Old Regular Baptists

Jack Matthews · Oct 17, 2006

I grew up in West Virginia, in Raleigh County. We were back there last weekend for a visit with some relatives. I hadn't been there for a while, only once or twice in the last 15 years. There used to be a lot of small Old Regular Baptist congregations that dotted the rural areas all though that part of the state. They were usually small wood or cinder block buildings, very neat, some with brush arbors next to them. I noticed, on a drive through Wyoming and Mingo County on Saturday that many of these little churches now appear abandoned.

When I was young, it seemed that many of the people who made up some of these congregations were fairly well along in years, and they didn't seem to have a lot of younger people. I'm guessing that many of them have died off by now. Does someone here know the status of the Old Regular Baptists, as to how many of them are left? They seem to be a rather unique segment of the Baptist community, and there might be some history to tell there at some point.

rlvaughn · Oct 17, 2006

I think over the past several years the Old Regular Baptists have ranged between about 15 to 17 associations, with some going out and maybe one or two new ones being formed. According to Wikipedia, there are currently fifteen associations with about 300 churches and about 9,000 members. The Wikipedia article also gives a breakdown by associations, though if you're not familiar with them, that might not help you locate them by county.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Regular_Baptist#Current_status

There are a few Old Regular Baptists, such as Brother Bob, who post regularly on the Baptist Board. Maybe they will notice the thread and give you some more up-to-date information. Also, look down in the History forum. There are a couple of threads there about Old Regular Baptists.

Jim1999 · Oct 17, 2006

Everytime I enquire of an Old Regular Baptist Church, I get conflicting views on theology...I am confused with them.

Cheers,

Jim

El_Guero · Oct 17, 2006

According to John Wallhausser, a professor of religion at Berea College, Kentucky, the beliefs and traditions of the older Baptist denominations in the southern Appalachian Mountains are found in layers, like seams of coal. The earliest layers are composed of 16th- and early 17th-century Reformation beliefs and creeds - particularly, for English Baptists who followed the theology of John Calvin, the First (1644) and Second (1689) London Confessions. The next layer consists of 18th-century pietism and the revival movements in New England and the American frontier. Finally, one finds the theological controversies of the 19th century which led Old Regular Baptist churches to consolidate and preserve their traditions, their "old-fashioned way." Twentieth-century efforts by Appalachian churches to hold on to their past have kept much of that past intact. Consequently, we can still discern today the remarkable heritage of the mountains: their distinctive way of being "in the world but not of the world."
Click to expand...

http://www.folklife.si.edu/resources/Festival1997/baptists.htm

Old Regular Baptists

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