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Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while The crucifixion of Jesus is an event recorded in all four Gospels (;;) which takes place after his arrest and trial and includes his scourging Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend Church (disambiguation Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a Place of worship The term New Covenant (; Greek:, diathēkē kainē is used in the Bible (both in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament) to refer The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The purpose of this timeline is to give a detailed account of Christianity from the beginning of the current era ( AD) to the present Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Books of the Bible are listed differently in the canons of Jews and Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox Slavonic Orthodox Georgian Armenian Apostolic A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious The biblical apocrypha (from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφος meaning hidden) are books published in an edition of the Bible whose canonicity Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных In many religions the supreme Deity ( God) is given the title and attributions of Father. Christian views of Jesus consist of the teachings and beliefs held by Christian groups about Jesus including his divinity humanity and earthly life In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance This is an overview of the History of Christian Theology from the time of Christ to the present Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections Christian tradition is a collection of Traditions of practice or belief associated with Christianity. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service See also Evangelism, Christianization A Christian mission has been widely defined since the Lausanne Congress of 1974 as that which The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic Prayer is an important theme in Christianity, and there are several different forms of prayer Ecumenism (also oecumenism, œcumenism) refers to initiatives aimed at greater Religious unity or cooperation Christianity and other religions appear to share some elements Christian movements are theological, political or philosophical interpretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church Christian music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life A Liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed by a Christian congregation or The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Christian symbolism is defined as the investing of outward things or actions with an inner meaning the expression of Christian ideas Christian art is Art produced in an attempt to illustrate supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity. Throughout the History of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within The name is derived from a conviction that followers of Jesus Christ are commanded to be baptized (most commonly by being immersed in water) as a public display of their faith, and thus most adherents reject infant baptism. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Believer's baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word credo) is the Christian practice of Baptism as this is understood by In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Infant baptism is the Christian religious practice of baptizing infants or young children While the term "Baptist" has its origins with the Anabaptists, and was sometimes viewed as pejorative, the denomination itself is historically linked to the English Dissenter or Separatist or Nonconformism movements of the 16th century. Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation English Dissenters were Christians who separated from the Church of England. Nonconformism is the refusal to conform to common standards conventions rules customs traditions norms or laws [1]

Baptists are typically considered Protestants. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Some Baptists reject that association (see Origins and Questions of labeling subsections below). Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Most Baptist churches choose to associate with denominational groups that provide support without control. Examples of such denominations are the Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, Conservative Baptist Association of America, American Baptist Churches USA, American Baptist Association (Landmark Baptists), Baptist Missionary Association of America, among others. The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination The National Baptist Convention USA Inc is one of the largest religious organizations among African Americans The convention has over 30000 churches and over 6000000 The first organization of Conservative Baptists was the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society (CBFMS now called WorldVenture, formed in Chicago Illinois The American Baptist Churches USA ( ABCUSA) is a group of Baptist Churches within the United States; the denomination maintains headquarters in The American Baptist Association (ABA is an association of independent participating Landmark Baptist churches that carry out missions and indoctrination in good will The Baptist Missionary Association of America (BMAA is a fellowship of autonomous Baptist churches for the purpose of benevolence Christian education and missions

Both Roger Williams and his compatriot in working for religious freedom, Dr. Roger Williams ( December 21, 1603 &ndash April 1, 1683) was an English theologian, a notable proponent of Religious John Clarke, are variously credited as founding the earliest Baptist church in America. John Clarke ( 8 October, 1609 &ndash 20 April, 1676) was a Medical doctor, Baptist minister, co-founder of the [2] In 1639, Williams established a Baptist church in Providence, Rhode Island, and Clarke began a Baptist church in Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km south of Providence According to a Baptist historian who has researched the matter extensively, "There is much debate over the centuries as to whether the Providence or Newport church deserved the place of 'first' Baptist congregation in America. Exact records for both congregations are lacking. "[3]

Contents

Membership

Statistics

See also: List of Christian denominations by number of members
 v • d • e  Christian Denominations in

