المعمدانيون المنفصلون في المسيح

المعمدانيون المنفصلون في المسيح هم طائفة من المعمدانيين المنفصلين الموجودين في الغالب في الولايات المتحدة .

لم يكن لدى المعمدانيين المنفصلين بيان عقائدي رسمي قبل عام ١٧٧٦، إذ زعموا اتباع الكتاب المقدس فقط. وفي ذلك العام، انقسمت الحركة المعمدانية المنفصلة بسبب المذهب الأرميني . ويعود هذا الانقسام جزئيًا إلى خطب جون ووكر، الذي عُرف بفصاحته. ففي جلسة عام ١٧٧٦ للجمعية العامة للمعمدانيين المنفصلين في فرجينيا، استشهد الشيخ جون ووكر برسالة كورنثوس ١٣: ١١ في خطبته ضد الفداء الخاص، موضحًا الأساس الذي استند إليه هو وقساوسة الكنائس التي أسسها للانسحاب من الجمعية العامة وتشكيل شبكة من الكنائس المعمدانية "المستقلة" التي اتُهمت بأنها "أرمينية". وفي ثمانينيات القرن الثامن عشر، انتقل العديد من المعمدانيين المنفصلين المؤيدين للمذهب الأرميني غربًا إلى كنتاكي وتينيسي. ينتمي المعمدانيون المنفصلون، المعروفون اليوم باسم المعمدانيين المنفصلين في المسيح، إلى مجموعة من الأشخاص الذين استقروا في كنتاكي وتينيسي. أسس هؤلاء الكنائس التي شكلت رابطة جنوب كنتاكي للمعمدانيين المنفصلين عام ١٧٨٦. على مر السنين، اندمج عدد كبير من هذه الكنائس في جماعات أخرى مثل المعمدانيين المتحدين أو الكامبليين ( المعروفين أيضًا باسم الكنائس المسيحية). اختارت رابطة جنوب كنتاكي للمعمدانيين المنفصلين عدم الانضمام إلى أي اتحاد.

The present-day Separate Baptists in Christ descend from that association and others organized by it, which consists of the following surviving associations: Nolynn (KY, 1819); Ambraw (IL, 1844); Northern Indiana (IN, 1854); Central Indiana (IN, 1870); the Christian Unity in Virginia and North Carolina (1935), and Mt. Olive (TN, 1892 Dissolved around 2016). The old Kentucky Association is now called South Kentucky Association of Separate Baptists in Christ (org. 1785). A division of the Christian Unity Separate Baptist Association (org. 1935) united in fellowship with the Separate Baptists in 1975. Two associations have also been recently organized, the West Virginia Association and the Northeast Florida Association, each constituted with one church, but both have now dissolved. The churches and associations labored in 1912 to organize a general association, called the General Association of Separate Baptists. A general association had previously been organized in 1877, but it dissolved. Separate Baptist Missions, Inc. was formed in 1967. They also support Sunday Schools and youth camps. All local associations of Separate Baptists had participated in the General Association, but Ambraw withdrew in 1991 and Northern Indiana in 1992, each now independent associations. This division was precipitated by the General Association's adoption of an article which rejected premillennialism: "ARTICLE 12. We believe that, at Christ's coming in the clouds of Heaven, all Christians will be gathered with Him in the clouds and that time shall be no more, thus leaving no time for a literal one thousand year reign."

Separate Baptists hold a standard orthodoxy in common with many other Baptists. They hold five ordinances, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, the anointing with oil and laying on hands for the sick, right hand of fellowship, and feet washing. Separate Baptists hold many of these in common with Free Will Baptists, General Association of Baptists, Christian Baptist Church of God, Primitive Baptist, Pleasant Valley and Jasper Baptist Association, United Baptists, Union Baptists, Old Regular Baptists and many Independent Baptist Associations. Separate Baptists are Arminian in persuasion, believing "that he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved" rather than eternal security. Separate Baptist believe that a "saved" person can choose to turn from God to a life of sin. This is called "backsliding." The Separate Baptist believe a backslider must ask God for forgiveness of their sin. Separate Baptists hold this in common with Free Will Baptists, General Baptist, the General Six-Principle Baptists and some United Baptists. In 1999, the churches of the General Association numbered 80, with about 7500 members. The Ambraw and Northern Indiana Associations consist of approximately 1500 members in about 20 churches. This makes the total membership of all Separate Baptists about 9000 in 100 churches.

There also are some Separate Baptists in Christ in the Ahmednagar district of India. These churches are not in association with the General Association. In 1993 Separate Baptist Missions, Inc. began contributing to missionaries Lonnie Palmer and Steve Palmer in their work among the Koulango in Ivory Coast, Africa, and have since began supporting Bro Jerry Ridge in the same mission.

• Minutes of the General Association and local associations
• 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 & Craig D. Atwood

• General Association of Separate Baptists Home Page
• Separate Baptist Census from RCMS 2000