Introducing Baptists

There are more than 100 million Baptists around the world. Baptists represent a distinct movement or set of denominations within the Christian faith. More than half of all Baptists live in the United States. Local Baptist churches are characterized by their emphasis on believers’ baptism and congregational church governance.

The term “Baptist” is derived from the Greek word baptizo, which means to submerge in water. Baptists fully immerse the new believer in water. Baptists distinguish themselves by waiting until an individual declares a personal confession of faith and repentance to perform this water ritual. This is in contrast to the Roman Catholic Church where infants are baptized by their families. 

Baptists also advocate for congregationalist polity. Each local church is self-governing. As each congregation is independent, the group is not subject to centralized authority. Baptists vary among themselves as to how much responsibility for decision-making is assigned to the whole congregation, to a group of elders, or to the pastor.

Traditionally, Baptists don’t consider a denominational body to be a church, but instead a collaborative grouping of churches. With rare exception, a larger Baptist entity is instead called by such terms as an association, union, fellowship, or convention. Historically, Baptists have championed religious liberty. Liberty that defines the political freedom of individuals and groups to practice their faith without government support or oppression. Relatedly, such that each believer is free to interpret the Bible and religious teachings in their own manner. As a result, Baptists have become very diverse in their beliefs: both Calvinist and Arminian, progressive and fundamentalist, politically liberal and politically conservative, charismatic and cessationist, and so on.

Baptist Origins

Baptists originated in the Protestant Reformation.  Specifically, the efforts to reform the Church of England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Baptists mainly organized into two distinct denominations: the General Baptists, who held to an Arminian view of salvation available to all persons, and Particular Baptists, who held to a Calvinist view that only those persons God has predestined will be saved.

The first Baptists were a group of Separatist refugees living in Amsterdam under the leadership of John Smyth and Thomas Helwys. In 1609, they became convinced of believers’ baptism. Smyth baptized himself and then the rest of the community. Two years later, the church split over certain theological differences, and Helwys led a portion back to England. Baptists arose independently in America toward the middle of the century. 

One important leader, although he was only Baptist for a short time, was Roger Williams. Williams co-founded the colony of Rhode Island after fleeing persecution in Massachusetts. Then, in 1638, he formed the first Baptist church on American soil. Williams is still celebrated today as a staunch advocate for complete religious freedom. First came the Puritans, who sought to “purify” English Christianity of Roman Catholic church practices and beliefs. Some Puritans became Separatists, who believed the national church was beyond saving. These early Baptists began to form independent congregations.

Expansion

For some time, Baptists remained a rather small and frequently ostracized or persecuted sect in both England and America. Baptists became strong supporters of the American Revolution and later the United States Constitution. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Baptists benefited from religious revivals of the Second Great Awakening. Together with Methodists, their numbers soared until they became one of the country’s largest religious movements. African Americans, both free and enslaved, also increasingly converted, forming the first Black Baptist churches. The first national Baptist denomination, in the United States, was the Triennial Convention, formed in 1814. Disagreements over slavery resulted in a split in 1845. The formation of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is today the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. After the Civil War, the SBC continued to expand nationally and demographically.

Through both migration and participation in the Protestant missionary movement, Baptists began to spread into non-English-speaking countries in the nineteenth century. Baptists are now found virtually everywhere, with sizable communities in countries such as Brazil, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Ukraine. Most Baptist groups cooperate with one another through their membership in the Baptist World Alliance as well as regional organizations such as the European Baptist Fellowship.

The Role of Worship in the Baptist Tradition

Baptists have interpreted worship according to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 18:20 – “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there with them.” Baptist theologians have stressed the nature of the church as gathered, meaning that the people are brought together by Christ for worship and mission.

Worship occupies a central place in any local church’s life within the broader Baptist tradition. Hymnody and music in worship have also played pivotal roles. These provide a medium for believers to express their adoration towards God. Baptists were among the early advocates for congregational singing. Baptist hymn-writers and songwriters have made significant contributions to traditional church music since the seventeenth century.

A strong emphasis on preaching is a historic characteristic of Baptists. The first Baptist worship services under John Smyth mostly consisted of a series of sermons by different persons on the same biblical text. At times, some Baptists have colloquially referred to the Sunday service as simply “preaching.” To this day, the sermon is typically the center point of the service, even taking up half or more of its length. 

