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Baptist Churches are independent and self-governing

Membership by a public profession of faith in Jesus, 

followed by water baptism.

Insistence on immersion as the only mode of baptism. 

Baptism is not necessary for salvation. 

Baptism is an ordinance,

it imparts no saving grace.

a public expression of one's inner repentance and faith.

No age restriction on membership, 

but believer's baptism requires that an individual 

be able to freely and earnestly profess his faith.

Baptists have played a key role 

in encouraging religious freedom and separation of church and state


beliefs about one God; 

the virgin birth; 

atonement for sins through the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus; 

the Trinity; 

Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth, 

the dead saints will be raised, 

and Christ will judge everyone in righteousnes; 



no church or ecclesiastical organization 

has inherent authority over a Baptist church. 

Churches can properly relate to each other 

only through voluntary cooperation, 



Since there is no hierarchical authority and each Baptist church is autonomous, 

there is no official set of Baptist theological beliefs.


marriage is a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God

Baptists have existed since the time of Christ. 

Roman Catholicism was formed within the Baptist church.


[[J.M. Carrol]] 

[[John T Christian]]

[[Thomas Crosby]]

[[G H Orchard]]

[[J M Cramp]]

[[William Cathcart]]

[[Adam Taylor]]

[[D B Ray]]

[[Charles Spurgeon]]

[[Jesse Mercer]], the namesake of Mercer University.

In 1898 [[William Whitsitt]] was pressured to resign his presidency of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 

for denying Baptist successionism.


the Baptist faith and practice has existed since the time of Christ

Baptist churches have existed in an unbroken chain since the time of Christ.

salvation by faith alone

scripture alone as the rule of faith and practice

congregationalist church government


General Baptists considered Christ's atonement to extend to all people

Thomas Helwys formulated a distinctively Baptist request 

that the church and the state be kept separate in matters of law, 


so that individuals might have freedom of religion. 

Helwys died in prison as a consequence of the religious conflict with English dissenters under James I. 

In 1638, Roger Williams established the first Baptist congregation in the North American colonies.


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