The Baptists number over 110 million worldwide in more than 220,000 congregations, and considered the largest world communion of evangelical Protestants, with an estimated 32 million members in the North America. This is a list of Christian denominations by number of members. List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships [4] Other large populations of Baptists also exist in Asia, Africa and Latin America, notably in India (2. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 4 million), Nigeria (2. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal 5 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (1. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to 9 million) and Brazil (1. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld 7 million). [5]

According to a poll in the 1990s, about one in five Christians in the United States claims to be a Baptist. U. S. Baptists are represented in more than fifty separate groups. Ninety-two percent of Baptists are found in five of those bodies—the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC); National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. (NBC); National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. ; (NBCA); American Baptist Churches in the USA (ABC); and Baptist Bible Fellowship International (BBFI). [6]

Qualifications

Only those people who are baptized members of a local Baptist church[7] are included in the total number of Baptists. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Most Baptist churches do not have an age restriction on membership, but will not accept as a member a child who is considered too young to fully understand and make a profession of faith of their own volition and comprehension. In such cases, the pastor and parents usually meet together with the child to verify the child's comprehension of the decision to follow Jesus. There are instances where persons make a profession of faith but fail to follow through with believers' baptism. In such cases they are considered "saved" but not church members until baptized. Although most churches require you to be baptized to become a member of the church, the believe that being baptized will not save you, it is only the outward showing of the change of an inward man. If children and unbaptized congregants were counted, world Baptists might number over 150 million.

Some churches, especially in the UK, do not require members to have been baptised as a believer, as long as they have made an adult declaration of faith - for example, been confirmed in the Anglican church, or become communicant members as Presbyterians. In these cases, believers would usually transfer their memberships from their previous churches. This allows people who have grown up in one tradition, but now feel settled in their local Baptist church, to fully take part in the day to day life of the church, voting at meetings, etc. It is also possible, but unusual, to be baptised without becoming a church member immediately.

Baptist beliefs and principles

Main article: Baptist Beliefs
Part of a series on
Baptists

Historical Background
Christianity · General Baptist · Particular Baptist

Doctrinal distinctives
Prima and Sola scriptura · Ordinance · Offices · Confessions · Congregationalism · Separation of church and state

Pivotal figures
John Bunyan · Andrew Fuller · Thomas Helwys · John Smyth · Charles Haddon Spurgeon · Roger Williams

Largest associations
American Baptist · Baptist General Convention of Texas · National Baptist · Progressive National Baptist · Southern Baptist Convention · European Baptist Federation

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Baptist churches do not have a central governing authority. See also Baptist The Beliefs of Baptist Churches are not totally consistent from one Baptist church to another as Baptists do not have a central governing authority Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings General Baptist is a generic term for Baptists that hold the view of a general Atonement, as well as a specific name of groups of Baptists within the broader See also Baptist The Beliefs of Baptist Churches are not totally consistent from one Baptist church to another as Baptists do not have a central governing authority Prima scriptura is a doctrine that says canonized scripture is "first" or "above all" sources of Divine revelation. Sola scriptura ( Latin ablative, "by scripture alone" is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating See also Ordinance (Latter Day Saints See also Baptist Baptists recognize only two ordinances — Believer's baptism and the Lord's Baptists generally recognize two Scriptural offices, those of Pastor -teacher and Deacon. 1600s 1644 First London Baptist Confession - revised in 1646 1651 The Faith and Practice of Thirty Congregations 1654 The True Gospel-Faith Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent Separation of church and state is one of the primary theological distinctions of the Baptist tradition John Bunyan (28 November 1628 &ndash 31 August 1688 a Christian writer and Preacher, was born at Harrowden (one mile south-east of Bedford See also Fuller Baptist Church, Kettering Deathless Sermon William Carey Strict Baptist Thomas Helwys, (c 1575 - c 1616 was one of the joint founders of the Baptist denomination Charles Haddon Spurgeon, commonly CH Spurgeon, ( June 19, 1834 &ndash January 31, 1892) was a British Reformed Roger Williams ( December 21, 1603 &ndash April 1, 1683) was an English theologian, a notable proponent of Religious The American Baptist Churches USA ( ABCUSA) is a group of Baptist Churches within the United States; the denomination maintains headquarters in The Baptist General Convention of Texas is the oldest surviving Baptist convention in the state of Texas. The National Baptist Convention USA Inc is one of the largest religious organizations among African Americans The convention has over 30000 churches and over 6000000 The Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC is a convention of African-American Baptists emphasizing Civil rights and social justice The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination The European Baptist Federation (EBF is a federation of 51 Baptist associations and is one of six regional fellowships in the Baptist World Alliance. Therefore, beliefs are not totally consistent from one Baptist church to another, especially beliefs that may be considered minor. However, on major theological issues, Baptist distinctive beliefs are held in common among almost all Baptist churches. Baptist Distinctives is a name usually given to a set of historical doctrinal principles common to most Baptist traditions

