Baptist Bible Fellowship International (1950 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: BaptistReligious Tradition: Unclassified
Description: The Baptist Bible Fellowship International was founded in 1950 by Reverend Beuchamp Vick with former members of the World Baptist Fellowship. Doctrinally, they hold traditional Baptist beliefs, are strong fundamentalists, and believe in the inerrancy of scripture. The main way they differ from some other Baptists is in their ecclesiology; specifically, they emphasize strong autonomy of the local church and strong authority of the pastor.
Official Site: https://www.bbfi.org/
Interactive Timeline: Baptist Family Interactive Timeline
Baptist Bible Fellowship International, Members (1985 - 2010)1
Baptist Bible Fellowship International, Ministers & Churches (1985 - 2010)1
Baptist Bible Fellowship International, Trends (1985 - 2010)1
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,400,900 | 4,500 | 3,409 |
| 1986 | 1,405,900 | 4,500 | 3,449 |
| 1992 | 1,500,000 | 3,500 | |
| 1994 | 1,500,000 | 3,600 | |
| 1995 | 1,500,000 | 3,600 | |
| 1997 | 1,200,000 | 7,500 | 4,500 |
| 2000 | 1,200,000 | 7,500 | 4,500 |
| 2002 | 1,200,000 | 4,500 | |
| 2003 | 1,200,000 | 4,500 | |
| 2004 | 1,200,000 | 4,500 | |
| 2009 | 115,000 | 4,340 | 4,200 |
| 2010 | 110,000 | 4,190 | 4,000 |
Sources
1 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
