If you attend a Baptist church, you may be curious about how it all started. As Protestants, Baptists established independent congregations that were free of government authority and politics. Here’s a closer look at the religion’s beginnings.

The Initial Separation from the Church of England

Accounts about the roots of the Baptist faith vary, but it’s widely accepted that it began as a protest against Congregationalism during the late 16th century. Baptists rejected the existing parish structure of the Church of England, where all community members automatically belonged to the same religion.

It was not until 1609 that the first Baptist church was established in Holland by former Anglican minister John Smyth. The first congregation in England was founded in 1612.

In the Church’s early years, Baptists were either Separatists or non-Separatists. Separatists were dubbed General Baptists for their belief that Christ died for everyone. Non-Separatists, on the other hand, believed that Christ died for a select few, making them Particular Baptists. Both groups maintained that churches should be autonomous, but Separatists wanted a complete break from the Church of England. 

How the Baptist Church Began in the U.S.

In 1638, the first Baptist church was formed in America by Roger Williams, an English colonial Puritan. He was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony because he believed in the separation of church and state. He then traveled to Providence, Rhode Island, and established an independent congregation there.

In 1663, Williams and fellow Englishman John Clarke obtained a charter from King Charles II that guaranteed religious and civil freedom in Rhode Island.  

Over time, vigorous missionary activities resulted in more congregations across the nation, prompting the founding of subsidiary associations and tens of thousands of churches in the South.   

Oak View Baptist Church has been a Baptist church in High Point, NC, since 1958. Faithfully serving families across the Triad Area, they offer worship services, ministries, prayer groups, Bible study, and Sunday school to all believers. Call (336) 841-6511 to learn more about their church, or visit their website to view live streams at home.