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Baptists Together, formally the Baptist Union of Great Britain, is a Baptist Christian denomination in England and Wales. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and Churches Together in England. The headquarters is in Didcot.
The Baptist Union was founded by 45 Particular Baptist churches in 1813 in London. [1] In 1832, it was reorganized to include the New Connection General Baptist Association (General Baptist churches) as a partner. [2] In 1891, the two associations merged to form a single organization. [3] General Baptists and Particular Baptists work was united in the Baptist Union in 1891. [4] The Baptist Historical Society was founded in 1908.
In 1922, Edith Gates became the first woman ordained pastor in the Convention. [5]
In 2013 Lynn Green was elected, with no votes against, as the first female General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain to commence in September 2013. She was received at the vote by a standing ovation and her inaugural message included "I believe that our union is ready for generational change... It is time to cast off the institutional mindset that has served us well in the past, and embrace a new way of being for the 21st century." [6]
Also in 2013, the union publicly re-branded itself as "Baptists Together" and introduced a new logo to reflect the change (although it is still known in an official capacity by its former name, the Baptist Union of Great Britain). [7]
According to a census published by the denomination in 2023, it claimed 1,897 churches and 99,475 members. [8]
The Fellowship of British Baptists and BMS World Mission brings together in ministry the churches that are members of the Baptist Union of Scotland, Wales, the Irish Baptist Networks, and the Baptist Union of Great Britain. It is itself a member of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) [9] because of its work to promote young people's personal and social development.
The union maintains membership with Christian ecumenical organisations such as Churches Together in England, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Conference of European Churches, and the World Council of Churches.
The Particular Baptist Missionary Society for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen (later the Baptist Missionary Society, and now BMS World Mission) was organised in 1792, under the leadership of Andrew Fuller (1754–1815), John Sutcliff (1752–1814), and William Carey (1761–1834). [10] [11]
The union has a Baptist confession of faith. [12] It is a member of the Baptist World Alliance. [8]
The Union is a partner of 4 theological seminaries, namely South Wales Baptist College, Northern Baptist College, Bristol Baptist College and Spurgeon's College, and a university college, Regent's Park College. [13]
Since 2001 the Baptist Union of Great Britain has been divided into 13 regional associations:
The principal of the Union is the General Secretary.
At the Baptist Union Assembly in April 1971, Michael Taylor, then Principal at the Northern Baptist College, asserted, "I believe that God was active in Jesus, but it will not do to say quite categorically: Jesus is God." The statement bred controversy, and some charged him with denying the Deity of Christ. [14] [15] [16] [17] Nigel G. Wright, later Principal of Spurgeon's College, commenting on the affair, claimed the, "Spectre of theological downgrade had lingered within the denomination throughout the 20th century," alluding to the Downgrade Controversy of a century earlier. [14]
Baptists form a major branch of evangelical Protestantism distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers, and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul competency, sola fide, sola scriptura and congregationalist church government. Baptists generally recognize two ordinances: baptism and communion.
Independent Baptist churches are Christian congregations, generally holding to conservative Baptist beliefs. Although some Independent Baptist churches refuse affiliation with Baptist denominations, various Independent Baptist Church denominations have been founded.
Reformed Baptists, Particular Baptists and Calvinistic Baptists, are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology. Depending on the denomination, Calvinistic Baptists adhere to varying degrees of Reformed theology, ranging from simply embracing the Five Points of Calvinism, to accepting a modified form of federalism; all Calvinistic Baptists reject the classical Reformed teaching on infant baptism as a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. The first Calvinistic Baptist church was formed in the 1630s. The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith is a significant summary of the beliefs of Reformed Baptists. The name "Reformed Baptist" dates from the latter part of the 20th century to denote Baptists who retained Baptist ecclesiology, and reaffirmed more historic Baptist biblical theology, such as Covenant theology.
Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) or Ministères Baptistes Canadiens is a federation of four regional Baptist Christian association of churches in Canada. The federation is a member of the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarter is in Mississauga, Ontario.
The Baptist Churches of New Zealand is a Baptist Christian denomination in New Zealand. Its headquarters are in Auckland, and it is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance.
General Baptists are Baptists who hold the general or unlimited atonement view, the belief that Jesus Christ died for the entire world and not just for the chosen elect. General Baptists are theologically Arminian, which distinguishes them from Reformed Baptists.
The Metropolitan Tabernacle is a large independent Reformed Baptist church in the Elephant and Castle in London. It was the largest non-conformist church of its day in 1861. The Tabernacle Fellowship have been worshipping together since 1650. Its first pastor was William Rider; other notable pastors and preachers include Benjamin Keach, John Gill, John Rippon and C. H. Spurgeon. The Tabernacle still worships and holds to its Biblical foundations and principles under its present pastor, Peter Masters.
The Baptist Union of Southern Africa is a Baptist Christian denomination in South Africa. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa. The headquarters is in Roodepoort in Gauteng province
The Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany is a Baptist Christian denomination in Germany. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Wustermark.
Baptist Evangelical Christian Union of Italy is a Baptist Christian denomination, in Italy. It is affiliated with the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy and the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Rome.
Spurgeon's College is an evangelical Baptist theological college in South Norwood, London, England, United Kingdom. It is affiliated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Baptists missionary work in Canada began in the 1760s. United Empire Loyalists and more recent arrivals from England and the U.S. formed the core and foundation of the Baptist denomination in Canada.
Derek John Tidball is a British theologian, sociologist of religion, and Baptist minister. From 1995 to 2007 he was the principal of London Bible College which later took the name London School of Theology.
The positions of the Baptist churches about homosexuality are varied. They range from liberal to fundamentalist or moderate Conservative and neutral.
The Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha is a Baptist Christian denomination in Bangladesh. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Dhaka.
The Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland is a Baptist Christian denomination based in Ireland. The headquarters is in Moira, Craigavon.
The Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya is the council of Baptist churches and missions in Sri Lanka. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Colombo.
The Jamaica Baptist Union is a Baptist Christian denomination, affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1849 in Jamaica. The headquarters is in Kingston, Jamaica. The president of the union is Rev. Dr. Glenroy Lalor.
The Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention is a Baptist Christian denomination in Bahamas. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Nassau.
The Baptist Association of Belize is a Baptist Christian denomination in Belize. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Belize City.
