Old Regular Baptists

Most Old Regular Baptists and Eastern Kentucky Regular Primitive Baptist can be traced back to the New Salem Association of United Baptists organized in 1825 and her mother the Burning Springs which originated in eastern Kentucky in 1813. The name was changed to Regular United in 1854, to Regular Primitive in 1870, to Regular Baptist in 1871 and then in 1892 to Old Regular other bodies that became Old Regular used names like Regular Predestinarian, Particular Baptist, Old School Baptist, United Baptist, Regular Primitive Baptist these terms held the same general meaning.The minutes of New Salem Association in 1892 indicate that they feared the extremism of an absolute Predestination doctrine which taught that God is the direct author of sin or that he influences men thereto. There are some Old Regular Baptist associations and churches, that do not trace their lineage through the New Salem .The Mountain Association the Mud River Association, Twin Creek Association, Spencer Association and others have originated from different clusters of churches and associations like the North District Association and the Red Bird Association both of Kentucky some churches trace back through the Sandy Creek Association Churches, and some Churches and their original members, came directly with letters from the Philadelphia and Ketockton associations along with the Yadkin, Holston, Kehukee , Roaring River. The Twin Creek Association which formed from a split in the Licking River Particular Baptist Association in 1850. Twin Creek was one of the first Associations in Kentucky to title itself "Old Regular Baptist" in 1850. The Mud River Association originated from a split in the Pocatalico Particular Baptist Association in 1888. (The Mud River used the title Primitive Baptist when lettering to the New Salem Association for many years and later titled itself Regular or Old Regular Baptist.) The Sandlick Regular Primitive Association and the Mates Creek Regular Primitive Baptist are both daughters of the New Salem Old Regular Baptist Association. These Associations and the Burning Springs all used the name Regular and Old Regular along with Primitive interchangeably.The word old was added to Regular Baptist soon after many Regular Baptists had joined and or began to correspond with mission boards. This was done to distinguish the Old (or original) Regular Baptists from the New School Baptists that had emerged throughout the United States.The terms Old School, Old Regular and Old Order and Primitive came into usage during the same time period and were being added to the Baptist name to show they were of the old form of worship and had rejected what they considered modern innovations.[Sunday or Sabbath Schools, theological seminaries, missions boards etc...][ See Black Rock Address]

Old Regular Baptists have had several divisions through the years. In the late 19th century to early 20th century, they had major splits over Absolute Predestination of all things, Actual Eternal Vital Union and Eternal Creation theory; differences over the Atonement and Election doctrines also led to divisions. Three of New Salem's daughters, the Union, Mates Creek, and Sandlick, divided, the New Salem also dropped correspondence with the Burning Springs Association, her mother, because she had members that belonged to secret orders. In the 1960s, a debate started over when eternal life began, was regeneration[the new birth] before belief and repentance[conversion] or after faith and repentance[conversion]. There are Old Regular Baptists that hold the same views as other Primitive Baptists bodies on regeneration that one is regenerated instantaneous on hearing the Voice of the Son of God [John 5:25] They hold salvation first and that the elect are called by a holy calling [II Timothy 1:9]This effectual call is referenced as the "Light of Christ" doctrine[I Peter 2:9]also known as the "Light is Life" doctrine. This view teaches that faith and repentance are the effects of regeneration and not the cause of regeneration. They hold that the individual is quickened by the Spirit and has eternal or everlasting life prior to belief and repentance. Old Regular Baptist holding those views [Mongerism] are often called the "Hardshell Side" .Those Old Regular Baptist that hold that" Light leads to Life" doctrine[John 8:12] and that faith and repentance[conversion] are prior to life and regeneration [Synergism] they are called the "Softshell Side".

Historians consider the Old Regular Baptists a branch of the Primitive Baptists[primitivism] that held to a more historical style of early Baptist worship and stricter gospel order. The Old Regular Baptist in Appalachia were more tolerant in doctrine, originally allowing for different views on the atonement.[This stems from an earlier agreement made by the Regular and Separate Baptist when forming the United Baptist in Kentucky] While the doctrine of some traditional Old Regular Baptists would be in harmony with the London or Philadelphia Confessions of Faith advocating Limited or Particular Atonement, others among the Old Regulars hold to a more modified Calvinism and to Andrew Fuller's view of the atonement, Universal/Limited [see Fullerism] and yet there are some ministers and members that hold to a form of General Atonement. The original compromise on the Atonement made by the Regular and Separate Baptist was never kept, it then led to doctrinal splits, on the Atonement issue, these divisions were widespread throughout Appalachia. Statements were made by some of the Mountain Associations, that Christ made a full atonement for all those that have believed and those that will believe and that these believers were the elect chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. This statement seemed to satisfy the different factions for a while. The " Light of Christ" split that took place in the Union Association of Old Regular Baptist 1961-1962 this was the second time the Union Association had a large division over doctrine, the fallout of this division soon spread to other associations being brought on by requests sent to them from the Union Association . This resulted in the isolation of the Mud River Association.The Elders in the Mud River Association were more sympathatic to the doctrine of the six churches that left the Union Association . The Union Association act of expulsion of the Bold Camp Church was considered a violation of the Union's Constitution by most Elders versed in discpline.There were seven churches in all that left the Union Association[ Bold Camp, Bethel, Mount Olive,Hylton,Longs Fork,Turner, Rose Hill] they formed of the Bethel Association of Old Regular Baptist. The New Salem Association leadership, chose not to divide over this issue [Light and Life] . Today there is still debates among the Old Regular Baptists Churches over when one receives faith, men and women's dress, the receiving of divorced members, and the doctrinal differences over hope and knowledge. Some Old Regular Baptist do hold to some points of Arminianism vs others who are more Calvinistic. There are several factions of Old Regular Baptist at present, including the "Old" Regular Primitive Baptist who include the Mother Association[Burning Springs] and Daughter Associations of the New Salem [Mates Creek, Sandlick and Union]. There remains Churches and Associations that remain in direct doctrinal sympathy with the Old Line Primitive Baptist. There are factions of Old Regular Baptist that arein doctrinal sympathy with the "Old" United Baptist. These "Old" United Baptist share the same heritage as the Old Regular and Primitive Baptist Churches and are Old School in practice [The Separate Baptist and Particular (Regular) Baptists].

