General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church, Inc.

The General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church, Inc. was organized in 1935 as the Church of the Full Gospel, Inc, by members of several Free Will Baptist churches, under the leadership of William Howard Carter. In doctrine and organization they are similar to the Free Will Baptists, holding a hybrid Calvinist/Arminian outlook and somewhat Wesleyan theology. They share Wesleyan-Holiness traits, and consider themselves fundamentalists and are in acceptance of the theology of free grace, free salvation, and free will. By 1952, they had grown to 31 churches with about 2200 members. Headquarters were in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where an annual conference was held. Today the headquarters are in Tucson, Arizona. After the death of Carter in 1980, the denomination dwindled to 2 churches with about 100 members by 1992 and was revived in 2009 by Arizona Bible College and it's graduate seminary - Tucson Theological Seminary. Graduates of college/seminary may qualify for ordination which is in the Baptist/Methodist tradition and deacons/deaconess are also ordained. General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church also has an informal tier of ministers. Those who graduate from a Bible College or take a year of prescribed courses are Licensed Ministers. Two more years of courses or graduation from a seminary or theological graduate school, as well as an exam by senior ministers, will result in one becoming an Ordained Minister. Both Licensed and Ordained ministers are entitled to "Pastor". The General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church does not ordain women to the senior pastorate but does ordain women as "deaconess" or "minister". i.e. Assistant Pastor, Children's Minister, etc.
General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church congregations believe the Bible is the completed, inerrant word of God, and believe in the straightforward grammatico-historical interpretation of Scripture.
General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church is distinguished from the majority of Baptist groups including the Southern Baptist Convention and its offshoots, as well as fundamentalist Baptists in that they reject the popular Baptist view of "unconditional perseverance of the saints," (also commonly referred to as the "Doctrine of Unconditional Eternal security" or "once saved, always saved"). Instead, the General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church holds to the traditional Arminian position, based on the belief in a General Atonement, that it is possible to commit apostasy, or willfully reject one's faith. Faith is the condition for salvation, hence they hold to "conditional eternal security." An individual is "saved by faith and kept by faith." The concept is not of someone sinning occasionally and thus accidentally ending up "not saved", but instead of someone "repudiating" their faith in Christ. General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church believe that an individual maintains his or her free will to follow Christ, but in the event a believer turns from faith in Christ, there is no remedy for this apostasy (based on an interpretation of Hebrews 6:4-6).
General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church observe two ordinances: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Churches commonly advocate voluntary tithing and not working on the Sabbath.
==Historical Sketch==
The General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church was organized in 1935 as the Church of the Full Gospel, Inc, by members of several Free Will Baptist churches, under the leadership of William Howard Carter and was revived in 2009 by Arizona Bible College and Tucson Theological Seminary President, Christine Smalley. 
The early history of Free Will Baptist can be traced to General Baptists from England who settled in the American colonies in the late seventeenth century. They were called General Baptists because they believed in a general atonement — holding that the death of Christ made salvation possible for any persons who voluntarily exercise faith in Christ. These churches were Arminian in tendency and held the possibility of falling from grace. The first General Baptists, who originated with the ministry of Thomas Helwys was near London in 1611. That is, they believed that the atonement of Jesus Christ was "general" (for all mankind) rather than "particular" (only for God's elect). 
One of these English General Baptists who settled in the American colonies was Benjamin Laker, who arrived in colonial Carolina as early as 1685. Laker had been associated with the illustrious General Baptist theologian and writer, Thomas Grantham, and had signed the 1663 edition of the General Baptists' Standard Confession of Faith. 
The earliest Free Will Baptists in America arose from English General Baptists in Carolina who were dubbed "Freewillers" by their enemies and later assumed the name, Free Will. Two distinct branches of Free Will Baptists developed in America. The first and earliest was the Palmer movement in North Carolina, from which the vast majority of modern-day Free Will Baptists have their origin. The later movement was the Randall movement, which arose in the late eighteenth century in New Hampshire. These two groups developed independently of each other.
The "Palmer" Line
In 1702, a disorganized group of General Baptists in Carolina wrote a request for help to the General Baptist Association in England. Though no help was forthcoming, Paul Palmer, whose wife Johanna was the stepdaughter of Benjamin Laker, would labor among these people 25 years later, founding the first "Free Will" Baptist church in Chowan, North Carolina in 1727. Palmer organized at least three churches in North Carolina.
His labors, though important, were short. Leadership would descend to Joseph Parker, William Parker, Josiah Hart, William Sojourner and others. Joseph Parker was part of the organization of the Chowan church and ministered among the Carolina churches for over 60 years. From one church in 1727, they grew to over 20 churches by 1755. After 1755, missionary labors conducted by the Philadelphia Baptist Association converted most of these churches to the Particular Baptist positions of unconditional election and limited atonement. By 1770, only 4 churches and 4 ministers remained of the General Baptist persuasion. By the end of 18th century, these churches were commonly referred to as "Free Will Baptist", and this would later be referred to as the "Palmer" line of Free Will Baptists. The churches in the "Palmer" line organized various associations and conferences, and finally organized a General Conference in 1921.
