The Baptists are one of the largest Protestant denominations worldwide. While its origins are widely thought to lie in the English Reformation, today the Baptists have a global footprint, with large communities in the United States, as well as in Africa, in countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Baptist faith was founded in England in the late 1500s by John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, following the Protestant Reformation that birthed Anglicanism and the Church of England. Smyth and Helwys were among those who wanted more radical Protestant reforms to church doctrine. Helwys returned to England from Holland to establish the first Baptist church in Spitalfields, London in 1612.
Like other Protestants, Baptists adhere to the ‘five solas,’ a set of Reformation-era theological principles. Baptists place a particular emphasis on ‘sola scriptura’ – Latin for ‘scripture alone.’ This asserts that the Bible is the final, ultimate authority for faith and practice. Baptists also emphasise the independence of individual churches; Baptist churches are self-governing, and free to pursue their own discernment of God’s will.
Another distinct teaching of the Baptist Church, as the name implies, relates to Baptism. Baptists practice ‘believer’s baptism,’ where only those old enough to make a conscious profession of faith are baptised, as opposed to baptising infants, as practised by some other denominations. Baptists also practice total immersion baptism, where the body is totally, rather than partially or symbolically, submerged.
Globally, there are more than 80 million Baptists worldwide. The majority (over 50 million) are part of the Baptist World Alliance. This includes members of the largest Baptist denomination in the UK – the Baptist Union of Great Britain. There are an estimated 2000 churches in England and Wales affiliated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Today, Baptists are a dynamic and global community with a deep history and are a prominent religious denomination in the UK.