In the 1990s, a debate arose in the Northern New Salem over one of its member churches' use of fermented wine in communion (wine was the original Regular Baptist custom) vs. grape juice. A query was sent into the association by a sister church against the church that used wine. All evidence shows that the church that sent the query had not taken the proper steps according to Old Regular Baptist decorum. The Association involved itself, failing to send the query back to the church that sent it, and violated its own orders. This led to two member churches breaking fellowship with the Northern New Salem. The two member churches, and one formed later, lettered to the Original Mountain Liberty Association and was found to be orthodox and orderly and were dismissed to form the Sovereign Grace Association in 1997. The Sovereign Grace Association's doctrine would be in total harmony with the Old Line Primitive Baptists of today or close to the Original Philadelphia Association of the past.

The theology of the group [Old Regular Baptist] is "election by grace", as stated in the scripture: "By Grace are ye saved through faith." While all Old Regulars preach "election by grace", a difference of opinion exists among them concerning election and predestination. Today, depending on which faction you hear preach, their doctrine ranges from absolute predestination to man being a free moral agent. The majority of Old Regular Baptists hold to a doctrine that is between these extremes, with absolutism the smallest minority. The Old Regular Baptist are united in their eschatology, all factions hold that the binding of Satan took place during his earthly ministry and that the thousand years is to be taken symbolically as it represents a period of time. That there will be a Last Day and General Judgement [a hour in which all the dead be will raise the just and unjust]. Old Regular Baptist all believe in experimental grace, baptism by immersion, a called and regularly ordained minstry. They are United in believing that Christ is the Eternal Son of God, that he is now and has been and always will be Christ.

Churches form local associations by which they fellowship with one another. This fellowship is formally maintained by the election of correspondents to attend the meetings of the other associations. Preachers are God-called (not trained by man), unpaid, and preach improvisational (often chanted) sermons. Baptism (in running water), the Lord's supper and feet washing are held to be ordinances[1]. Shouting is a frequent occurrence at an Old Regular meeting, particularly among the female membership. Conversion experiences may be a lengthy process, beginning with an awakening to sin, through a period of conviction and travail of the soul, to repentance and belief.

One noted feature that has gained much attention to the Old Regular Baptists is their lined-out, non-instrumental, congregational hymnody. According to Jeff Titon, "The leader sings the very first line, and the congregation joins in when they recognize the song. After that, the song proceeds line by line: the leader briefly chants a line alone, and then the group repeats the words but to a tune that is much longer and more elaborate than the leader's chant or lining tune." E. D. Thomas' Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1877) and Edward W. Billups' The Sweet Songster (1854) are two of several "words-only" hymn books preferred by these churches. The practice of lining out psalms and hymns was once common across Britain and America. In the British Isles, the only remaining vestige of the tradition can be found in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, where it is done in Gaelic.

The strength of Old Regular Baptists is in Appalachia, particularly along the Kentucky and Virginia border, although Old Regular Baptist churches exist as far north as Michigan and as far south as Florida, and several churches still exist in the state of Washington. Currently, there are 8 local associations: New Salem, Northern New Salem, Old Friendship, Old Indian Bottom, Philadelphia, Sardis, Union,and Indian Bottom,.The first 7 on the list maintain correspondence with one another. These 8 associations and independent bodies (not lettered to an association) contain over 350 churches with over 6,000 members. The folk singer Jean Ritchie was a member of the Old Regular Baptists in Kentucky.

• Appalachian Music
• Historical Sketch
• Indian Bottom Association of Old Regular Baptists
• Information on Lined-Out Hymnody
• Old Regular Baptist Research - ASU
• Sovereign Grace Association of Old Regular Baptist
• Old Regular Baptist Association History

• A Conjoining of Ancient Song
• "Public Enemies - Guide Me O thou Great Jehovah"
• "Celebrating Congregational Line Singing"
• Berea College - Lined Out Hymnody