Baptists share so-called "orthodox" Christian beliefs with most other moderate or conservative Christian denominations. These would include beliefs about one God; the virgin birth; miracles; atonement through the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus; the Trinity (the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, together with God the Father); the need for salvation (through belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God, his death and resurrection, and confession of Christ as Lord); grace; the Kingdom of God; last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth, the dead will be raised, and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness); and evangelism and missions. Some historically significant Baptist doctrinal documents include the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, 1742 Philadelphia Baptist Confession, the 1833 New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith, the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith and Message, and written church "covenants" which some individual Baptist churches adopt as a statement of their faith and beliefs. In 1833, Baptists in the United States agreed upon a Confession of faith around which they could organize a missionary society under the Triennial Convention The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination The Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M is the Southern Baptist Convention confession of faith

Baptists generally believe in the literal Second Coming of Christ at which time God will sit in judgment and divide humanity between the saved and the lost (the Great White Throne judgment Revelation 20:11) and Christ will sit in judgment of the believers (the Judgment Seat of Christ 2 Corinthians), rewarding them for things done while alive, knowing that works will not get someone to Heaven. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic Beliefs among Baptists regarding the "end times" include amillennialism, dispensationalism, and historic premillennialism, with views such as postmillennialism and preterism receiving some support. Summary of Christian eschatological differencesIn Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the study of its religious Beliefs concerning all Future and Amillennialism ( Latin: a- "not" + mille "thousand" + annum "year" is a view in Christian eschatology Dispensationalism is a Christian theological view of history and Biblical interpretation that became popular during the 1800s and early 1900s and is Premillennialism in Christian eschatology is the belief that Christ will literally reign on the earth for 1000 years at his Second coming. In Christian eschatology, postmillennialism is an interpretation of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation which sees Christ 's Second coming Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days or End Times

See also: List of Baptist Confessions or Doctrinal Statements

The following acrostic backronym, spelling BAPTISTS, represents a useful summary of Baptists' distinguishing beliefs:[8]

Most Baptist traditions believe in the "Four Freedoms" articulated by Baptist historian Walter B. 1600s 1644 First London Baptist Confession - revised in 1646 1651 The Faith and Practice of Thirty Congregations 1654 The True Gospel-Faith An acrostic (from the late Greek akróstichon, from ákros, "top" and stíchos, "verse" is a Poem or other Writing A backronym (or bacronym) is a Phrase that is constructed "after the fact" from a previously existing word or Abbreviation, the abbreviation Shurden:[9]

The polity of autonomy is closely related to the polity of congregational governance. Separation of church and state is a Political and Legal Doctrine that Government and religious institutions are to be kept separate Polity ( Greek: Πολιτεία or Πολίτευμα transliterated as Politeía or Políteuma) was originally a term used in Ancient Greece Just as each Baptist priest with soul competency is equal to all other Baptists in a church, so each church is equal to every other church. No church or ecclesiastical organization has authority over a Baptist church. Churches can properly relate to each other under this polity only through voluntary cooperation, never by any sort of coercion. Furthermore, this Baptist polity calls for freedom from governmental control. [10]