The "Randall" Line
While the movement in the South was struggling, a new movement rose in the North through the work of Benjamin Randall (1749-1808). Randall initially united with the Particular or Regular Baptists in 1776, but broke with them in 1779 due to their strict views on predestination. In 1780, Randall formed a "Free" or "Freewill" Baptist church in New Durham, New Hampshire. (The Randall movement combined the words "Free" and "Will.") By 1782 twelve churches had been founded, and they organized a Quarterly Meeting. In 1792 a Yearly Meeting was organized. This northern line the "Randall" line of Freewill Baptists grew quickly. But in 1911, the majority of the churches (and all the denominational property) merged with the Northern Baptist Convention. The Randall churches that remained Freewill Baptist after the merger joined with other Free Will Baptists in the Southwest and Midwest to organize the Cooperative General Association of Free Will Baptists in 1916.
The Union of the Lines
Fraternal relations had existed between the northern and southern Free Will Baptists, but the question of slavery, and later the Civil War, prevented any formal union until the 20th century. On November 5, 1935, representatives of the General Conference (Palmer) and the Cooperative General Association (a mixture of Randall and Palmer elements west of the Mississippi) met in Nashville, Tennessee to unite and organize the National Association of Free Will Baptists. The majority of Free Will Baptist churches organized under this umbrella, which remains the largest of the Free Will Baptist groups to this day.
•	The Holiness Movement sought to promote a Christianity that was personal, practical, life-changing, and thoroughly revivalistic. Four key concepts of the Holiness Movement are (1) regeneration by grace through faith; (2) entire sanctification as a second definite work of grace, received by faith, through grace, and accomplished by the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit; (3) the assurance of salvation by the witness of the Holy Spirit; (4) living a holy life. 
•	Or better stated: the Holiness Movement is a theology which teaches that the carnal nature of humanity can be cleansed through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit if one has had his sins forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. The benefits professed include spiritual gifts and an ability to maintain purity of heart (that is, thoughts and motives that are uncorrupted by sin) through Jesus Christ. The doctrine is typically referred to in Holiness churches as entire sanctification or Christian perfection.
In the context of the Holiness Movement, the first concept is necessary to salvation and without it no amount of human effort can achieve holiness. People are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ who died for human sins.
The second concept refers to a personal experience after regeneration, in which one dedicates oneself fully to God, and is empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead a more holy life. Some Holiness groups teach that one can lead a sinless life, properly defined, but others teach that one becomes gradually more holy after this second spiritual experience. General Conference of the Evangelical Church believes the latter.
The third concept refers to an innate knowledge within the individual who has been regenerated or sanctified, possibly with the evidence of gifts of the Holy Spirit, that the spiritual grace has indeed taken place. This is sometimes described as receiving the Holy Spirit or “assurance of salvation.” The extent to which this must necessarily be evidenced by outwardly visible signs is an issue of some controversy within the movement and is not considered a required evidence by General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church
The fourth concept is that of living a holy life. Most Holiness people interpret this as living a life free of willful sin or the practice of sin. The motive is to live a Christ-like life, to be conformed to the image of Christ and not the world. Since holiness is the supernatural work of a transformed heart by the Holy Spirit, many Holiness churches are careful to follow moral principles and what they perceive as the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Most followers of the Holiness Movement believe as Christ said, that love fulfills the entire law of God.
Holiness groups tend to oppose antinomianism, which is a theological framework which states God's law is done away with. Holiness groups believe the moral aspects of the law of God are pertinent for today, inasmuch as the law was completed in Christ. This position does attract opposition from some Evangelicals, who charge that such an attitude refutes or slights Reformation (particularly Calvinist) teachings that believers are justified by grace through faith and not through any efforts or states of mind on their part, that the effects of original sin remain even in the most faithful of souls. Baptists and Presbyterians are among the most ardent opponents of the Holiness concept of sanctification, while modern-day liberal Protestant groups (such as the United Methodist Church) tend to ignore or downplay the doctrine in favor of social concerns and more recent expressions of theology and practice.
Wesleyan - Holiness Movement Influences - General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church, 
the roots of the Wesleyan - Holiness Movement are as follows:
•	The Reformation itself, with its emphasis on salvation by grace through faith alone.
•	Puritanism in 17th Century England and its transplantation to America with its emphasis on adherence to the Bible and the right to dissent from the established church.
