The Alliance of Baptists is a left-of-center nonprofit coalition of Baptist and Christian churches that engages in political advocacy and justifies its positioning based on its interpretation of Christian theology. ¹ The Alliance of Baptists advocates for churches to use critical race theory to criticize how their ministry and liturgical practices may be influenced by white people. It also advocates for eliminating restrictions on abortion services and condemns Christian supporters of Israel. ²

Since its founding, Alliance of Baptists has made public statements and political commentary in support of left-of-center positions on social issues, including restrictions on gun ownership, environmentalism, and same-sex marriage. ^{3 4}

Background

The Alliance of Baptists is a nonprofit religious activist group that was founded in 1987. It consists of over 4,500 members and a coalition of 140 Christian churches. ⁵

The Alliance of Baptists was founded in response to dissatisfaction with the “political infighting” of the Southern Baptist Convention. Its founding documents stated that it was created to promote Baptist and Christian theology through a coalition of churches. Alliance of Baptists Founder Mahan Siler stated that its founding was implicitly rooted in associating Christian ideology with promoting environmentalism, interracial and interfaith relationships, and LGBT identities. ⁶

In 2021, it formally added advocating for left-of-center concepts on gender, race, and poverty to its mission. ⁷

Advocacy

In 2023, the Alliance of Baptists released a statement condemning commercial farming practices such as genetic modification and selective breeding, claiming they are not in alignment with Christian theology. It also criticizes the agriculture industry for unsafe working conditions, specifically because there is a high representation of ethnic minorities, migrants, and women in the field. The statement also condemns the agriculture industry for its activities associated with carbon emissions. ⁸

In 2023, the Alliance of Baptists released a statement condemning the Israeli government, accusing it of maintaining an apartheid regime against the people living in the disputed Palestinian territories. It claims the statement is supported by Christian theology and uses the critical race theory concept of anti-racism in its political commentary. The statement criticizes Israel for allegedly having laws that discriminate against non-Jewish people and advocates for the federal government of the United States to support the creation of a separate state for the disputed Palestinian territories. ⁹

In April 2023, the Alliance of Baptists published a statement advocating that the United States reduce spending on the military. The statement claims that based on its belief in Christian theology, it advocates for the United States to instead use what it considers to be excess military spending on social services and welfare programs. ¹⁰

In April 2021, the Alliance of Baptists published a statement advocating for health-care services that cater to transgenderism, including so-called “reproductive healthcare” for transgender individuals. It clarifies that healthcare services should conform to the gender identities of transgender individuals at the request of each person. The statement also advocates for eliminating any restrictions on abortion. The Alliance of Baptists justifies its statement by claiming that it aligns with Christian theology. ¹¹

People

Lisa Dunson is the president of the Alliance of Baptists. ¹² She also serves on the ministerial team of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C. and is the global engagement co-chair for the United Church of Christ American Women in Ministry. Dunson is employed as a compliance analyst for the Airlines Reporting Corporation where she has worked since 2004. ¹³

Financials

In 2022, the Alliance of Baptists reported $782,541 in total revenue, including $232,239 in individual contributions and $248,419 in church contributions. It also reported $925,781 in total expenses, including $839,546 listed as program services. Alliance of Baptists reported spending $332,609 on payroll expenses, $97,752 on “minister offerings,” and $78,706 on travel. ¹⁴

1. “History.” Alliance of Baptists, December 27, 2021. https://allianceofbaptists.org/history/.
2. “Alliance Annual Report 2021 Outlines.PDF.” Alliance of Baptists, 2022. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EVYcY6NtsidOzLN8684IYk3mX1lzXBCs/view.
3. “History.” Alliance of Baptists, December 27, 2021. https://allianceofbaptists.org/history/.
4. O’Loughlin, Michael. “Rabbis Join Marriage Equality Fight.” Advocate.com, November 17, 2015. https://www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2014/06/06/rabbis-join-marriage-equality-fight.
5. “Who We Are.” Alliance of Baptists, February 20, 2024. https://allianceofbaptists.org/who-we-are/.
6. “History.” Alliance of Baptists, December 27, 2021. https://allianceofbaptists.org/history/.
7. “Who We Are.” Alliance of Baptists, February 20, 2024. https://allianceofbaptists.org/who-we-are/.
8. “2023, Christian Ethics and Animal Agriculture.” Alliance of Baptists. Accessed March 24, 2024. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pR1i6GURrhENRzsyoOlnnYsOWL6HQpqZ/view?ts=64359f48.
9. “2023 Statement on Israel and Palestine.” Alliance of Baptists. Accessed March 24, 2024. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PyOISNR49ZWC95bm3VvdC3IWYlRLhYAq/view?ts=6435a1fb.
10. “2023, a Statement on Reducing U.S. Military Spending and in Support of Spending for the Common Good.” Alliance of Baptists, April 2023. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jLOf1ROyCcVQH8cjdm-U42Fm8vJdhaK-/view?ts=64359f3e.
11. “Statement on Womens Transgeders and Gender Non Conformings Health and Reproductive Justice.” Alliance of Baptists, April 2021. https://drive.google.com/file/d/16xyKoY_tbo6kqBSsaHlOe4p7f52snd-E/view.
12. “Who We Are.” Alliance of Baptists, February 20, 2024. https://allianceofbaptists.org/who-we-are/.
13. “Lisa Dunson, M.Div.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 24, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-dunson-m-div-a8729b4/.
14. “FINANCIAL STATEMENTS with INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT.” Alliance of Baptists, 2023. https://e37au6s5pbx.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Revised-Audit-Report-FY22.pdf.