Beliefs that vary among Baptists

Because of the importance of the priesthood of every believer, the centrality of the freedom of conscience and thought in Baptist theology, and due to the congregational style of church governance, doctrine varies greatly between one Baptist church and another (and among individual Baptists) especially on the following issues:

The Sabbath Debate

As would be expected amongst any people who hold to freedom of conscience, there have historically been a small number of Baptists who have held to some form of Sabbatarian doctrine. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch The doctrine of separation, also known as the doctrine of non-fellowship is a belief among some religious groups that the members of a church should be separate from "the world" Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology Hermeneutics may be described as the development and study of Theories of the interpretation and understanding of texts As with most issues there is a diversity of views of members of Baptist churches on Homosexuality. In general religious use Ordination is the process by which a person is consecrated (set apart for the administration of various religious rites See also Evangelism, Christianization A Christian mission has been widely defined since the Lausanne Congress of 1974 as that which The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament

A majority of Baptists believe that the Sabbath has been transferred to Sunday. Most Baptists who attend worship services on Sunday do so in memory of Christ's resurrection or due to some form of "eighth day" theology.

There is a small but influential group known as the Seventh Day Baptists. Seventh Day Baptists are Christian Baptists who continue to observe the Sabbath on Saturday which is the original seventh day of the week for the founding Some attempt to trace their origins to earlier Anabaptist or pre-Reformation sects however most acknowledge that the denomination was established in the early seventeenth century in England. Seventh Day Baptists may be either General or Particular Baptists but they are united in their observance of the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. Seventh Day Baptists are Christian Baptists who continue to observe the Sabbath on Saturday which is the original seventh day of the week for the founding Although the degree to which they observe the Sabbath varies from person to person, from congregation to congregation, there is a consensus within their circles that none should judge the spirituality of another's personal practices.

In the mid-nineteenth century a Seventh Day Baptist tract eventually led to a large portion of the Adventist movement to adopt Sabbatarian teachings. Seventh Day Baptists are Christian Baptists who continue to observe the Sabbath on Saturday which is the original seventh day of the week for the founding The term Adventist generally refers to someone who believes in the Second Advent of Jesus (popularly known as the Second coming) in the tradition of the Millerites

Theological, cultural and political controversies

As with all major denominational groups, Baptists have not escaped theological, cultural and political controversy. Baptists have historically been sensitive to the introduction of theological error (from their perspective) into their groups.

Worship style

Rural Baptist church in Port O'Connor, Texas
Rural Baptist church in Port O'Connor, Texas

The focus of Baptist church worship services is the proclamation of the Word of God through the weekly sermon. Port O'Connor (also known as POC) is an unincorporated village in Calhoun County, Texas, United States, on the coastline between Printed Orders of Service often are distributed to worshipers at Sunday morning services, especially in larger congregations. Contemporary services are less likely to have printed bulletins that outline the service.

The worship service generally consists of a sermon preceded by a time of worship through singing. Prayers are offered intermittently throughout the service and an offering is usually taken sometime during the service. An "invitation" is usually offered after the sermon to allow public response to the message by confession of faith, request for baptism or church membership, or the expression of an intention to walk more closely with the Lord.

The music in Baptist churches varies from traditional hymns, to southern gospel, to the more contemporary modern worship styles.

Baptist churches are careful to emphasize that worship is not limited to the Sunday gathering, but is a lifestyle of love and service to Christ and dedication to God's truth as revealed in the Scriptures. Most Baptist churches expect the members to carry the message of the gospel into the world among their family and friends.

Origins

There are two main views about the origins of the Baptists: Baptist origins in the 16th and 17th centuries and Baptist perpetuity.

