BrantleyRider: Created page with "{{Infobox Christian denomination |name = Converge
(Baptist General Conference) |image = Converge logo.png |main_classification = Evangelical Christianity |orientation = Baptist |theology = |leader_title = President |leader_name = John K. Jenkins |area = United States |headquarters = Orlando, Florida, U.S. |founder = |founded_date = 1879 |founded_place = |separated_from = |parent = |branched_from=Mission Friends |m..."

2025-08-19T21:05:04Z

Created page with "{{Infobox Christian denomination |name = Converge <br> (Baptist General Conference) |image = Converge logo.png |main_classification = Evangelical Christianity |orientation = Baptist |theology = |leader_title = President |leader_name = John K. Jenkins |area = United States |headquarters = Orlando, Florida, U.S. |founder = |founded_date = 1879 |founded_place = |separated_from = |parent = |branched_from=Mission Friends |m..."

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{{Infobox Christian denomination
|name = Converge <br>
(Baptist General Conference)
|image = Converge logo.png
|main_classification = [[Evangelical Christianity]]
|orientation = [[Baptist]]
|theology =
|leader_title = President
|leader_name = [[John K. Jenkins]]
|area = [[United States]]
|headquarters = [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], [[Florida]], [[U.S.]]
|founder =
|founded_date = 1879
|founded_place =
|separated_from =
|parent =
|branched_from=[[Mission Friends]] |merger =
|separations =
|associations = [[Baptist World Alliance]], [[National Association of Evangelicals]]
|congregations = 1,346
|members = 324,163
|hospitals =
|primary_schools =
|secondary_schools =
|tertiary = [[Bethel University (Minnesota)|Bethel University]]
|seminaries =
|missionary organization = Converge missions
|aid = Converge crisis response
|website = [https://converge.org converge.org]
}}

'''Converge''', formerly the '''Baptist General Conference''' ('''BGC''') and '''Converge Worldwide''', is a [[Baptists|Baptist]] [[Christianity|Christian]] denomination in the [[United States]]. It is affiliated with the [[Baptist World Alliance]] and the [[National Association of Evangelicals]]. The headquarters are in [[Orlando, Florida]]. The current president of Converge is John K. Jenkins.

==History==
The Baptist General Conference grew out of the [[Second Great Awakening|great revival]] of the 19th century, but its roots can be traced back to [[Radical Pietism]] in Sweden.<ref name="Shantz2013">{{cite book |last1=Shantz |first1=Douglas H. |title=An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the Dawn of Modern Europe |date=2013 |publisher=JHU Press |isbn=9781421408804 |language=en}}</ref> In 1852 [[Gustaf Palmquist]] emigrated from [[Sweden]] to the [[United States]]. Forty-seven days after his arrival, he and three others organized a Swedish Baptist church in [[Rock Island, Illinois]]. [[F.O. Nilsson|Fredrik (F.O.) Nilsson]], who was instrumental in leading Palmquist to [[Baptist]] views, arrived in America the next year with 21 immigrants. Some of these united with the Rock Island church, while others organized a church at [[Houston, Minnesota]]. Nilsson traveled widely, founding and strengthening churches. [[Anders Wiberg]] was another pioneer among these churches from 1852 until 1855, when he returned to Sweden as a missionary. It also had influence from and a partial connection with fellow Pietists and Radical Pietists of different denominational traditions within the [[Mission Friends]] movement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gehrz |first=Christopher |date=2011-01-15 |title=Recovering a Pietist Understanding ofChristian Higher Education: Carl H. Lundquist and Karl A. Olsson |url=https://christianscholars.com/recovering-a-pietist-understanding-ofchristian-higher-education-carl-h-lundquist-and-karl-a-olsson/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Christian Scholar’s Review |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Missional Church and Denominations |url=https://ect.edu.in/library/index.php?p=fstream-pdf&fid=21&bid=26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Christian History |url=https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/uploaded/ch132s.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Phil Johnson |first=Mark Safstrom |title=The Pietist Impulse in Christianity Conference at Bethel |url=http://www.pietisten.org/xxiv/1/pietist_impulse.html |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=www.pietisten.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gehrz |first=Chris |date=2018-08-02 |title=The Pietist Option for Baptists |url=https://pietistschoolman.com/2018/08/02/the-pietist-option-for-baptists/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=The Pietist Schoolman |language=en}}</ref>

