Philena, Thank you for your reply. I’m so sorry about your medical situation. How can I help you?
Protestants have the advantage of small groups who know each other well. Catholic parishes number in the thousands. There are Bible study groups and many others at my parish but that is not always the case. All parishes have St. Vincent de Paul societies and usually a women’s sodality. It is in the service groups and the third orders that deep friendships are formed.
I’ve never heard of the Converge denomination. I did a little research. Here’s what I found about its origin: QUOTE
The district goes back to a small group of Swedish Baptist immigrants in Rock Island, Illinois, which then spread to other cities along the Mississippi River in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as the still-fledgling city of Chicago. The churches soon organized into a conference—which in those days literally meant an annual conference for the purpose of providing training to the pastors, who did not have the advantage of a seminary education.
As the number of churches grew, the organization was divided into regional districts. The denomination which resulted became known as the Swedish Baptist Conference, reaching out to Swedish immigrants. Most of its churches conducted services in Swedish for many years. By World War II, the predominance of Swedish heritage remained, but English was standard. In 1945, the denomination changed its name to the present-day Baptist General Conference.
The MidAmerica Baptist Conference, which descends directly from the Illinois Conference, can make the claim as the oldest of BGC’s 13 districts, since the first church consisted of a handful of believers in Rock Island, Illinois.
END QUOTE
It’s American-made, as many denominations are, but it doesn’t give the date. It was formerly called Baptist General Conference.
There are many, many, MANY different kinds of Baptists, with conflicting and competing doctrines.
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Let me know what I can do to help. Please p.m. me.