Viewpoint: Baptist origins in the 16th and 17th centuries

Some see the Baptists as the descendants of the 16th century Anabaptists (which some view as a product of the Protestant Reformation and others view as a continuation of the older pre-Reformation non-Catholic churches). Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation Johannes Warns states that the first independent Baptist Church was that at Augsburg, Germany, in about 1524. [12] Others see the Baptists as a separation from the Church of England in the early 1600s. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican [13]

Puritan separatists John Smyth and Thomas Helwys are acknowledged by numerous historians as key founders of the modern Baptist denomination. A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, John Smyth may be John Smyth (1570-1612, a founder of the Baptist church John Smyth (1748-1811, British Privy Counsellor in 1802 Thomas Helwys, (c 1575 - c 1616 was one of the joint founders of the Baptist denomination The early Baptists were divided into General Baptists who were Arminian in theology, and Particular Baptists who were Calvinistic in theology. General Baptist is a generic term for Baptists that hold the view of a general Atonement, as well as a specific name of groups of Baptists within the broader Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the [14][15][16]

According to Baptist historian H. Leon McBeth, Baptists, as a distinct denomination, originated in England in a time of intense religious reform. McBeth writes, “Our best historical evidence says that Baptists came into existence in England in the early seventeenth century. They apparently emerged out of the Puritan-Separatist movement in the Church of England. ”[13]

Viewpoint: Baptist perpetuity

Main article: Baptist successionism

The Baptist perpetuity view (also known as Baptist succession) holds that the church founded by Christ in Jerusalem was Baptist in character and that like churches have had perpetual existence from the days of Christ to the present. Baptist successionism is one of several theories on the origin and continuation of the Baptist Church (or Baptist churches - also known as "Baptist Church perpetuity" This view is theologically based on Matthew 16:18, where Jesus is speaking to Peter, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (Πέτρος[17]), and upon this rock (πέτρα[18]) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," as well as Jesus' commission and promise to be with His followers as they carried on his ministry, "even unto the end of the world. "[19]

The Baptist perpetuity view sees Baptists as separate from Catholicism and other religious denominations and considers that the Baptist movement predates the Catholic church and is therefore not part of the Protestant Reformation. As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity [20]

J. M. Carroll's The Trail of Blood booklet, published in 1931, has been a popular writing presenting the successionist view, pointing to groups such as the Montanists, Novatianists, Donatists, Paulicians, Albigensians, Catharists, Waldenses, and Anabaptists, as predecessors to contemporary Baptists. James Milton Carroll ( January 8, 1852 &ndash January 11, 1931) was a Baptist pastor leader historian and author The Trail of Blood is a pamphlet by Dr James Milton Carroll, published posthumously collecting a series of lectures given by Carroll over the history of Baptist The Novatianists following Novatius or Novatian, held a strict view that refused readmission to communion of lapsi, those baptized Christians who had denied their The Donatists (named for the Berber Christian Donatus Magnus) were followers of a belief considered a Schism by the broader churches of the Paulicians (Պավլիկյաններ were a Gnostic and Manichaean Christian group which flourished between 650 and 872 in Anatolia, General description The earliest Waldensians believed in poverty and austerity promoting true poverty public preaching and the personal study of the scriptures Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation [21] Baptist historian John T. Christian writes in the introduction to his History of the Baptists: "I have throughout pursued the scientific method of investigation, and I have let the facts speak for themselves. I have no question in my own mind that there has been a historical succession of Baptists from the days of Christ to the present time. "[22] Other Baptist historians holding the perpetuity view are Thomas Armitage, G. H. Orchard, and David Benedict.

Those holding the perpetuity view of Baptist history can be basically divided into two categories: those who hold that there is a direct succession from one church to the next (most commonly identified with Landmarkism), and those who hold that while the Baptist practices and churches continued, they may have originated independently of any previously existing church. Landmarkism is a type of Baptist Ecclesiology. Landmarkism may also appear as Old Landmarkism in some works

While there is no direct evidence to support "Landmarkism" or "Successionism" in church history, the modern Baptist movement owes its theological heritage to the earlier "Frei Kirche" movement as embodied in the writings of Balthasar Hubmaier, an early Anabaptist theologian, who was martyred for his beliefs on the rite of baptism in the early days of the Protestant Reformation. Balthasar Hubmaier (c 1480 – March 10 1528) was an influential German/Moravian Anabaptist leader [23] No doubt, the various beliefs of Baptists can be "discovered" through independent study; however, church history does not seem to support the notion that movements began ad hoc or in a vacuum. While the Southern Baptist Convention's stand (as articulated by McBeth) is that the modern Baptist movement is a part of the larger Protestant movement, that does not automatically delete the earlier influences of others who published and advocated some or all of the distinctive views that identify modern Baptists. The Baptist movement is in the larger context of theological movements of dissent since the official birth of the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Nicea.

