The European Baptist Convention (English Speaking), not to be confused with the European Baptist Federation, has its roots in the Association of Baptists in Continental Europe (ABCE) and mission work by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Two Baptist churches in Germany, Immanuel in Wiesbaden and Bethel in Frankfurt, formed the ABCE circa 1959. Beginning in 1961, the Foreign Mission Board of the SBC sent a missionary couple to work with these churches. Some churches from England joined the ABCE in 1964, and the name was changed to the European Baptist Convention (EBC). The first EBC churches were started to minister to U.S. military personnel stationed in Europe.
Churches of the European Baptist Convention hold as important the following beliefs - the triune Godhead; Jesus Christ as the only Savior; the Bible as the inspired Word of God; personal faith in Christ; the priesthood of each believer; baptism by immersion for believers only; and religious liberty. The official EBC statement of faith is the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message.
Presently, over one-third of the EBC churches are composed of mostly military personnel, but there is a growing "international" membership. The president (Oct. 2003) is Richard L. Blake. Membership in the Convention is open to all churches that "willingly seek to implement" the principles and practices of the EBC Constitution. Over 65 churches in 22 countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates) are affiliated with the European Baptist Convention. Possessing an ecumenical outlook, most of the EBC churches probably cooperate with other Baptist bodies in their respective countries. Due to a change of mission strategies in the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, the EBC currently partners with International Baptist Church Ministries, a non-profit corporation headquartered in Richardson, Texas.