More on the Baptist Church

The Baptist Church gets its name and main emphasis of belief from Jesus' own baptism, by his cousin John, in the River Jordan. Many religions have stressed the importance of cleanliness linked with holiness. Since Jesus was sinless and did not need to be 'cleansed from sin', his baptism was a means of identification with the people, and marking a beginning of his ministry. While Jesus did not need forgiveness and cleansing from sin, his followers do, and Baptists (along with other evangelical Christians) have followed his example down through the ages.

For many years after Henry VIII's reformation of the Church of England, the State had strong control over religious worship. There were people, however, who wanted to do what they believed God was telling them in the Bible, rather than what the king's officials told them. One such man was John Smyth. He believed that baptism by immersion should be the basis of church belief. He travelled to Amsterdam, where he and his friend Thomas Helwys baptised each other by pouring water over their heads. They founded their church in 1609 and later practiced baptism by full immersion.

The first Baptist Church was established in Spitalfields, London in 1612.

The Baptist Church as we know it today evolved from the belief that the apostolic teachings of the New Testament should have precedent over any 'government or established' teaching of the Church. In other words, neither monarch nor State should rule the Church - only God's word, the Bible could. Some Baptists paid dearly for holding to this belief. It was Oliver Cromwell who first allowed Baptists greater freedom and influence. By the 17th century many Baptist churches had been established, particularly in London.