•	Pietism in 17th Century Germany, led by Philipp Jakob Spener and the Moravians, which emphasized the spiritual life of the individual, coupled with a responsibility to live an upright life.
•	Quietism, as taught by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), with its emphasis on the individual's ability to experience God and understand God's will for oneself.
•	The 1730s Evangelical Revival in England, led by Methodists John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, which brought Wesley's distinct take on the Eastern Orthodox concept of Theosis and the teachings of German Pietism to England and eventually to the United States.
•	The First Great Awakening in the 18th and early 19th Centuries in the United States, propagated by George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and others, with its emphasis on the initial conversion experience of Christians.
•	The Second Great Awakening in the 19th Century in the United States, propagated by Francis Asbury, Charles Finney, Lyman Beecher, and others, which also emphasized the need for personal conversion and is characterized by the rise of evangelistic revival meetings.
•	The Holiness Movement is a theology which teaches that the carnal nature of humanity can be cleansed through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit if one has had his sins forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. The benefits professed include spiritual power and an ability to maintain purity of heart (that is, thoughts and motives that are uncorrupted by sin). The doctrine is typically referred to in Holiness churches as entire sanctification or Christian perfection.
 
Holiness History
The Methodists of the nineteenth century continued the interest in Christian Holiness that had been started by their founder, John Wesley. They continued to publish Wesley's works and tracts, including his famous A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. Furthermore, numerous persons in early American Methodism professed the experience of entire sanctification, including Bishop Francis Asbury.
In 1836, two Methodist women, Sarah Worrall Lankford and Phoebe Palmer, started the Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness in New York City. A year later, Methodist minister Timothy Merritt founded a journal called the Guide to Christian Perfection to promote the Wesleyan message of Christian holiness.
In 1837, Phoebe Palmer, experienced what she called entire sanctification. She began leading the Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness. At first only women attended these meetings, but eventually Methodist bishops and other clergy members began to attend them also. The Palmers eventually purchased the Guide, and Palmer became the editor of the periodical, then called the Guide to Holiness. In 1859, she published The Promise of the Father, in which she argued in favor of women in ministry. This book later influenced Catherine Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army. The practice of ministry by women is common but not universal within the denominations of the Holiness Movement.
At the Tuesday Meetings, Methodists soon enjoyed fellowship with Christians of different denominations, including the Congregationalist Thomas Upham. Upham was the first man to attend the meetings, and his participation in them led him to study spiritual experiences, looking to find precursors of Holiness teaching in the writings of persons like German Pietist Johann Arndt.
Other non-Methodists also contributed to the Holiness Movement. During the same era Asa Mahan, the president of Oberlin College, and Charles Grandison Finney, an evangelist associated with the college, promoted the idea of Christian holiness. In 1836, Mahan experienced what he called a baptism with the Holy Spirit. Mahan believed that this experience had cleansed him from the desire and inclination to sin. Finney believed that this experience might provide a solution to a problem he observed during his evangelistic revivals. Some people claimed to experience conversion, but then slipped back into their old ways of living. Finney believed that the filling with the Holy Spirit could help these converts to continue steadfast in their Christian life.
Presbyterian William Boardman promoted the idea of holiness through his evangelistic campaigns and through his book The Higher Christian Life, which was published in 1858. Also, Hannah Whitall Smith, a Quaker, experienced a profound personal conversion. Sometime in the 1860s, she found what she called the “secret” of the Christian life, devoting one's life wholly to God and God's simultaneous transformation of one's soul. Her husband, Robert Pearsall Smith, had a similar experience at the camp meeting in 1867.
The first distinct "Holiness camp meeting" convened at Vineland, New Jersey in 1867 under the leadership of John S. Inskip, John A. Wood, Alfred Cookman, and other Methodist ministers. The gathering attracted as many as 10,000 people. At the close of the encampment, while the ministers were on their knees in prayer, they formed the National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness, and agreed to conduct a similar gathering the next year. This organization was commonly known as the National Holiness Association. Later it became known as the Christian Holiness Association and subsequently the Christian Holiness Partnership.
The second National Camp Meeting was held at Manheim, Pennsylvania, and drew upwards of 25,000 persons from all over the nation. People called it a "Pentecost," and it did not disappoint them. The service on Monday evening has almost become legendary for its spiritual power and influence. The third National Camp Meeting met at Round Lake, New York. This time the national press attended and write-ups appeared in numerous papers, including a large two-page pictorial in Harper's Weekly. These meetings made instant religious celebrities out of many of the workers. Robert and Hannah Smith were among those who took the Holiness message to England, and their ministries helped lay the foundation for the now-famous Keswick Convention.
In 1871, the American evangelist Dwight L. Moody had what he called an “endowment with power,” as a result of some soul-searching and the prayers of two Methodist women who attended one of his meetings. He did not join the Holiness Movement but certainly advanced some of its ideas, and even voiced his approval of it on at least one occasion.
