Board fulfilled Boyd's Dixon
goal of providing black Baptists with religious materials Chief Operating Officer Langston E.
written by other black Baptists, primarily periodicals and Gaither
Sunday School materials, but also including some books.
Associations World Council of
At its beginning, the National Baptist Publishing Board
Churches;
took over responsibility for publishing the National Baptist
Magazine and it launched the new Teacher's Monthly in Baptist World
1897. The company started making a profit as early as the Alliance
first quarter of 1897, when it distributed more than Region mainly the United
180,000 copies of published materials.[1] The National States and
Baptist Publishing Board became the principal source of Canada but has
religious publications for black Baptists worldwide.[2] a presence in
Africa
By 1906, it grew to become the largest African American
publishing company in the United States.[1] It is credited Founder Rev. R. H. Boyd
with being the first publisher of the old songs of Negro Origin 1915
slaves, and it produced more than 25 songbooks and
hymnals by 1921, including Golden Gems: A Song Book
for the Church Choir, the Pew, and Sunday School (1901) Separated from National Baptist
and The National Baptist Hymnal (1903).[3] Its Convention
publications are considered to have played a key role in
Separations National
establishing an African American Baptist religious and
Missionary
racial identity in the United States.[4]
Baptist
The dispute between Boyd and the NBC USA began due Convention of
to the National Baptist Publishing Board's success. Pastors America
and other leaders within the convention were suspicious of (separated 1988)
the company and sought greater control, while Boyd
Congregations 12,336
asserted that the National Baptist Publishing Board was
independent. The publishing company was incorporated as Members 3,106,000
an independent entity in 1898. Boyd, who served as the Other name(s) National Baptist
National Baptist Convention secretary of missions from Convention of
1896 to 1914 while also leading the National Baptist
America (very
Publishing Board, claimed that the company regularly
common), Boyd
contributed some of its profits to the missionary work of
Convention,
the NBC USA, but this was disputed.[1][5]
National Baptist
Following confrontations at the annual meeting of the Convention
National Baptist Convention in Chicago in 1915, Boyd
and his supporters formed the National Baptist Convention of America, which became known informally as
"National Baptist Convention, Unincorporated," and was sometimes derisively called the "Boyd National
Convention."[5][1] The leaders remaining in the original convention incorporated in 1916, adopting the
name "National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc." The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. sued
unsuccessfully to obtain ownership of the National Baptist Publishing Board and subsequently created its
own Sunday School publishing board.[1] In 1988, another controversy surrounding the publishing board
(now the R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation) led to the formation of the National Missionary Baptist
Convention of America in 1988.

From 1986 to 2003, the convention was led Rev. E. Edward Jones, a civil rights icon who was the pastor
for fifty-seven years of the Galilee Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana.[6]

In 2000, the National Baptist Convention of America grew to about 3.5 million members in more than
8,000 churches.[7] It became the third-largest predominantly African American Christian body in the United
States after the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and the Church of God in Christ; by 2020, its
membership declined to approximately 3,106,000 members in 12,336 churches.[8]

The NBCA's headquarters were formerly located in Dallas, Texas. In 2017 the convention moved its
headquarters to Louisville, Kentucky on the campus of Simmons College of Kentucky during the tenure of
Dr. Samuel C. Tolbert Jr.; by 2018 under his leadership, the convention affiliated with the Baptist Seminary
of Kentucky (primarily affiliated with the theologically moderate to progressive Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship).[9][10] It also hosted a conference with the theologically liberal Progressive National Baptist
Convention in 2018 alongside the Cooperative Baptists.[11]

Doctrine
The general doctrinal perspective of its churches are represented in the NBCA Press, Inc.'s publications.
Churches within the National Baptist Convention of America also adopt a church covenant. The National
Baptist Convention of America's members denounce same-sex marriage and same-sex unions, and as the
NBC USA, they consider homosexuality an illegitimate expression of God's will.[12] The National Baptist
Convention of America also rejects the ordination of women, though some congregations throughout the
United States and Canada have attempted to ordain women as deacons, ministers, and pastors.[13]

Its ecumenical partners (the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Chicago Theological Seminary of the
United Church of Christ)[14][15] permit women's ordination, and some of them affirm same-sex marriage as
well as gender transition.[16][17][18][19][20] In response to the theological differences between the
Cooperative and National Baptists, NBCA president Dr. Tolbert in 2020 stated, "We get more done
realizing we don't have to agree on everything."[21]

Some members of this convention have dual affiliation with other Baptist denominations, and the National
Baptist Convention of America promotes partnership with the Cooperative Baptists "to engage in multi-
racial experiences of worship, fellowship, disaster relief, educational advancement and healthy dialogue
that brings about oneness in the body of Christ. Local member NBCA and CBF churches develop stronger
ties for the work they embark upon together to the Glory of God."[22]

See also
Christianity in the United States

External links
National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. (http://www.nbcainc.com/) - Official website
Profile of the NBCA on the Association of Religion Data Archives website (http://www.theard
a.com/Denoms/D_1390.asp)
Jessie M. Bright Collection (http://pid.emory.edu/ark:/25593/pqv8t) at Stuart A. Rose
Manuscript, Archives, & Rare Book Library, Emory University (https://rose.library.emory.edu/)