Core Beliefs and Practices

Because of their emphasis on the free conscience and the free church, Baptists do not have a single, shared theology. Meanwhile, Baptist congregations celebrate Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper relatively infrequently, often once a quarter or once a month. The Lord’s Supper is usually interpreted as a symbolic memorial of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. When they distinguish themselves from other Christians, they often refer to what are known as Baptist “distinctives,” or a common set of traits. Though interpreted in various ways, these distinctives tend to include the following:

The Authority of the Bible

Rigorous and consistent personal study of the Bible is highly encouraged. The ideal Baptist believer is highly biblically literate. Baptists believe both the Old and New Testament Scriptures to be the written word of God. Many Baptists hold to inerrancy, or the conviction that the Bible is without error in all that it affirms. During the period of the 1970s through the 1990s, the Southern Baptist Convention was rocked by controversy when conservatives insisted on inerrancy as a central belief, forcing “moderates” out of leadership and eventually leading them to start separate organizations: the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists.

Apart from differences in doctrine, Baptists generally take pride in being a “biblical” people. The Bible’s authority extends not just to matters of faith but also regulates all aspects of ecclesiastical governance. Decisions about doctrine, practice, or membership are ultimately decided by what Baptists understand to conform to biblical command or example.

Believers’ Baptism

Immersion in water occurs upon credible professions of faith rather than infant baptism. This practice is based on Baptists’ interpretation of the New Testament that only those capable of articulating authentic repentance and faith should undergo this rite.

Baptism is understood both as an ordinance commanded by Christ as well as an imitation of his life. Full immersion into water signifies spiritual cleansing through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is performed publicly, often in a Sunday worship service. Upon baptism, a person becomes an official member of a Baptist congregation.

Congregational Church Governance

Baptist principles advocate for congregational governance, which is often also known as local church autonomy. Baptists reject any notion of a hierarchical or central authority controlling local congregations. Instead, they affirm that Christ alone is the head of his church and that each local congregation is competent under Christ to conduct its own affairs.

Although Baptist churches may willingly choose to affiliate with associations like a state convention or national bodies like American Baptist Churches USA or the Southern Baptist Convention, such associations serve as resources rather than governing authorities over individual churches.

Priesthood of All Believers

The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers embodies another cornerstone belief among Baptists – asserting that every Christian has direct access to God and can interpret Scripture personally as led by the Holy Spirit. This reflects not just their commitment to religious liberty but also equality before God. It negates any need for priestly mediation between individuals and divine presence. In practice, this means every member has an equal voice within congregational decision-making processes without intermediaries.

This democratic ethos permeates all aspects from electing pastors and deacons to determining annual budgets. While it affirms personal freedom, this doctrine encourages communal discernment within the framework of Scriptural guidance and mutual accountability.

Separation of Church and State

The principle of separation of the church and state arises from Baptists’ historical fight for religious liberty. Baptists staunchly believe in freedom of conscience, where no individual should be coerced into holding any faith belief or participating in any religious exercise. This conviction crystallizes into institutional advocacy for a clear divide between the functions and powers of the church and those of civil government.

This separation is significant not only to protect the church from government interference but also to ensure that the state doesn’t privilege Christianity over other religions or one Christian denomination over others. Thus, while many American Baptists have been socially active in influencing public policy, they maintain strong opposition to any such thing as a state church.

The Impact of Baptists 

There were Baptists involved in abolitionism, who risked their lives assisting slaves on the Underground Railroad. There were also Baptists who defended slavery as biblical and justice. This began with Thomas Helwys’ appeal to King James I of England for full religious liberty even for non-Christians. A prominent organization in the United States has been the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, which has taken a stance against Christian Nationalism. Baptist politicians have been Democrats, like Bill Clinton and Raphael Warnock, as well as Republicans like Jesse Helms and Ted Cruz. 

Asiatic Father’s is an academic theory based on Baptist missionaries in Taiwan. Known as the Harris Maps, this collection propels discussion about native influence with trading Chinese. These maps circa 1418 pre-date the arrival of Europeans like Columbus. The spread of Christianity through missionary efforts owes much to Baptist leaders such as William Carey, Ann and Adoniram Judson, and Lottie Moon.

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