In the 1870s, the Holiness Movement spread to Great Britain, where it was sometimes called the Higher Life movement, after the title of William Boardman's book The Higher Life. Higher Life conferences were held at Broadlands and Oxford in 1874 and in Brighton and Keswick in 1875. The Keswick Convention soon became the British headquarters for the movement. The Faith Mission in Scotland was one consequence of the British Holiness Movement. Another was a flow of influence from Britain back to the United States.
In 1874, Albert Benjamin Simpson read Boardman's Higher Christian Life and felt the need for such a life himself. He went on to found the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
In the 1950s and 1960s, several small groups of people left the mainstream Holiness Movement to form what is known as the Conservative Holiness Movement.
 
Recent history
Growth of the Holiness Movement gained further momentum by the Come to the Fire conferences first held in Olathe, Kansas, in 2006. A new network called the Wesleyan Holiness Consortium (WHC) was founded in 2004 by Kevin W. Mannoia to renew an ecumenical emphasis on the Holiness message in the 21st century. The WHC represents churches in the traditional Holiness Movement reconnecting with those in the Pentecostal movement around their common roots in holiness. A publication in 2008 entitled The Holiness Manifesto contains chapters by authors from many denominations representing the broad diversity of perspectives working in the Consortium toward a renewed unity around the holiness theme.
The Holiness-Pentecostal tradition… The majority of authors identify Pentecostalism father as England's John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Wesley preached about the baptism of the Holy Spirit which he claimed was an intense personal experience confronting the Christian with the presence of God. The theological roots of Pentecostalism lie in the Holiness Movement pioneered by John Wesley (1703-1791). Wesley promoted the idea of “Christian Perfectionism” which he defined as freedom from self-will and a desire for nothing but the holy and perfect will of God. Charles Finney (1792-1875) later equated the idea of Wesley's second work of grace with the concept of the baptism of the Spirit. In time, Wesley's Methodist became a mainstream denomination, and Pentecostalism branched off into its own denomination. General Conference of Evangelical Baptist Church considers itself to be charismatic but not Pentecostal. (Pentecostalism is a renewal movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit which is evidenced by speaking in tongues.) General Conference of Evangelical Baptist Church does not believe that a person must speak in tongues to have evidence of the Holy Spirit, in fact, someone can have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit without evidencing any gifts of the Holy Spirit, though this is considered to be a diminished Christian walk.
General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church believes the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice but ALSO believes that God may reveal Himself through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and are thus non-cessationist. They do not believe that these beliefs are mutually exclusive and that all moves of the Holy Spirit MUST submit to the authority of the Bible. They believe in the three-fold revelation of truth from the trinity of God: God speaking through the inerrant pages of the Bible, God's revelatory history of the Bible with Prophetic interpretation, and God's mission of the Holy Spirit and the endowment of gifts of the Spirit, which is never contradictory to scripture but only for the edification of the church and the Body of Christ.
About Founder William Howard Carter
Dr. William Howard Carter passed away in 1980. He was called to the ministry at age twelve. The church is First Baptist Church of Dunn, North Carolina. Dr. William Howard Carter was a minister, college president and civic leader. Dr. Carter was founder and president of the William Carter College and the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Goldsboro, North Carolina and served as pastor of the Edgewood Evangelical Baptist Church, which he founded, as well as Colliers Chapel Church at Linden.
A pastor for 52 years, he was licensed to preach at 13 by the Pine Level Free Will Baptist Church. He later served in several churches in eastern North Carolina including 12 years at the Tabernacle Church in Goldsboro.
Dr. Carter was a member of the North Carolina Academy of Science, held a life membership in the Royal Society of Literature of London, was president of the Southern Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges, incorporator and president of Teen Challenge of North Carolina, Inc. 
Dr. Carter served as president and secretary-treasurer of the Goldsboro Ministerial Association. He also served as president of the Wayne County Ministerial Association and during his term of office the chaplaincy program was begun at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
For many years he served as chairman of the Community Affairs Committee which was responsible for arranging community-wide Thanksgiving services and Easter Sunrise services. He also served as a member of the Advisory Council of the USO, the American Red Cross, and the Wayne County Chapter for Handicapped Children.
Dr. Carter organized the Good Samaritan Club, which he served as director, which carries on an extensive program to alleviate suffering by providing poundings and medicine, for needy people. He also founded the Eastern North Carolina Fifth Sunday Sing which still meets at the Edgewood Church.
==References==
*
*
*
* Wayne County, NC Archived DATA
* Selmanc.info centennial3
Category:Religious organizations established in 1935
Category:Baptist denominations in North America
Category:Fundamentalist denominations
Category:Arminian denominations
Category:Baptist denominations and unions established in the 20th century