Governing Documents
- Covenant of Relationships PDF
*Note – The Covenant of Relationships is a historical document. Although board names have changed, the Covenant of Relationships continues to apply to the bodies privileged to be parties to this Covenant, which are: The Board of General Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA); the national Related Boards of the ABC; the thirty three boards of the Regions State Conventions and Standard City Societies (R/S/C’s) currently affiliated with the ABC, and the boards of any future R/S/C units.
- Bylaws PDF
- Standing Rules PDF
- Autonomy and Interdependence PDF
- Representative Process Organizational Chart JPG
- Statements of Concern Report 2011 PDF
- Together in Mission PDF
- Policy Statements and Resolutions
Financial Information Fiscal Policy Documents:
- Budget Covenant
- Budget Covenant Operating Guidelines Manual
- Financial Statements
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Annual Summary
ABCUSA Resources
Our mission statement calls every American Baptist to radical personal discipleship and prioritizes ministries such as leadership, healthy missional churches, new church planting, youth, and mutual faithfulness. The Program Boards of our denomination offer resources to local churches to carry out these ministries as well as enable ministries beyond the reach of any one local church nationally and internationally.
American Baptist Churches Information Systems (ABCIS) Resources (reports, church mission support forms, instructions, etc.)
- 2024-2025 ABC Directory and Planning Calendar
- 10 Facts About American Baptists – En Español
- Stewardship Resources (Tithing resources, fundraising information, church stewardship programs, book reviews, etc.)
- Mission Initiative Fund
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2020 PDF
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2019 PDF
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2018 PDF
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2017 PDF
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2016 PDF
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2015 PDF
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2014 PDF
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2013 PDF
- Summary of Denominational Statistics 2012 PDF
Other Resources
- A Short History of American Baptists PDF MS Word
- FAQs About Ordained Ministry PDF
- Recommended Procedures for Ordination
- Ordination Standards PDF MS Word Ordination Standards by Region
A number of these resources are in the .pdf file format. To open them, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Your computer may already have this program installed on it and be using it as a plug-in to your Internet browser. If you do not have it installed, or you would like to upgrade to the latest version (recommended), it is a free program that you can download from the Adobe Web site.
Board of General Ministries Documents
Nominations and Recommendations for ABC Officers (including):
- ABC Officers Qualifications and Commitments
- Nomination/Recommendation Form
- Candidate Profile Form
Board of General Ministries – Expense Voucher Form
Identity Statement (Adopted by the General Board, American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., November 2005)
Biennial Minutes
Above is a draft of the minutes from the 2023 Biennial Mission Summit held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. These minutes are not official until voted on at the 2025 Biennial Mission Summit.
Note: A number of these resources are in the .pdf file format. To open them, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Your computer may already have this program installed on it and be using it as a plug-in to your Internet browser. If you do not have it installed, or you would like to upgrade to the latest version (recommended), it is a free program that you can download from the Adobe website.bcu