The Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC), formerly known as Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches (CABC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in the eastern provinces of Canada. The offices of the CBAC are located in Moncton, New Brunswick. The organization is one of four regional denominations of Canadian Baptist Ministries.
History
The Baptist Convention of the Maritime Provinces was founded in 1846. In 1905-06, the Convention (Regular Baptists) merged with the Free Christian Baptist Conference of New Brunswick and the Free Baptist Conference of Nova Scotia (Free Will Baptists) to become the United Baptist Convention of the Maritimes. The Regular Baptist and Free Will Baptist congregations wrote a statement of faith and polity called the "Basis of Union" with which both groups could agree. With the addition of Newfoundland and Labrador to Canada, the organization changed its name to the United Baptist Convention of the Atlantic Provinces in 1963.
Since 1944, the CBAC has been a partner in Canadian Baptist Ministries.
Organization
According to its 2025 annual report, the CBAC comprises 414 churches across the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island),
Beliefs
The CBAC has a Baptist confession of faith, The CBAC is opposed to same-sex marriages, and prohibits accredited clergy from officiating at same sex marriages on penalty of a charge of professional misconduct and withdrawal of accreditation. The CBAC’s stance on same-sex marriage has led some churches to leave the association and join the more progressive Canadian Association for Baptist Freedoms, beginning with First Baptist Church (Halifax), at which performed Rev. John E. Boyd officiated a same-sex marriage at prior to resigning his accreditation with the CBAC.