The Grace Baptist Assembly is designed to facilitate the fellowship of Particular Baptist churches. It was first organised in England in 1980, when the Strict Baptist Assembly (founded in 1964) and the Assembly of baptized churches holding the doctrines of grace (founded in 1976) voluntarily agreed to cease their organisations and meet together as the Grace Baptist Assembly. The churches of the Grace Baptist Assembly hold a Calvinistic form of theology, and are descendants of the larger Strict and Particular Baptist movement. The doctrinal standards of the Assembly are the ‘Old London’ Confession of Faith of 1689 and ‘We Believe’, the Strict Baptist Affirmation of Faith (second edition 1973). Churches attending the assembly give prior notice of their agreement with one of these confessions, and confirmation of their baptised membership. The assembly exists only for as long as it is in session. All co-operation in and commitment to the assembly by a local church is entirely voluntary. The churches attending the assembly believe that ecclesial authority rests with the local church, and not with any supra-church body. Many churches involved also belong to one of several regional Grace Baptist Associations. Churches support joint evangelistic and educational endeavours, including Grace Publications Trust and Grace magazine (founded in 1970). A linked missionary organisation, Grace Baptist Mission, (formerly the Strict Baptist Mission) supports evangelistic work in over 13 countries worldwide. Grace Baptist Mission is based in Abingdon, England. The Grace Baptist Assembly appears to feel a close kinship to the Reformed Baptists of England. In 1995, the Grace Baptist Assembly had over 10,000 members in about 260 churches.
Famous quotes containing the words grace, baptist and/or assembly:
“Euphelia serves to grace my measure,
But Chloe is my real flame.”
—Matthew Prior (1664–1721)
“You should approach Joyce’s Ulysses as the illiterate Baptist preacher approaches the Old Testament: with faith.”
—William Faulkner (1897–1962)
“That man is to be pitied who cannot enjoy social intercourse without eating and drinking. The lowest orders, it is true, cannot imagine a cheerful assembly without the attractions of the table, and this reflection alone should induce all who aim at intellectual culture to endeavor to avoid placing the choicest phases of social life on such a basis.”
—Mrs. H. O. Ward (1824–1899)