Etymology of "Baptist"

Part of the 6th century Madaba Map showing Aenon and Bethabara, places of baptism of St. John (Βέθαβαρά το τού άγίου Ιωάννου τού βαπτίσματος)
Part of the 6th century Madaba Map showing Aenon and Bethabara, places of baptism of St. The Madaba Map (also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map) is part of a floor Mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George at Madaba John (Βέθαβαρά το τού άγίου Ιωάννου τού βαπτίσματος)

Baptist comes from the Greek word βαπτιστής (baptistés, "baptist," also used to describe John the Baptist), which is related to the verb βαπτίζω (baptízo, "to baptize, wash, dip, immerse"), and the Latin baptista, and is in direct connection to "the baptizer," John the Baptist. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.

As a first name it has been used in Europe from the twelfth century also as Baptiste, Jan-Baptiste, Jean-Baptiste, John-Baptist; and in the Netherlands at least since the seventeenth century, often in combinations like Jan Baptist or Johannes Baptist. As a last name it has been used since the thirteenth century. A family name or last name is a type of Surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs Other variations also commonly used are Baptiste, Baptista, Battiste, Battista.

The Anabaptists in England were called Baptists as early as 1569. Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation [24]

Questions of labeling

Some Baptists object to the application of the labels Protestant, denomination, Evangelical and even Baptist to themselves or their churches, while others accept those labels. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel

Some who reject the label Baptist prefer to be labeled as Christians who attend Baptist churches. Also, a recent trend (most common among megachurches and those embracing the "seeker movement") is to eliminate "Baptist" from the church name, as it is perceived to be a "barrier" to reaching persons who have negative views of Baptists, whether they be of a different church background or none. A megachurch is a church having around 2000 attendants for a typical weekly service These churches typically include the word "Community" or other non-religious or denominational terms in their church name.

Conversely, others accept the label Baptist because they identify with the distinctives they consider to be uniquely Baptist. They believe those who are removing the name "Baptist" from their churches are "compromising with the world" to attract more members. However, there are other church groups that hold to the beliefs listed above, that have never been known by the label Baptist, and also believe that these beliefs are not exclusive to the Baptist denomination.

The label Protestant is rejected by some Baptists (primarily those in the Landmark movement) because in their view Baptists have existed separately since the early church days. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Those holding this view maintain that Baptists have never been a part of the Roman Catholic Church, and as such are not "protesting" against Catholicism. Further, they point out that Baptists have no direct connection to any of the Reformationists like Luther, Calvin, or Zwingli. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli (1 January 1484 &ndash 11 October 1531 was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Other Baptists accept the Protestant label as a demographic concept that describes churches who share similar theologies of sola scriptura, sola fide, the priesthood of all believers and other positions that Luther, Calvin and other traditional reformers held in contrast to the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s. Sola scriptura ( Latin ablative, "by scripture alone" is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating Sola fide ( Latin: by Faith alone also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith is a doctrine that distinguishes most The universal priesthood or the priesthood of all believers, as it would come to be known in the present day is a Christian doctrine believed to be derived from several

The label denomination is rejected by some because of the local autonomous governance system used by Baptist churches. Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity Being a denomination is viewed by them as having a hierarchy that substitutes for the Roman Catholic Church. Another reason for the rejection of the label is the influence of the Restoration period on Baptist churches, which emphasized a tearing down of denominational barriers. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and Other Baptists accept the label, feeling that it does not carry a negative connotation but rather is merely a synonym for a Christian or religious group with common beliefs, organized in a cooperative manner to spread its beliefs worldwide.

