A Baptist church holds to essential Protestant doctrines while emphasizing the importance of baptism by immersion and
congregational leadership. As a faith community, Baptists trace their heritage back to the early church as part of an unbroken chain of true believers and followers of Jesus Christ. As a named denomination, Baptists origins begin with some particular historical movements. There are several Baptist Galesburg churches, so let’s take a look at where the movement originated and some of the major theological influences on present-day Baptists.
The Anabaptists: Believer’s Baptism
The Anabaptists were a Christian group in Europe during the 1500s who emphasized that baptism should be performed for professing believers who request it. This differed from predominate church views of the time, which held that infants should be baptized. The word “Anabaptist” means “to baptize again.” This referred to the Anabaptists’ practice of re-baptizing those who had been baptized as infants, once they had made the conscious decision to follow Christ. Anabaptists were frequently persecuted for their practices.
The Anabaptists’ doctrinal positions varied and did not always align with current Baptist beliefs. However, Baptists today consider their courage and historical influence on baptism practices to be significant.
Congregationalism: Local Church Autonomy
The Baptist movement formed from believers associated with a particular movement within Puritanism: Congregationalism. Congregationalists emphasize that a local church is autonomous and ultimately answers only to God. Congregationalists recognize the authority of Romans 13:1. They do not generally advocate anarchy, and they encourage believers to live peaceably. However, they see God as the church’s ultimate authority and believe that local churches should answer to leadership within their own congregation, rather than an external governing body.
Separatism: A Subset of the Puritan Movement
The Puritans were Protestants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries who wanted to either cleanse or totally break away from the Church of England. They considered many practices within the Church of England to be too similar to Catholicism, too focused on ritual and church hierarchy and not focused enough on holy living and biblical teachings.
Within the Puritan movement, the Separatists were those who felt the Church of England was too problematic to reform. They believed the only option was to break away from the Church of England and form new denominations. The Congregationalists were a subset of the Separatist movement, and Baptists today can trace their roots to both of these influences.
The earliest Baptist church can be traced to Amsterdam in 1609. It was founded by an English Separatist named John Smyth who stood for believer’s baptism and refused to baptize infants. As the Baptist movement spread, it broke into two separate strains. The General Baptists held to an evangelical stance on salvation and believed that Christ died for every sinful person for all of time. The Particular Baptists held to Calvinist theology and believed that Christ’s sacrifice only extended to the elect. However, today most Baptists hold to the General Baptists’ position. Christ actually is the propitiation for the sins of the world (1 Jn. 2:2).
Who Founded the First Baptist Church in America?
In 1638, Roger Williams founded the First Baptist Church in Providence, in what is now the state of Rhode Island. The Baptist movement began to grow in America during the Great Awakening, a spiritual revival during the eighteenth century. During this time, Baptist theology in general became more evangelical. In contrast with Puritan Calvinist theology, Baptists today believe that salvation is freely offered and available to every person.
Evangelical Theology
Calvinism teaches that some people are chosen before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) that they should willingly receive the benefits of His saving work. Many Baptists today are Calvinists (or at least Calvinistic).
At the same time, Baptists believe that “whosoever will may come” to Christ for salvation (Mark 8:34; Rev. 22:17). If a person places his or her saving faith in Christ, they will receive the atonement and eternal life in Christ. Baptists believe that no additional work or sacrament is necessary in order to experience salvation. A result of this evangelical position is that Baptists desire to share the gospel, or good news, with everyone. They believe it’s our responsibility as Christians to carry the good news to the ends of the earth, so that all who hear can believe and be saved.
Baptists also believe that once a person is saved, they are saved forever. The fruit of salvation can be seen in a person’s changed life and godly works, but no one needs to perform certain works in order to preserve his or her status before God. Baptists view salvation as a gift, freely given and dependent only on Christ’s finished work on the cross.
Baptists: A Part of the Universal Church
To a Baptist, the word “church” means a couple of different things. First, the word can refer to the local community of believers in a particular location. However, Baptists also believe that the church, in a universal sense, has existed since the time of the apostles. Throughout history since the early church founded by Paul and the apostles, there have been those who understood the essentials of the gospel and placed their faith in Christ for salvation. Thus, Baptists trace their history back to the early church as members of the church as a body of believers. Although this body has been larger and more visible at some times in history than in others, Baptists believe that it has always been present, preserved by God according to the promises in His Word.
Harmony Baptist Church: An Independent Baptist Church in Galesburg, IL
If you’re interested in joining a Baptist church in Galesburg, we’d be happy to meet you and tell you more about our beliefs and practices. Our “Contact” page has information you’ll need to reach out with questions or plan your first visit!