Christian experience was a major emphasis among these [[Swedish Baptists]], and they prospered from the awakenings in the 19th century. Immigration, aggressive evangelism and conversion through revivals brought rapid growth to the denomination. [[John Alexis Edgren]] founded the ''Swedish Baptist Seminary'' (now [[Bethel University (Minnesota) | Bethel University]]) in [[Chicago, Illinois]] in 1871. <ref> William H. Brackney, ''Historical Dictionary of the Baptists'', Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 65</ref>

In 1879, when the Swedish churches had grown to 65 in number, they formed a General Conference.<ref> Randall Herbert Balmer, ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition'', Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 57</ref> The members of these churches assimilated into American society and gradually lost their separate ethnic identity. By 1940, most churches were English-speaking. In 1945, the Swedish Baptist General Conference dropped "Swedish" from its name and became the Baptist General Conference of America.<ref> George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, ''[[Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States]], Volume 5'', Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 188</ref> Swedish Baptists had maintained an alliance with the American Baptist Publication Society, American Baptist home and foreign missions, etc., and later the [[Northern Baptist Convention]]. Some Swedish Baptists expected to merge with that body, but the groups moved toward different developments of theological emphasis. The conservative Swedish Baptists pulled back from growing liberalism of the Northern Baptists, and in 1944 formed their own Board of Foreign Missions. This moved them toward independent existence, which they have maintained to the present.<ref name="Shantz2013"/> From its beginning among [[Scandinavia|Scandinavian]] [[immigrant]]s, the BGC has grown to a nationwide association of autonomous churches with at least 17 [[ethnic group]]s and missions in 35 nations.

The Baptist General Conference adopted the new movement name of Converge Worldwide in 2008, and was renamed to Converge in 2015.<ref> William H. Brackney, ''Historical Dictionary of the Baptists'', Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2021, p. 74</ref>

==Statistics==
According to a census published by the denomination in 2023, it claimed 1,346 churches and 324,163 members. <ref> Baptist World Alliance, [https://www.baptistworld.org/member-unions/ Members], baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023</ref>

== Beliefs ==
The denomination has a [[Baptist]] [[confession of faith]].<ref> Converge, [https://converge.org/about/beliefs Our beliefs], converge.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023</ref> It is a member of the [[Baptist World Alliance]]. <ref> Baptist World Alliance, [https://www.baptistworld.org/member-unions/ Members], baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023</ref>

==Schools==
[[File: Bethel University - Arden Hills, Minnesota.jpg|280px|thumb|right| [[Bethel University (Minnesota)|Bethel University]] in [[Arden Hills, Minnesota]].]]
Converge operates the [[Bethel Theological Seminary]] and [[Bethel University (Minnesota)|Bethel University]] in [[Arden Hills, Minnesota]] near [[St. Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]].<ref> Bethel University, [https://www.bethel.edu/church-relations/about Church Relations], bethel.edu, USA, accessed November 2, 2023</ref>

== Missionary Organization ==
The Convention has a [[Christian mission|missionary]] organization, Converge missions. <ref> Converge, [https://www.converge.org/missions/ Converge missions], converge.org, USA, accessed July 24, 2024</ref>

== Social programs ==
It has a humanitarian organization, Converge crisis response. <ref> Converge, [https://www.converge.org/missions/crisis-response Converge crisis response], converge.org, USA, accessed July 24, 2024</ref>

== Notable Members ==

* [[John Piper (theologian)|John Piper]] - theologian, professor of [[biblical studies]] at [[Bethel University (Minnesota)|Bethel University]], and pastor at [[Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis)]].
* [[Bob Merritt]] - former senior pastor of [[Eagle Brook Church]] in suburban [[Minneapolis-St. Paul]].

== See also ==
* [[Baptist Union of Sweden]]
* [[North American Baptist Conference]]

==Sources==
*Glenmary Research Center. ''Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States, 2000''
*McBeth, H. Leon. ''The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness''
*Olson, Adolf. ''A Centenary History as Related to the Baptist General Conference''
*Wardin, Albert W. Jr. ''Baptists Around the World''

==External links==
*[https://www.converge.org/ Converge] - official website

==References==

[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1879]]
[[Category:Members of the National Association of Evangelicals]]
[[Category:Baptist denominations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radical Pietism]]
[[Category:Baptist denominations established in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Evangelical denominations in North America]]
[[Category:Converge (United States)| ]]
[[Category:Christian denominations founded in the United States]]

Converge (United States) - Revision history