This week in Christian history: National Baptist Convention formed; oldest preacher dies

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, September 22, 2024

National Baptist Convention, USA formed – Sept. 24, 1895

Dr. Jerry Young, head of the National Baptist Convention, USA, gives remarks at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday, June 14, 2016. | Screengrab: live.sbc.net/ondemand.html

This week marks the anniversary of when the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., reportedly the largest historically black denomination in the United States, was created.

NBC, USA was formed by the merging of the Foreign Mission Convention, the National Baptist Educational Convention and the American National Baptist Convention as an effort to unite African American Baptists nationwide.

"The purpose of the newly formed national convention was multipartite. The former work of the National Baptist Educational Convention was increased through the new convention's aggressive involvement in the education of the race," explained Encyclopedia.com.

"Local churches were encouraged to increase their support of secondary schools and colleges throughout the southern region of the United States. Internationally, the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. advanced foreign missionary projects in Africa, Central America, and the West Indies."

The modern NBC, USA denomination boasts a membership of approximately 7.5 million.