Canadian National Baptist Convention

Dissatisfaction among some Regular Baptists in British Columbia would eventually lead to the establishment of the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists (CCSB). Some churches participated in the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, but this affiliation proved unsatisfactory. Contact with the Southern Baptists, especially through the Northwest Baptist Bible College, increased the interest of Canadian churches in the Southern Baptist educational and evangelistic programs. In the fall of 1952, Northwest began using the Teacher Training Course of the SBC. Early in 1953, a pastor's conference recommended the Sunday School program of the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board.

Regular Baptists in British Columbia were divided over the "Southern Baptist issue". In October 1953, the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Vancouver, British Columbia joined the Baptist General Convention of Oregon-Washington, an affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention, while also maintaining membership in the Regular Baptist Convention of British Columbia. The Oregon-Washington Convention determined it would assist affiliated churches, but would not initiate any new work in Canada. At the British Columbia Regular Baptist Convention in 1955, several resolutions were directed against the Emmanuel Church (now called Kingcrest Southern Baptist Church) and the Southern Baptists. This caused Kingcrest and four other churches to withdraw from the B. C. Convention and affiliate with only the Southern Baptists in the northwest. Though these Canadian churches were members of the Oregon-Washington Convention, they were unable to affiliate directly with the SBC, because of questions relating to the wording of the SBC Constitution.

The Canadian Southern Baptist Conference is formed in 1957. [1][2] In 1985 the Canadian Southern Baptist Conference adopted a new constitution and became the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists. [3][4] In 1987, it opened the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary & College, in Cochrane, Alberta. [5]

In 2001, the attendance was 10,189 members. [6] In July 2008, the convention voted to change its name to the Canadian National Baptist Convention (In French: Convention Nationale Baptiste Canadienne). According to a denomination census released in 2020, it claimed 404 churches and 23,130 members. [7]

Its official publication, Baptist Horizon is published 4 times per year and is also available online at the CNBC web site. The Convention engages in specific men's, women's, youth and university ministries. The CNBC maintains a Foundation for receiving financial contributions, labors in Canadian church planting, and partners in global missions with the International Mission Board of the SBC. The National Leadership Board, elected by Convention messengers, is the highest operating board within the organization.

The denomination has a Baptist confession of faith.[8]

There is a partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in the United States. The first SBC association in Canada, the Capilano Association of Vancouver (now the WestCoast Baptist Association), was organized October 9, 1955 when thirty delegates representing four Greater Vancouver area churches met at Grace Baptist Church. The new association took over responsibility for the Baptist Student Union and the Baptist Horizon, a publication begun by the Kingcrest church.[9] The Midwest Baptist Association of Alberta and Saskatchewan was formed in 1957. In 1960 churches in British Columbia established the Plateau Association.

Current association of the CNBC include

• WestCoast Baptist Association - serving southwestern British Columbia[10]
• ACTS Association - southern interior of British Columbia[11]
• Midwest Baptist Association - serving Alberta, Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories [12]
• Northern Lights Baptist Association serving Saskatchewan[13]
• Southern Ontario Baptist Association
• Bridge Association
• East Coast Baptist Association - serving New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island[14]

• Baptists in Canada

• Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
• Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, Vol. III, Davis C. Woolley, editor
• Canadian National Baptist Convention

• Canadian National Baptist Convention - official Web Site
• Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary & College - official Web Site