association of independent, autonomous Baptist churches in the United States, organized May 17, 1947, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The founders originally organized the Fundamentalist Fellowship in 1920 but remained within the American (American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A.) (then Northern) Baptist Convention. Disputes over interpretation of scripture and theology, as well as fundamentalist objections to sending liberal missionaries to foreign countries, caused the Fellowship to separate from the Convention and set up the Conservative Baptist Association. It does not consider itself a denomination, although it functions essentially as one.

In 1992 the group reported 200,000 members and 1,084 congregations. Headquarters are in Wheaton, Illinois.