District of Columbia Baptist Convention

The District of Columbia Baptist Convention (DCBC) is a coalition of Baptist churches in or near the Washington, DC area. The DCBC is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the Progressive National Baptist Convention.^[1] It also holds a separate membership in the Baptist World Alliance.

History

The organization traces its founding to 1801 with the establishment of First Baptist Church in Washington DC.^[2] The first predecessor group to the DCBC was formed on November 26, 1877, as the Columbia Association of Baptist Churches.^[2]

Before May 2018, the DCBC was also affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The SBC severed its relationship when the DCBC refused to expel Calvary Baptist Church after the congregation hired a legally married lesbian couple as co-pastors.^[3]

According to a denomination census released in 2023, it claimed 40,841 members and 163 churches. ^[4]

Mission and positions

The DCBC's slogan is "One Faith. Many Cultures. Endless Possibilities."^[5] The DCBC has not taken positions on controversial social issues including abortion and homosexuality, leaving those decisions to the individual churches.^[6]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to District of Columbia Baptist Convention.

• Official website