The label Evangelical is rejected by some fundamentalist Baptists who consider the term to describe a theological position that in their view is not fundamentalist enough, and conversely is also rejected by some liberal Baptists who consider the term to describe a theological position that in their view is too conservative. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel It is accepted by moderate Baptists who identify with the revival in the United States in the 1700s known as the First Great Awakening. The First Great Awakening (referred to by some historians as the Great Awakening) was a period of heightened religious activity primarily in Great Britain and its Conversely, some Evangelicals reject the label fundamentalist, believing it to describe a theological position that they consider too extreme and legalistic. Fundamentalism refers to a "deep and totalistic commitment" to a belief in and strict adherence to a set of basic principles (often Religious in nature a reaction

Baptists by country

Australia

Main article: Baptist Union of Australia

Brazil

Cambodia

Canada

Main article: Baptists in Canada

There are several major groupings of Baptists in Canada. Associations of Baptists in Canada The following are the major groupings of Baptists in Canada (alphabetically Association of Regular Baptist Churches

Denmark

India

Main article: Baptists in India

Ireland

Italy

Jamaica

Netherlands

New Zealand

Main article: Baptist Union of New Zealand

Romania

Main article: Baptist Union of Romania

Russia

Sweden

Main article: Baptist Union of Sweden

Taiwan

Ukraine

United Kingdom

U.K Baptist Church, Hampton Wick, Middlesex
U. K Baptist Church, Hampton Wick, Middlesex

United States

Main article: Baptists in the United States

The largest national community of Baptists worldwide is that of the United States, with 38. The Baptist Union of Great Britain is the oldest and largest national association of Baptist churches in Great Britain. The Baptist Union of Scotland is the denomination of Baptist churches in Scotland. The Baptist Union of Wales (Undeb Bedyddwyr Cymru is a fellowship of Baptist churches in Wales. See also Baptists Brief history The origins of the Baptist faith go back to the Reformation in England in the sixteenth century 8 million members. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the USA. The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination Although Baptist churches are located throughout the USA, the great majority of Baptists live in the Southern United States, and the Baptist faith has historically exerted a powerful influence in that region of the country. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive

Major Baptist organizations in the United States include:

