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United American Free Will Baptist Conference

United American Free Will Baptist Conference, Inc. is the smaller of the two African-American Free Will Baptist conferences in the United States.

History

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Prior to emancipation, black slaves and Free blacks were members of predominantly white Free Will Baptist congregations in the United States. The first black Free Will Baptist minister was Robert Tash, ordained in 1827. African-Americans organized their first separate congregation in 1867 at Snow Hill in Greene County, North Carolina, the first annual conference in 1870, and the first association in 1887. The General Conference of United Free Will Baptists was formed in 1901. The United American Free Will Baptist Conference, Incorporated, was created in 1968 under the leadership of O. L. Williams of Lakeland, Florida, resulting from a division in the parent United American Free Will Baptist Church.[1][2]

In 2007 the United American Free Will Baptist Conference had seventy-five congregations with approximately 11,200 members, mostly in Florida, but also in South Carolina, Louisiana, and Arkansas.[3] In addition to the annual meeting of the General Conference, there are six regional conferences that meet annually: South Carolina Annual Conference, Louisiana/Arkansas Annual Conference, East Florida Annual Conference, West Florida Annual Conference, South Florida "A" Annual Conference, and South Florida "B" Annual Conference. UAFW Baptist Church headquarters are located in Lakeland, Florida, and Henry J. Rodmon currently serves as General Bishop.[4]

References

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  1. ^ The Twelve Tribe of Baptists in the USA, Wardin, p. 85
  2. ^ Dictionary of Baptists in America, Leonard, p. 273
  3. ^ The Twelve Tribe of Baptists in the USA, Wardin, p. 85
  4. ^ Ibid., Wardin, p. 85

Sources

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  • Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr., 1995
  • Dictionary of Baptists in America, Bill J. Leonard, editor, 1994
  • International Circle of Faith Colleges and Seminaries
  • The Twelve Tribe of Baptists in the USA, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr., 2007
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