Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship (FGBCF) or Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International (FGBCFI) is a Charismatic Baptist denomination. It advocates the operation of spiritual gifts in church, in reaction to the teachings of many Baptist bodies. The headquarters is in Atlanta. Bishop Joseph W. Walker III is the current Presiding Bishop.
| Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | FGBCFI |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Full Gospel Baptist |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Presiding Bishop | Joseph W. Walker III |
| Founder | Paul S. Morton |
| Origin | 1992 |
| Separated from | National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. |
| Congregations | 800 |
| Official website | fullgospelbaptist |
History
The FGBCFI was founded by Bishop Paul S. Morton, separating himself from the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., with others following the charismatic movement in 1992.[1]
Bishop Joseph W. Walker III is the current Presiding Bishop. The FGBCFI has an Executive Council, a Bishops Council, and several auxiliary bishops. The FGBCFI has an annual 6 in 1 Conference that convenes in various locations (e.g., Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana) typically in July. 25,000 attended the first conference in 1994.[2] The FGBCFI was reported to have over 10,000 active members in 1993 and 20,000 in 1995;[1] in 1997 it claimed 1 million members and 5,000 churches throughout the United States.[3] In 2020, they reported more than 800 affiliated churches.[4]
References
- Sherry S. DuPree (13 September 2013). African-American Holiness Pentecostal Movement: An Annotated Bibliography. Taylor & Francis. p. 347. ISBN 978-1-135-73717-7. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- Double Honor. Walter Kambulow. pp. 95–96. GGKEY:3XBW0K49BJT. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- Jacqueline Trussell. "The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship: Giving Baptists A Choice". Black and Christian. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
- Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. "Locations - Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship". Retrieved 2020-07-08.