References
1. "Richard Henry Boyd: Shaper of Black Baptist Identity" (https://web.archive.org/web/201904
25080228/http://findarticles.com/?noadc=1). Baptist History and Heritage. Archived from the
original (http://findarticles.com/?noadc=1) on 2019-04-25. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
2. THOMPSON, NOLAN (2010-06-12). "BOYD, RICHARD HENRY" (https://tshaonline.org/han
dbook/online/articles/fbo60). tshaonline.org. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
3. "Music City Walk of Fame Inductees | Nashville Walk of Fame | VisitMusicCity.com" (https://
www.visitmusiccity.com/walkoffame/inductees.htm). www.visitmusiccity.com. Retrieved
2020-02-29.
4. McQueen, Clyde (2000). Black Churches in Texas: A Guide to Historic Congregations (http
s://archive.org/details/blackchurchesint0000mcqu). Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-
0-89096-941-0.
5. "History of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc" (https://www.nationalbaptist.com/abou
t-nbc/our-history). National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
6. "Pastor Edward E. Jones" (http://lkwilliamsinstitute.org/speakers/eejones.html).
lkwilliamsinstitute.org. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
7. "National Baptist Convention of America" (http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1390.asp),
Association of Religion Data Archives, 2002
 8. "National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. International | Baptist World Alliance" (https://w
ww.baptistworld.org/national-baptist-convention-of-america-inc-international/).
www.baptistworld.org. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
9. "Welcome to BSK" (https://bsk.edu/). Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
10. Sizemore, Abby (2020-03-04). "BSK Named Official Seminary of NBCA" (https://bsk.edu/bsk
-named-official-seminary-of-nbca3/). Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. Archived (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20220904031934/https://bsk.edu/bsk-named-official-seminary-of-nbca3/) from
the original on 2022-09-04. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
11. "UPDATED NBCA Investment in Louisville 1-26-22" (https://web.archive.org/web/20220717
135826/https://s3.amazonaws.com/mychurchwebsite/c3392/updated_nbca_investment_in_l
ouisville_1-26-22.pdf) (PDF). NBCA Intl. Archived from the original (https://s3.amazonaws.co
m/mychurchwebsite/c3392/updated_nbca_investment_in_louisville_1-26-22.pdf) (PDF) on
July 17, 2022.
12. Zoll, Rachel (29 January 2005). "Long-divided black Baptists try to unite around common
agenda" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121025064112/https://www.boston.com/news/natio
n/articles/2005/01/29/long_divided_black_baptists_try_to_unite_around_common_agend
a/). The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on 25
October 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
13. Durso, Pamela. "She-Preachers, Bossy Women, and Children of the Devil: A History of
Baptist Women Ministers and Ordination" (https://bwim.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dur
so-final.pdf) (PDF). Baptist Women in Ministry. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
14. "Suzii Paynter Tributes – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship" (https://cbf.net/suzii). Retrieved
2020-10-16.
15. "NBCA Partnerships" (https://nbcainc.com/partners/). National Baptist Convention of
America. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20220904032348/https://nbcainc.com/partne
rs/) from the original on 2022-09-04. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
16. "CBF revises hiring policy; lifts LGBT ban for some posts" (https://www.baptiststandard.com/
news/baptists/cbf-revises-hiring-policy-lifts-lgbt-ban-posts/). Baptist Standard. 2018-02-09.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20220904032442/https://www.baptiststandard.com/ne
ws/baptists/cbf-revises-hiring-policy-lifts-lgbt-ban-posts/) from the original on 2022-09-04.
Retrieved 2020-05-03.
17. "CBF nixes 'absolute' LGBT hiring ban, maintains it for leaders" (http://www.bpnews.net/503
46/cbf-nixes-absolute-lgbt-hiring-ban-maintains-it-for-leaders). Baptist Press. Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20220904032533/https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/ne
ws/cbf-nixes-absolute-lgbt-hiring-ban-maintains-it-for-leaders/) from the original on 2022-09-
04. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
18. Burke, Daniel (2010-03-27). "Clergy torn over church, civil loyalties over same-sex
marriage" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/26/AR20100326
04211.html). The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0190-82
86). Retrieved 2020-05-03.
19. Staff Reports. "UCC celebrates an anniversary: 150 years of women clergy" (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20200630224353/https://www.ucc.org/ucc-celebrates-an). United Church of
Christ. Archived from the original (https://www.ucc.org/ucc-celebrates-an) on 2020-06-30.
Retrieved 2020-06-28.
20. "About our LGBT Ministries" (https://www.ucc.org/lgbt_about). United Church of Christ.
Retrieved 2020-06-28.
21. "Black and white Baptist groups work side-by-side in Louisiana" (https://baptistnews.com/arti
cle/black-and-white-baptist-groups-work-side-by-side-in-louisiana/). Baptist News Global.
2020-10-01. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20220904032810/https://baptistnews.co
m/article/black-and-white-baptist-groups-work-side-by-side-in-louisiana/) from the original on
2022-09-04. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
22. "Cooperative Baptist Fellowship" (https://nbcainc.com/partners/cooperative-baptist-fellowshi
p/). National Baptist Convention of America. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2022090
4031928/https://nbcainc.com/partners/cooperative-baptist-fellowship/) from the original on
2022-09-04. Retrieved 2022-09-04.

Leonard, Bill J. (ed.). Dictionary of Baptists in America.

Mead, Frank S.; Samuel S. Hill; Craig D. Atwood. Handbook of Denominations.
Wardin Jr., Albert W. Baptists Around the World.

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