Notes

  1. ^ Newman, Albert Henry (1894). The Alliance of Baptists is a fellowship of Baptist churches and individuals espousing moderate-to-liberal theological and social stances The American Baptist Association (ABA is an association of independent participating Landmark Baptist churches that carry out missions and indoctrination in good will The American Baptist Churches USA ( ABCUSA) is a group of Baptist Churches within the United States; the denomination maintains headquarters in The Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA is a denomination of Protestant churches that was founded March 11, 1997. The Baptist Bible Fellowship International (BBFI is a separatist Fundamentalist organization formed in 1950 by members who separated from the World Baptist Fellowship The Baptist General Conference (BGC is a national evangelical Baptist body with roots in Pietism in Sweden and inroads among evangelical Scandinavian-Americans particularly The Baptist Missionary Association of America (BMAA is a fellowship of autonomous Baptist churches for the purpose of benevolence Christian education and missions The first organization of Conservative Baptists was the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society (CBFMS now called WorldVenture, formed in Chicago Illinois Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Inc (CBF — "a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission of The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC org Organized in 1951 as the Interstate and Foreign Missionary Baptist Associational Assembly of America, this group is now known as the Interstate and Foreign Landmark Missionary Baptist National Association of Free Will Baptists - a national body of predominantly White Free Will Baptist churches in the United States and Canada The National Baptist Convention USA Inc is one of the largest religious organizations among African Americans The convention has over 30000 churches and over 6000000 The National Baptist Convention of America Inc (or NBCA) is an African-American Baptist body organized in 1915 as the result of a struggle to keep The Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC is a convention of African-American Baptists emphasizing Civil rights and social justice Seventh Day Baptists are Christian Baptists who continue to observe the Sabbath on Saturday which is the original seventh day of the week for the founding The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination World Baptist Fellowship - a separatist fundamentalist Baptist organization A History of the Baptist Churches in the United States. Christian Literature.  “This rejection of infant baptism and this insistence on believers' baptism were so distinctive of these Christians that they were stigmatized as Anabaptists, Catabaptists, and sometimes as simply Baptists; that is to say, they were declared to be "rebaptizers", "perverters of baptism", or, as unduly magnifying baptism and making it the occasion of schism, simply "baptizers". These party names they earnestly repudiated, preferring to call themselves Brethren, Christians, Disciples of Christ, Believers, etc. ” 
  2. ^ Newport Notables
  3. ^ Brackney, William H. (Baylor University, Texas). Baptists in North America: an historical perspective. Blackwell Publishing, 2006, p. 23. ISBN 1405118652
  4. ^ Baptist World Alliance Official Statistics
  5. ^ Baptist World Alliance statistics
  6. ^ Albert W. Wardin, Baptists Around the World (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1995) p. 367
  7. ^ Words about Baptist church,Southern Baptist church
  8. ^ Articles on Baptists beliefs, polity, ministries, practices, organizations, and heritage. The information is intended to be useful for Baptists and non-Baptists alike.
  9. ^ Shurden, Walter B. The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms. Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 1993.
  10. ^ Pinson, William M. , Jr. "Trends in Baptist Polity. " Baptist History and Heritage Society. Available online: http://www.baptisthistory.org/contissues/pinson.htm
  11. ^ Leonard, Bill J. "Historical Consciousness and Baptists in the South: Owning and Disowning a Tradition. " Proceedings of American Academy of Religion 2002 Annual Meeting.
  12. ^ Warns, Johannes. "Baptism", tr. by G. H. Lang, The Paternoster Press, London, 1957
  13. ^ a b McBeth, Leon. “Baptist Beginnings. ” Baptist History and Heritage Society. Available online: http://www.baptisthistory.org/baptistbeginnings.htm (Accessed 10/19/2007)
  14. ^ Baptist Christianity: Origins & Development of Baptist, Southern Baptist Beliefs.
  15. ^ Baptists. Catholic Encyclopedia.
  16. ^ Baptist Origins. Baptist History and Heritage Society.
  17. ^ Greek word #4074 in Strong's
  18. ^ Greek word #4073 in Strong's
  19. ^ Duncan, William Cecil (1855). Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, generally known as Strong's Concordance, is a concordance of the King James Bible Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, generally known as Strong's Concordance, is a concordance of the King James Bible A Brief History of the Baptists and Their Distinctive Principles and Practices, from the "Beginning of the Gospel" to the Present Time. New York: Edward H. Fletcher. Retrieved on 2007-10-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal.  
  20. ^ Brong, Rosco. Ten Bible Proofs of Baptist Perpetuity. Word of Truth. Retrieved on 2007-10-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal.
  21. ^ Carroll, J. M. . The Trail of Blood. Retrieved on 2007-10-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal.
  22. ^ Christian, John T (vol. 1, 1922; vol. 2, 1926). A History of the Baptists. Broadman Press.  
  23. ^ (2007) Believer's Baptism:Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. B&H Publishing Group, 189-206. ISBN 0805432493.  
  24. ^ See volume one, chapter 15, pages 205-206 of John T. Christian's "History of the Baptists" published by Broadman Press. Available online: http://www.reformedreader.org/history/christian/ahob1/ahobp.htm

References

Protestantism
The Reformation
History
Pre-Reformation Movements

Waldensians  · Lollards  · Hussites

Reformation churches

Anglicanism · Anabaptism · Calvinism · Lutheranism · Zwinglianism

Post-Reformation movements

Baptists · Congregationalists · Pietism · Pentecostalism · Puritanism

Great Awakenings

Revivalism · Methodism · Evangelicalism
Disciples of Christ

Restorationism

Adventism · Restoration Movement

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See also

External links

Specific baptist groups

General baptist links

Dictionary

Baptist

-noun

  1. (uncountable) A Protestant denomination of Christianity, which believes in the baptism of believers, as opposed to the baptism of infants.
  2. (countable) An adherent of this denomination.
  3. (countable) (Archaic) One who performs baptism.

-adjective

  1. Of, relating to, or adhering to the Baptist religious denomination.
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