National Association of Free Will Baptists

▪ American religious organization

      association of Baptist churches organized in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., in 1935. It traces its history back to Free Will, or Arminian (Arminianism), Baptists in the 18th century. These Baptists believed in free will, free grace, and free salvation, in contrast to most Baptists, who were Calvinists (i.e., who believed that Christ died only for those predestined to be saved).

      One Free Will Baptist group was organized in North Carolina in 1727, and its churches were located primarily in North and South Carolina. The second group originated with the work of Benjamin Randall, who became a Baptist in 1776 and began traveling in New England as an evangelist. He preached the doctrine of free will and established many Baptist churches. The movement eventually spread to the Midwest through the work of evangelists and preachers. In 1827 the General Conference of Free Will Baptists was organized. The majority of this group merged with the Northern (later American) Baptist Convention in 1911, but some of the churches did not take part in the merger. In 1935 the Free Will congregations reorganized into the National Association of Free Will Baptists.

      This group continues to emphasize Arminian rather than Calvinist doctrine, and they believe that salvation is available to all who accept Christ. Local congregations are independent and belong to state associations. The National Association meets annually.

      In 1997 the group reported 210,652 members and 2,330 congregations in the United States and Canada. Headquarters are in Antioch, Tennessee.

* * *