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the group, and they would meet the following year at his church as the General Association of
Regular Baptists.
32
The General Association of
Regular Baptist Churches
While 1932 is generally looked at as the first meeting of the GARBC, it was by
nature a transitional meeting. The 1933 gathering in Buffalo would begin to shape the
fledgling organization, as delegates haggled over a new constitution. Shields and Ketcham
returned to the fold, only to come into conflict over the new proposal. Ketcham felt that the
new constitution too closely resembled the Northern Baptist convention structure, with its
boards and agencies. He spoke up:
"You say its all right because its fundamental fellows establishing it. Well,
fundamentalist fellows were running the Northern Baptist Convention at one time!
. . . Now I dont want this machine-like thing; what I want is a free-wheeling
fellowship."
33
Shields defended the report, and the delegates sent the matter back to committee,
inviting Ketcham to join in revising. "This incident marked the end of Shields involvement
with the GARBC.
34
32
Tassell, 28. Apparently the name was derived from the title of the sermon
preached by host pastor and chairman Howard C. Fulton, "What Regular Old Fashioned
Baptists Stand For." Tassell and other GARBC sources regularly include the word
"Churches" in the title, even though the official documents did not initially include it. Often
in the early years the group would be referred to as the GARB, with the "C" being used
regularly much later. An official name change to "The Association of Independent Baptist
Churches in the United States" was proposed (1935?), but apparently defeated ("Manifesto,"
cover).
33
Murdoch, 131-132. This attitude toward the convention became a key issue in
the structure of the GARBC. Even to this day, the word "convention" draws a strong reaction
with GARBC leaders. The leadership strongly resists calling the GARBC a "denomination,"
preferring the term "association."
34
Ibid., 132. Shields is listed as a speaker at the 1936 meeting, however. Perhaps
he was able to renew friendly terms without actually taking part in the leadership of the
GARBC. But 1936 is also the year when the GARBC adopted its confession of faith, which
included premillennialism. One may wonder if that had something to do with Shields exit as
well, since he was amillennial in his eschatology.