Our Affiliations

About Affiliations

Baptist churches are independent and autonomous organizations. We do not have a structural hierarchy that controls the life of the individual congregation. However, since the beginning of Baptist work, churches have voluntarily banded together to pool resources, share encouragement and be challenged to greater vision and ministry. The affiliations below are widely diverse but are supported by vote of the church to help us fulfill our mission.

Our Relationship to the Southern Baptist Convention  

Ginter Park Baptist Church was started as a Southern Baptist congregation in 1916. Our roots in this convention were very deep. We had, over the years, great experiences with those in leadership in missions, education, worship and service. However, when the SBC was taken over by a political-religious group using the Bible as a weapon of exclusion, the church took action to separate itself from the SBC, a once great instrument of service to God. Our appreciation for our heritage and our love for missions made the decision very difficult. Our love for Baptist principles made it unavoidable. Because of our love for missions and our connection to missionaries, members of the church may choose to continue to give to the mission offerings of the SBC each year.

Other Affiliations

Richmond Baptist Association

In 1951, the Richmond Baptist Association was organized in the sanctuary of Ginter Park Baptist Church. Since that time, we have worked alongside other churches in Richmond to do together what we cannot do separately. GPBC encourages our members to volunteer time energy and finances to support the work of the RBA.

Baptist General Association of Virginia

We are continuing our membership in the Baptist General Association of Virginia. We give through the state convention to causes other than the Southern Baptist Convention. We are proud to be a part of the BGVA and to support its ministry projects, its resourcing of churches to do the work to which they have been called and to stand with our state convention against the agenda of the political-religious juggernaut.

The Alliance of Baptists 

The Alliance of Baptists is a very small organization with a very great mission. It was the first national group to organize for life after the takeover of the SBC. It is not a political resistance organization but rather one that seeks to provide for its member churches and individuals, a way of marshalling resources for the life of the churches. It has helped start a seminary, support the Baptist Today independent news journal, and Baptist Women in Ministry among others. It has done missions in a new (for Baptists at least) paradigm, partnership missions. It endorses chaplains for service, addresses ethical issues and provides resources to congregations studying these issues.

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is another attempt to respond to the loss of Baptist principles by the SBC. It is centered upon missions, particularly taking the gospel to “people groups.” Who have not had the opportunity to hear and respond. The largest amount of our mission budget goes to this organization.

The Baptist World Alliance

 When the Executive Board of the SBC withdrew funding for the Baptist World Alliance, many churches, including Ginter Park Baptist Church took up the slack. The BWA is made up of national organizations and seeks to coordinate among the various Baptist groups so that there will be a more effective use of resources throughout the world.